Overview
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Richelle is a member of Butler Snow’s Pharmaceutical, Device and Healthcare Litigation Group.
Since joining Butler Snow in 2011, Richelle has engaged in written advocacy covering every aspect of civil litigation. In conjunction with internal and external counsel, she has prepared thousands of pleadings, motions and responses, ranging from legal memoranda and strategic analyses to the preparation of nearly every type of motion-related work product. Richelle has extensive experience with federal notices of removal, as well as federal and state discovery motions, motions to dismiss, summary judgment motions, Rule 702 motions to exclude, motions in limine, motions to bifurcate, jury instructions and post-trial filings.
She also has extensive experience in coordinating motions-related practice in mass torts and, in particular, federal and state court consolidated proceedings. This work has enabled Richelle to develop a strong working relationship with co-counsel at defense firms across the country, often in cases requiring hundreds of sometimes-simultaneous filings. As one example, Richelle was the lead motions coordinator for several of the Ethicon Pelvic Mesh MDL “wave” case management orders, including one wave where the Court originally ordered workup of more than 10,000 cases, and where 21 different law firms were involved in case workup and motions practice under a single case management order. |
Richelle has a passion for legal writing. Beyond the work she performs for Butler Snow’s clients, she cherishes the opportunity to lead legal writing seminars and mentor new associates to enhance their written advocacy skills . AboutRichelle obtained her J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Houston Law School and her B.A., with honors in the liberal arts, from The Ohio State University. Following law school, Richelle clerked for the Honorable David Hittner in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.
She is a member of Butler Snow’s Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare Litigation Group, with a focus on legal writing in federal and state mass tort proceedings. Richelle also participates in Butler Snow’s pro bono initiatives, presents on topics including substantive legal issues and best practices, and leads internal workshops on written advocacy. She has authored litigation-related articles, including submissions in Pro Te: Solutio, Butler Snow’s publication for clients in the pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare industries.
. Experience
- Motions related to the largest mass tort MDL in history concerning sale of allegedly defective earplugs to the military.
- Experience in nationwide pharmaceutical products liability cases, including Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) and state consolidated proceedings.
Distinctions
- Memphis Bar Foundation, Fellow
- Memphis Bar Association, Leadership Forum, Class of 2010-2011
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee, 2012
- Ohio, 2003
- Texas, 2000 (inactive status)
Education
- University of Houston Law Center, J.D., summa cum laude, 2000
- Order of the Coif
- Chief Notes and Comments Editor, University of Houston Law Review
- The Ohio State University, B.A., Political Science, with honors in the liberal arts, 1993
- Judicial Clerkship, Hon. David Hittner, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, 2000-2002
Papers, Presentations & Publications
- Presenter: Butler Snow LLP: Advanced Legal Writing Seminar, 2022-present
- Co-Author, “Turnabout is Fair Play: 'Junk Science' Litigation Aftermath: Requisite Retractions and Dubious Do-Overs,” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 18, No. 1, March 2025.
- Presenter, "The Ultimate Legal Writing Workshop: Tools for Building Effective Written Advocacy (2025 Edition)," myLawCLE, January 16, 2025.
- Author, “Paradigm Shift or Same-Old-Same-Old?” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 11 No. 4, 2018.
- Co-Author, “Time Flies? A Look Back at the Ten Key FDA Initiatives Over the Past Decade,” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 11 No. 1, July 2018.
- Co-Author, “Jenga for Experts: How Much Can One Expert Rely on Another?” ABA, Section of Litigation, Mass Torts Newsletter, Vol. 14, No. 3, Summer 2016.
- Author, “Lay of the (MDL) Land: A Bird’s-Eye View of Pharmaceutical Litigation,” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 7, No. 4, December 2014.
- Author, "Is the Feeling Really ‘Mutual’? Supreme Court's Continued Frustration," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 6 No. 4, November 2013.
- Co-Author, "What’s In, What’s Out, What’s Next for Pharmaceutical Marketing," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 4 No. 4, 16-23, November 2011.
- Co-Author, "Proof of Knowledge Not Required," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 4 No. 2, May 2011.
- Author, Avenues of Assistance for the Federal District Courts: Certifying Questions of Law in the Ohio Supreme Court or Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, 77 CLEV. B.J. 9 (July/August 2006).
- Author, Escaping from Your Own Appeal in the Sixth Circuit: The Hirsch Remand, 76 CLEV. B.J. 9 (July/August 2005).
- Author, A Conciliatory Approach to Workplace Harassment: Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth and Faragher v. City of Boca Raton, 36 HOUS. L. REV. 1315 (1999).
- Federal District Court Attorney Admissions Workshop (Houston, Texas) (2000-02).
- A Saturday Morning in Court—Practice in Federal District Court CLE (Houston, Texas) (2000-02).
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