Weitz & Luxenberg partner Ellen Relkin remains as busy as ever this November, with two more speaking engagements lined up. The first is George Washington University Law School’s conference titled Bench, Bar & Bankruptcy: Complex Litigation Forum 2022. It is scheduled for November 17-18 in Washington, DC. The second is HarrisMartin’s MDL Conference: Navigating Current Mass Tort Litigation. This is scheduled for November 30 in New York City.
Relkin Shares Insights and Stresses Community
As W&L’s practice group chair of the firm’s Drug and Medical Device Litigation team, Ms. Relkin offers conference participants a wealth of knowledge and expertise regarding multidistrict litigation (MDL). She also shares insights gained from more than three decades of helping people harmed by defective, sometimes dangerous, medical devices on an enormous scale.
“Fall is an exciting time to reconnect and share — both for participants and speakers alike,” says Ms. Relkin. “We can all learn from each other and recharge before heading home to continue our efforts to offer our clients the best representation possible. I feel extremely privileged to work with some of the most talented and dedicated professionals in the field. Better yet, these conferences remind us, we’re all in this together. And there is power in numbers.”
GWU Law School Conference
The George Washington University Law School conference, Bench, Bar & Bankruptcy: Complex Litigation Forum 2022 is being held at the James F. Humphreys Complex Litigation Center in Washington, DC. It runs from November 17-18.
The conference examines complex litigation case management and changes in MDL practices. It explores recent issues and the impact they have on how dockets. This conference also highlights the impact of the growing size of exceptionally large MDL dockets and the tactic of management filing for bankruptcy.
Ms. Relkin’s panel addresses Changing the Rules: Perspectives on the Civil Rules Committee The session is scheduled from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Panel members discuss recent rule changes as well as perennial proposals. Speakers also evaluate possible effects of these changes on complex litigation.
HarrisMartin MDL Conference
This HarrisMartin conference on Navigating Current Mass Tort Litigation is being held November 30 from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It is at The Knickerbocker in New York City. Ms. Relkin presents at the panel titled Mass Tort Update 2.0. She is discussing the Exactech Litigation, which has a recently created MDL in the Eastern District of New York following her petition to the JPML and argument for that venue. It runs from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Ms. Relkin and a talented cadre of panelists address the latest news regarding these areas of litigation:
- Southern Baptist — This religious organization covered up sexual abuse crimes for years. A list of sexual abuse offenders was released that includes people criminally convicted of abuse and those who confessed.
- AFFF — Aqueous Film-Forming Foam chemicals have contaminated roughly 1,500 drinking water systems across the country, particularly groundwater near airfields and military bases. As many as 110 million people nationwide may have been affected.
- PFAS — These toxic, manmade chemicals have been used in both industry and consumer products globally since the 1950s. Two of the worst PFAS offenders are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). Both can leach into and pollute our soil, water, and air.
- Opioids — Weitz & Luxenberg is helping to lead coordinated efforts against some of the country’s largest opioid manufacturers and distributors in the country. According to our lawsuits, pharmaceutical companies have falsely marketed and distributed opioid medications recklessly.
- Exactech — Exactech hip and knee liners used in total hip replacement procedures are failing earlier than expected. This requires complex, costly revision surgery. Because of rising concerns, the manufacturer voluntarily recalled some of its models.
- Talcum powder — Although talc is a mineral occurring naturally in the environment, it can be contaminated by the asbestos, often found nearby. Thousands of women are now raising the alarm. Their use of contaminated talcum powder products led to their diagnosis of deadly ovarian cancer or mesothelioma.
Relkin Is a Leader in Medical Device and Pharmaceutical Product Liability
Ms. Relkin focuses primarily on potentially defective medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Her expertise also extends to toxic tort litigation.
Over the years, she has represented thousands of clients injured by dangerous medical products. Ms. Relkin has helped negotiate global settlements resulting in more than four billion dollars on their behalf.
