Leading Litigator for Big Pharma Joins Morgan Lewis in Philadelphia
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date:
12/09/2008 -
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Press Releases
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PHILADELPHIA, PA, December 9, 2008: Morgan Lewis today announced the addition of John P. Lavelle, Jr. as a partner in its Litigation Practice, resident in the firm’s Philadelphia office. A veteran of large, complex cases involving the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, he has served as coordinating counsel, regional counsel, and trial counsel in high-profile matters for a number of top companies.
Mr. Lavelle has nearly 18 years of litigation and trial experience in commercial, product liability, and class action litigation. Among his many victories are the first Pennsylvania appellate decision recognizing that strict liability does not apply to prescription medical devices and a ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court that loss-of-use damages cannot be awarded to the owner of a telecommunications cable for property damage to the cable—the first such state supreme court ruling in the country. As early as 2002, he earned recognition for his success on behalf of clients and was named one of “the most successful young litigators in America” in the National Law Journal’s 40 Under 40.
"As pharmaceutical and medical device companies continue to face large, complex cases, John is a stellar addition to our team,” said James D. Pagliaro, leader of the firm’s Litigation Practice. “We look forward to working with him to deliver winning results for our clients.”
Morgan Lewis was recently ranked as one of the top international litigation firms and its clients include a number of the world’s leading companies. Mr. Lavelle comes to Morgan Lewis from a national law firm, where he led the product liability and mass tort group. He joins a litigation team that spans 18 offices worldwide and comprises more than 700 litigators covering a full spectrum of industries.
A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Mr. Lavelle began his career as a clerk for a federal judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Judge Thomas N. O’Neill, Jr. He is active in pro bono and community activities, serving on the boards of Community Legal Services of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Legal Assistance. In addition, he recently served as Pennsylvania State Counsel to the Obama Campaign.
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John P. Lavelle, Jr.