Thomas V. Ayala

Associate

Thomas V. Ayala is an associate in Morgan Lewis's Litigation Practice. Mr. Ayala's practice and interests center on counseling businesses to minimize litigation risks and protecting their legal rights in court. 

Mr. Ayala's recent experience includes:

• Successfully defending a Fortune 500 company in federal court during a seven-week jury trial.
• Cross examining a plaintiff's primary liability expert witnesses in product liability litigation involving scientific theories of first impression.
• Executing successful defense strategy in lawsuits brought by state attorneys general and third-party payors against a pharmaceutical company for Medicaid and private insurance costs.
• Successfully defending a novel claim alleging zirconium-induced granulomas.
• Representing a business during an onsite inspection and investigation by a federal regulatory agency.
• Representing a supplier of orthopedic implants in a complex business dispute and product liability claims arising from a new generation of total knee replacements.
• Defeating a nationwide class action effort and subsequent statewide class action effort on behalf of a manufacturer of construction products.
• Serving as national counsel in serial litigation, including Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) proceedings, for a manufacturer of stainless steel, specialty allows, welding products, and medical devices.
• Performing litigation risk assessments for businesses in connection with potential mergers and acquisitions.
• Managing and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams of top scientists in the areas of pharmacology, toxicology, pulmonology, orthopedic and cardiac surgery, microbiology, microbial ecology, DNA technology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture testing, analytical chemistry, industrial hygiene, the fate and transport of chemicals and microorganisms in the environment, metallurgy, corrosion chemistry, atmospheric corrosion, microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), good manufacturing practices (GMP, QA/QC), as well as green and sustainable practices such as recycling, water reuse, wastewater treatment, and flue gas desulfurization.

Immediately following law school, Mr. Ayala was a law clerk to Judge Eduardo C. Robreno of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where he assisted the judge in presiding over seven jury trials, both criminal and civil.

Mr. Ayala earned his J.D., summa cum laude, from Villanova University School of Law in 2004, where he served as editor-in-chief for the Villanova Law Review and was named to the Order of the Coif.  While at Villanova, Mr. Ayala served as an intern to the late Judge Charles R. Weiner.

Mr. Ayala is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.