Class Actions / MDL
Multi-party litigation combines high complexity with high risk. SKV has the record of success you need.
Overview
Multi-party litigation raises complex procedural issues on top of the already complex issues present in many commercial disputes.
SKV’s class action/MDL practice focuses on defending businesses across a multitude of issues, such as alleged securities fraud, product defects, and mass tort.
Multi-party litigation often presents a “bet the company” risk, and further raises challenging procedural issues on top of an already complex underlying dispute; in such situations, you need experienced counsel with a track record of success. SKV has successfully handled class actions in jurisdictions across the US, including the largest securities class action brought in Texas.
Increasingly, mass tort and catastrophic injury cases are being consolidated into a state multi-district litigation, where all defendants and plaintiffs participate in pre-trial proceedings before a single MDL judge who then returns the case to the court where it was filed for trial. SKV has developed a special expertise in these cases, again representing major clients, including defending the fifth-largest company in the United States and serving as liaison counsel in the Texas opioid MDL. While SKV lawyers are always ready to go to trial and relish the opportunity to do so, our track record of success and reputation as a formidable opponent in the courtroom means that we are often able to negotiate successful outcomes for our clients – and a great savings – long before trial is necessary. SKV’s boutique size and entrepreneurial spirit give clients numerous advantages. First, because we are a trial firm, nearly all of our team, from senior partners to paralegals and secretaries, has significant experience in trials and arbitrations. Second, we staff matters leanly, which means that as a client, you will receive a dedicated and appropriately-sized team that learns your case thoroughly and is available to address your needs.
Third, we play nicely with others, and have a reputation for working well with co-counsel in complex, largescale matters. And finally, we have never been wedded to the billable hour and are always willing to discuss alternative fee arrangements with clients.
At SKV, we use a straightforward approach to evaluating your case and your needs, making sure we never lose sight of your goals.
Representative Matters
- In re Texas Opioid Litigation: An SKV team led by Craig Smyser and Crystal Robles successfully represented McKesson Corporation, one of the ten largest companies in the United States, in multiple lawsuits brought by governmental entities claiming billions of dollars in damages related to the opioid epidemic. SKV further served as liaison counsel on behalf of all pharmaceutical distributor defendants in the Texas MDL.
- In re Astroworld Festival Litigation: An SKV team led by Craig Smyser and Karima Maloney are representing the security and risk director for the 2021 Astroworld Festival in MDL litigation related to a crowd crush incident that occurred during the popular Travis Scott-sponsored concert.
- Nobilis Healthcare: Crystal Robles and Michelle Stratton, among others, have defeated a string of putative securities fraud class actions brought against now-defunct regional healthcare provider Nobilis since 2015, including Hall v. Nobilis, Schott v. Nobilis, Hoofd v. Nobilis, and Yang v. Nobilis.
