Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

Nelson Mullins is considered a powerhouse in the southeast, with additional offices across the country. The firm has developed a growing reputation for assisting clients in the life science space, particularly in cases involving product liability.

Based at the firm's headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina is David Dukes, who is recognized for his diverse practice representing pharmaceutical and medical device companies in both IP and non-IP litigation. Dukes is lead trial counsel for Purdue Pharma in response to a lawsuit that was recently filed against the company. The State of South Carolina filed suit against the pharmaceutical manufacturer alleging improprieties in the marketing of the opioid drug OxyContin. South Carolina is one of a number of states to sue an opioid maker for allegedly deceptive marketing, joining several counties and cities across the nation.

Michael Brown is a new addition to this year's stars list, and is noted as fierce litigator handling a number of complex product liability cases. Peers affirm Brown is "a leader in the room" adding, "He covers the biggest litigation in the state of MD. He was prized by every firm on the east coast [and] tries cases all over the country on product liability." Another peer exclaims, "He fills up the whole room. He is a gentle giant who could go into any courtroom, convince those tough juries and win!" Most recently, Brown successfully defended Johnson & Johnson in a series of cases involving allegations of asbestos in one of the company's products.