Profile - Michael K. Brown

Company Information

Company

Reed Smith LLP
355 S Grand Ave Ste 2900
Los Angeles, CA 90071

Phone

(213) 457-8018

Member Bio

Michael is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and the former chair of Reed Smith's Life Sciences Health Industry Group. His practice focuses on complex product liability and commercial matters, including class actions, Multi-District Litigations, mass torts, and claims for unfair competition and false advertising. He is an acknowledged trial court and appellate expert in the area of federal preemption. Michael currently serves as National Coordinating and Trial Counsel for C.R. Bard in the In re Kugel Mesh Hernia Repair Patch Litigation and is actively involved in the In re C. R. Bard Pelvic Mesh Repair Litigation. He also represents Medtronic in all aspects of the Infuse Bone Graft litigation and represents GlaxoSmithKline as trial counsel in the Avandia litigation. He previously represented Merck in the Vioxx litigation and was National Coordinating and Trial Counsel for Pfizer in In re Mirapex Product Liability litigation. Michael's clients have included, among others, Medtronic, Inc., C.R. Bard Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Inc. (GSK), Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co. Inc., Cyberonics, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company. He also has been a Faculty Member at the IADC's Trial Academy at Stanford University.

Michael was named a BTI Client Service All-Star for 2014 and has been named in Lawdragon's 500 Leading Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers in America. He has been consistently named by Chambers USA (Band 1) and Legal 500 (“Leading Lawyers”) and the International Who's Who of Product Liability and Life Science Lawyers as one of the preeminent lawyers for product liability. In August 2010, Law360 named Michael one of the "10 Most Admired Product Liability Attorneys." In 2008, he received Reed Smith's Shaw's Lion Award, given annually to the firm's outstanding lawyer over the previous year. In 2010, The American Lawyer named Reed Smith as the Litigation Department of the Year for Product Liability.

Michael has testified more than a dozen times before legislative and other committees concerning proposed legislation involving protective orders and confidential settlement agreements, summary judgments, unfair competition statutes, electronic discovery, and other issues. He has worked with a coalition of businesses to oppose bills that would have eroded protection for confidential and proprietary information as well as bills that would have given prosecutors and private plaintiffs a "disgorgement of profits" remedy in cases involving California Business and Professions Code sections 17200 et al, and he was a member of the Civil Justice Working Group providing assistance to then-governor-elect Schwarzenegger's transition team. He was also actively involved in working on reform efforts involving section 17200, particularly Proposition 64, which was enacted by California voters November 2, 2004.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
2003 - Reed Smith
Chair, Life Sciences Health Industry Group (2008-2010); (Co-Chair 2011)
Member of the Executive Committee (2003-2006)
1982 – 2002-Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May (combined with Reed Smith in 2003)
Member of the Executive Committee (1991-2002)
Chair of the Complex Litigation Practice Group (2002)
Managing Partner of the Los Angeles office (1991-1994)
Chair of Los Angeles Commercial Litigation Group (2000-2001)
Chair of Los Angeles Product Liability Group (1996-2000)

HONORS & AWARDS
Named BTI Client Service All Star, 2014
Listed in Best Lawyers in America
Listed in Lawdragon 500 (2012)
Listed in Chambers USA (Band 1)
Listed in Legal 500 (“Leading Lawyers”)
Listed in Who's Who of Product Liability and Life Science Lawyers

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Defense Research Institute (DRI), Drug, and Medical Device Steering Committee (2011-2014)
Board of Governors of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL) (Los Angeles Chapter) (2000-2004)
International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC); Vice-Chair, Drug, Device and Biotech Committee (2000-2002, 2004- ) Legislative Judicial and Governmental Affairs Committee (2000-2005)
Product Liability Advisory Council, Member

INTERESTS
Michael serves on the Board of Counselors of the University of San Francisco School of Law and is a past member of the Board of Governors of the University of San Francisco Law Society. Michael and his wife Martha reside in La Canada Flintridge, California, and have three adult children.

Firm Information

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Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation
Drug & Medical Device
Mass Tort
Products Liability
Toxic Torts & Environmental Law

DRI Committees
Drug and Medical Device

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Profile - Michael K. Brown - Bio

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