DRI Faculty List
2021 Drug and Medical Device Virtual Seminar
April 29 - 30, 2021
Michele Suggs-Adeleye Pfizer Inc
Michele Suggs-Adeleye is Vice President and Chief Counsel-Digital at Pfizer. In this role she provides legal advice and counsel on emerging issues involving Digital health initiatives and technologies including issues involving social media platforms. She also oversees issues relating to the use of data. Prior to this role she served as assistant general counsel to various business units advising on advertising and promotion issues. She joined Pfizer over 15 years ago as a member of the Litigation group. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and the Illinois Institute of Technology's Chicago-Kent College of Law. |
Jonathan Amar Sanofi-aventis U.S.
Jonathan Amar is an attorney at Sanofi, where he serves as the primary legal contact on all Sanofi US patient support programs. Jon was previously a member of Sanofi's North America Litigation and Investigations team, where he managed product liability matters and commercial disputes. Before joining Sanofi, Jon was an associate at two law firms in Princeton, NJ and an assistant district attorney in the Bronx. |
Shannon E. Beamer Counsel
Venable LLP
Shannon E. Beamer represents pharmaceutical and medical device companies in complex litigation in state and federal courts nationwide. She has been a part of numerous trial teams in national products liability litigation involving several international pharmaceutical manufacturers. Beamer is a 2013 graduate of the IADC Trial Academy at Stanford Law School and currently serves as the DRI for Liaison to DRI's Drug and Medical Device Committee. |
Sheila S. Boston Partner
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
Sheila S. Boston is partner at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, is a trial lawyer and litigation strategist. She has litigated before both state and federal courts, and has significant MDL and class action experience. Passionate about diversity, Boston received the inaugural "Private Practice" award of the Chambers Diversity Awards USA 2016 and serves on her firm's Hiring and Pro Bono Committees. Boston also serves on DRI's Drug & Medical Device Steering Committee and is the Committee Vice Chair. |
John Browning Spencer Fane LLP
John Browning is a former Justice on Texas' Fifth Court of Appeals. Prior to becoming a judge, he handled a wide variety of civil trial and appellate work in Texas and Oklahoma as a defense attorney. He is the author of several books, dozens of law review articles, and numerous other legal articles on social media and the law. An internationally-recognized thought leader on technology and the law, Justice Browning's work has been cited by courts in Texas, California, New York, Illinois, Maryland, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, by practice guides in 11 states, and in over 400 law review articles. |
Larissa Eustice Bayer Corporation
Larissa Eustice, Senior Assistant General Counsel at Bayer US LLC, manages and sets strategy in various litigation matters across all business units -- specializing in legal defense of Pharmaceutical, Crop Science and Consumer Health matters. Larissa is actively engaged in all phases of the litigation life cycle, including providing counseling to business units regarding risk management. Larissa has spent the last five years directing a successful litigation strategy in large pharmaceutical product liability mass tort MDL, including 6 consecutive defense verdicts in federal and state courts involving a key product |
Jennifer Snyder Heis Partner
Ulmer & Berne LLP
Jennifer Snyder Heis is a partner at Ulmer & Berne and based in its Cincinnati office. She concentrates her practice in pharmaceutical and mass tort litigation, and represents clients both nationally, in multidistrict litigation and coordinated state proceedings, and locally. She is active with DRI's Drug and Medical Device Committee and serves as the 2021 Seminar Vice Program Chair and a member of the DRI Law Institute. |
Tamar Kelber Gass Weber Mullins
Tamar Kelber is a member of Gass Weber Mullins LLC, a trial boutique in Milwaukee, WI. Ms. Kelber previously was a partner at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago, where her practice focused on mass tort litigation, and national coordination and defense of pharmaceutical and other product liability cases, and counseling on the prevention and reduction of regulatory and product liability risks. At Gass Weber Mullins, she has expanded her practice to include commercial disputes, catastrophic injury and healthcare litigation, and internal investigations. |
Cassandra Lee Matos Organon & Co.
Cassandra Lee Matos is Executive Director, Regulatory Legal for Organon & Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc scheduled to spin off as a separate company in 2021. Cassandra manages the regulatory legal team, which provides support for the Marketing, Research & Development, Manufacturing, and Environmental, Health & Safety groups. Prior to joining Merck, Cassandra worked at Reed Smith in the Philadelphia office, where she handled commercial and product liability cases for various clients. Cassandra received her B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University and her J.D. from Penn State Law. |
Connie Matteo Corporate Counsel - Litigation, Law Department
Pfizer Inc
Connie Matteo is an Assistant General Counsel at Pfizer. Prior to joining Pfizer, Ms. Matteo was Senior Corporate Counsel at Wyeth. Ms. Matteo handles a wide variety of litigated matters including complex commercial disputes, mass tort and product liability matters, securities and antitrust matters. Before going in-house, Ms. Matteo was a principal of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman in Morristown, New Jersey and a member of the firm's Litigation Department. Her practice focused on complex product liability, pharmaceutical drug and medical device product liability claims. Ms. Matteo also counseled pharmaceutical clients on issues related to regulatory compliance. Ms. Matteo has authored a number of articles related to product liability litigation and regulatory compliance. Ms. Matteo frequently speaks on topics related to pharmaceutical product liability litigation and serves as guest lecturer at two law schools. Ms. Matteo's professional affiliations include the Defense Research Institute ("DRI"), CPR, the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Product Liability Advisory Council. Ms. Matteo is a member of the Steering Committee of DRI's Drug and Medical Device Committee. Ms. Matteo recently became the co-chair of CPR's Healthcare and Life Science Committee. Ms Matteo also serves on the Dean's Board of Advisors for Syracuse University's College of Arts and Sciences. |
Ted J. McDonald III Founding Partner
McDonald Veon PA
Ted J. McDonald III is a founding partner of McDonald Veon PA in Overland Park, Kansas. He practices in a variety of areas of civil litigation with a primary emphasis on defending and consulting long term care and assisted living facilities. McDonald serves as counsel for some of the largest providers of long term care services in the country. McDonald's background includes experience in products liability, medical malpractice and personal injury litigation. He is a member of both the Missouri and Kansas Bars and is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts in Missouri and Kansas. McDonald is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) and holds numerous positions of leadership with DRI (current member, DRI Law Institute; past Chair, DRI Medical Liability and Healthcare Law Committee; past Chair, DRI Nursing Home-ALF Subcommittee; past member, DRI Governance Committee; past Chair, DRI Young Lawyers' Committee; past Faculty, DRI Nursing Home and Medical Liability Seminars). McDonald is the Law Institute liaison for this seminar. |
Allison Oliver SVP Sales & Marketing
Smith & Carson Investigations
Allison Oliver is an Executive Vice President at Smith & Carson, a defense oriented private investigation firm that specializes in conducting complex fact investigations for large scale and high exposure product liability litigation. Allison provides clients with investigation recommendations to support defense themes such as alternative causation, product defense, illegitimate claims, and questionable credibility. Prior to joining Smith & Carson, Allison was a Large Law Research Consultant and Client Manager for LexisNexis. Allison graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in International Business. |
Zane Riester Johnson & Johnson
Zane Riester is currently Senior Counsel at Johnson & Johnson, where he manages Ethicon's wound closure and pelvic mesh portfolio of cases worldwide. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, Zane was a Partner at McCarter & English, in Newark, New Jersey, where he worked on a broad portfolio of high-profile product liability case and consumer fraud class actions, with a focus on the needs of medical device and pharmaceutical companies. Zane received his undergraduate degree from Union College, where he was also awarded a yearlong fellowship from the Thomas J. Watson Foundation. Zane then attended Fordham University School of Law School, where he was Managing Editor of the Moot Court Board, and an editor of Fordham's International Law Journal. |
Gail Rodgers Partner
DLA Piper LLP (US)
Gail Rodgers is a partner in the New York City office of DLA Piper. She concentrates her practice in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, mass torts and government and internal investigations. Rodgers represents clients on a wide variety of compliance matters, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) as well as advising and enhancing compliance programs in response to investigations. Rodgers has extensive experience in a wide variety of state and federal litigation, including providing strategic advice at each stage of litigation, managing national discovery teams, and implementation of national resolution programs. She serves as the Chair of the DRI Drug and Medical Device Committee. |
Squire Servance Repligen Corporation
Squire Servance serves as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer of Repligen where he oversees the legal, corporate secretary, compliance and enterprise risk functions. Mr. Servance joined Repligen from Baxter International, Inc. where he served as Associate General Counsel, Global Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining Baxter, Mr. Servance worked in a variety of settings including as Director, Sr. Legal Counsel at Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, as an attorney with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP and as a law clerk for Judge Jerome A. Holmes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. |
Quinn Shean Tusk Ventures
Quinn Shean is virtual care policy expert and leads digital health engagements for Tusk Ventures, the first venture capital fund and political strategy firm dedicated to working with and investing in promising startups operating in regulated industries. Her experience includes strategic regulatory counsel on issues concerning telehealth, mobile medical applications, privacy, marketing, and consumer protection. She regularly works with clients to advance statutory and regulatory policy, craft cohesive messaging, build strategic partnerships, and facilitate stakeholder outreach. Her varied background in healthcare– from advising on policy during political campaigns to serving as legal counsel to major pharmaceutical companies to working as a strategist to innovative startups – has shaped a unique perspective of both the opportunities and challenges with emerging technologies that enable better delivery of care. Quinn serves as an advisor to the American Telemedicine Association and as Vice-Chair on the Uniform Law Commission's Committee on Telehealth. |
Michelle Silverthorn Inclusion Nation
Michelle Silverthorn believes that diversity and inclusion needs a new voice for a new generation. A recognized expert in organizational inclusion, and the Founder & CEO of Inclusion Nation, Michelle has worked with Fortune 500 companies, tech start-ups, non-profit organizations, universities, and numerous companies across every industry. A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Michigan Law School, Michelle practiced at two large law firms in New York and Chicago. She then transitioned into the education field where she trained thousands in-person and online about racism, bias, equity, belonging, and inclusion. She is a TEDx speaker and the author of the book, Authentic Diversity, How to Change the Workplace For Good. Michelle previously worked as an arts and entertainment journalist in Trinidad and Tobago, a researcher in Puno, Peru and Geneva, Switzerland, and a volunteer teacher in Gaborone, Botswana and Almaty, Kazakhstan. |
Erik W. Snapp Partner
Dechert LLP
Erik W. Snapp is a partner in the Chicago office of Dechert LLP. He advises and defends pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer products and automotive clients in consumer fraud class actions and product liability/mass tort litigation. He also has handled regulatory and internal investigations in the United States and Europe, and has advised clients on compliance and ethics issues. Erik serves as the 2021 Program Chair of the DRI Drug and Medical Device Committee. |
Kari Sutherland Butler Snow
Kari Sutherland is a member of Butler Snow's Pharmaceutical, Medical Device & Healthcare Litigation Group. She is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and a member of the Trial Attorneys of America. She has tried cases in various jurisdictions across the country, and her significant pharmaceutical product liability defense verdicts include those resulting from trials in California, Illinois and Louisiana. She is recognized by Benchmark Litigation as one of its Top 250 Women in Litigation (2016-2020). She authors articles on litigation and trial-related topics for Butler Snow's Pro Te: Solutio and other publications such as Law360. She received a 2017 Burton Award and a 2018 Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association "The Quarterly" Editorial Award for her written work. Her speaking engagements include giving a closing argument at DRI's prestigious Trial Tactics seminar in 2017 and presenting a webinar for FDANews on OTC labeling guidances. She is a former Special Agent with the United States Secret Service. |
Charissa N. Walker Tucker Ellis LLP
Charissa N. Walker, an attorney with Tucker Ellis LLP, defends pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in product liability claims. Charissa defends actions in state and federal courts, including MDLs involving thousands of claims – all the way to jury verdict. She has experience conducting and defending depositions, arguing motions, and negotiating favorable settlements. Before joining Tucker Ellis, Charissa clerked in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. She received her J.D. summa cum laude from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. |
Pamela J. Yates Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
Pamela J. Yates is a Chambers ranked, highly successful life sciences and product liability trial lawyer internationally recognized as a "Life Science Star." She tries cases in multiple state and federal court venues, and has extensive experience in MDL and class action work. Ms. Yates has successfully acted as national coordinating counsel in various mass tort cases, responsible for all aspects of litigation, including trial, trial preparation and strategy, science, and overall Daubert strategy. Ms. Yates represents several major corporate clients in the pharmaceutical, consumer products, technology, and life sciences areas. |
Erica Yen KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America, Inc.
Erica Yen is Senior Legal Counsel at KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America, Inc., where she supports the North American entities of parent company KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG based in Germany. Her responsibilities include advising on litigation, contracts, compliance, and regulatory matters. Prior to KARL STORZ, Erica was an associate at Reed Smith LLP, where she practiced primarily in the area of products liability litigation, representing pharmaceutical and medical device clients. Erica received her B.A. from Columbia University and her J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of the Law. |