MASSACHUSETTS
MASSACHUSETTS
Local litigation firms Local litigation stars Richard Paterniti
Cooley Manion Jones
Civil Litigation, Personal Injury
Highly recommended Anthony Agudelo
Sugarman Rogers Barshak & Cohen Hillary Schwab
Berman DeValerio Civil Litigation, Medical Malpractice Lichten & Liss-Riordan
Employment/Labor
Cooley Manion Jones Michael Appel
Sugarman Rogers Barshak & Cohen Leslie Stern
Pyle Rome Ehrenberg Civil Litigation, Medical Malpractice Berman DeValerio
Securities
Sugarman Rogers Barshak & Cohen Norman Berman
Berman DeValerio Indira Talwani
Securities Segal Roitman
Employment/Labor
Recommended David Berry
Sugarman Rogers Barshak & Cohen Michael Thornton
Crowe & Mulvey
Civil Litigation, Medical Malpractice Thornton & Naumes
Civil Litigation, Personal Injury
Lichten & Liss-Riordan
Jeffrey Block
Berman DeValerio Bryan Wood
Meehan Boyle Black & Bogdanow
Securities Berman DeValerio
Segal Roitman Securities
Leo Boyle
Thornton & Naumes Meehan Boyle Black & Bogdanow Anthony Zelle
Civil Litigation Zelle McDonough & Cohen
Civil Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Securities
Donna Corcoran
Cooley Manion Jones
Civil Litigation, Personal Injury
Robert DeLello
Cooley Manion Jones
Civil Litigation, Personal Injury
Glen DeValerio
Berman DeValerio
Securities
Kathleen Donovan-Maher
Berman DeValerio
Securities
Patrick Egan
Berman DeValerio
Securities
Jennifer Furey
Cooley Manion Jones
Intellectual Property
Patrick Jones
Cooley Manion Jones
Civil Litigation, Personal Injury
Harold Lichten
Lichten & Liss-Riordan
Employment/Labor
Shannon Liss-Riordan
Lichten & Liss-Riordan
Employment/Labor
Robert Naumes
Thornton & Naumes
Civil Litigation, Personal Injury
100
MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts Sugarman Rogers Barshak & Cohen
Sugarman Rogers Barshak & Cohen traces its
genesis to 1929. Since then, the firm has
crafted a fine reputation as a Boston-based
litigation boutique. While the firm handles
Plaintiffs’ litigation in employment and labor has been on an unprecedented defense and plaintiff claims, its plaintiffs’-side
upsurge, as have increased litigation in intellectual property, antitrust and securi- medical malpractice and pharmaceutical
liability group are particularly deserving of
ties litigation. Smaller law firms have fared well in the legal market by diversify- note. The firm routinely represents plaintiffs
ing practice areas and adjusting firm trajectory with litigation trends. in negligence claims against health care
providers including dentists, psychiatrists,
Highly recommended firms individuals nationally. For over 25 years, the technicians, hospitals and clinics for serious
firm has been guided by a commitment to the injuries and death. Claims in this area include
Berman DeValerio litigation process in handling a broad lack of informed consent, failure to timely
Berman DeValerio pursues individuals and assortment of cases. On the plaintiffs’ side, diagnose various conditions; mismanagement
class actions on behalf of institutions and the firm has a highly developed medical of labor and delivery and improper
individuals in effort to recover losses that malpractice, personal injury and commercial interpretation of diagnostic procedures. In
have occurred as a result of securities and litigation practice. The firm frequently May 2011, the firm recovered additional
antitrust violations. With offices in Boston, handles claims involving vehicular accidents; settlements on behalf of the estate of a
San Francisco and Palm Beach Gardens, products liability; civil rights; sexual assault; severely abused child, bringing the total
Florida, the firm has been an advocate for premises liability and construction accidents. recovery to over $4.5 million. The claims
plaintiffs for nearly 30 years. Landmark Some examples of the firm’s success include were against a pediatrician and nurse
decisions such as the $750 million settlement an $8.5 million settlement on behalf of an practitioner who treated the child and failed
against Xerox and $300 million against employee injured on a construction site who to report clear signs of abuse. The firm’s
Bristol-Myers Squibb have propelled Berman suffered internal crush injuries to his pharmaceutical and medical device liability
DeValerio to the front of the pack as a go-to midsection; $2.45 million on behalf of a driver has grown substantially over the last several
firm. In addition to its focus on securities and injured as a result of an unsafe parking lot and years. The firm has represented in excess of
antitrust, the firm also litigates intellectual entranceway; $4 million for a patient who 2,300 plaintiffs in litigation against the
property and consumer protection claims. suffered airway burns during surgery; and $3.9 manufacturers of Redux, a diet drug and
Notable successes include the recovery of million as a result of a driver-turned-tetraplegic pursues claims against manufacturers of a
over $200 million on behalf of defrauded as a result of negligent traffic management by a birth control patch and defective heart
investors, which is double the amount that construction company on a highway. The firm devices. Under Michael Appel’s leadership,
was lost; the firm’s contributions to a $295 won acclaim for the $5.1 million recovery for a Sugarman Rogers Barshak & Cohen
million resolution in an antitrust claim civil rights claim arising from the death of an continues to thrive.
against DeBeers; and the recovery of $80 innocent bystander when a police officer fired a
million on behalf of a drug manufacturer ‘less lethal weapon’ into a crowd. Cooley Recommended firms
who claimed there was a conspiracy to keep Manion boasts an accomplished roster of
a generic drug out of the market. litigators. Donna Corcoran, Robert DeLello, Lichten & Liss-Riordan
The litigators of Berman DeValerio inject Patrick Jones and Richard Paterniti are part of Lichten & Liss-Riordan represents employees
unconventional problem-solving in their the core litigation team delivering justice to the and unions in plaintiffs’-side litigation. The
resolution process. For instance, in a injured. firm litigates individual and class actions on
derivative action on behalf of Oracle behalf of employees dealing with wage and
Corporation, the company CEO agreed to Pyle Rome Ehrenberg hour claims, discrimination, disputes over
make $100 million in charitable donations as Pyle Rome Ehrenberg represents employees tips, employee misclassification, and various
a resolution of insider trading claims. In and labor unions exclusively, and assures that other sorts of employment-related litigation.
another instance, the firm compelled Toys the rights of working people have aggressive The firm emphasizes its refusal to represent
“R” Us to donate $36 million of toys to advocacy despite the economic climate. The corporations or businesses of any size. The
charity to resolve antitrust claims. Getting firm’s clients include steelworkers and other litigators of Lichten & Liss-Riordan have
Union Oil Company and Unocal Corporation manufacturing employees; bus drivers; engaged in pioneering litigation against
to be responsible for clean air benefits and federal, state and municipal workers; human restaurants, hotels and other employers for
fund alternative fuel research, the firm was service and health care employees; and tip-related disputes on behalf of wait staff
able to resolve claims brought on behalf of telephone workers. The issues the firm and service workers.
California consumers. A competitor offers, litigates include health and benefit disputes, The firm has won three jury verdicts on the
“Berman DeValerio is a major player in overtime pay, and civil rights grievances. first cases to go to trial. These cases were on
antitrust and securities litigation. They know With eight attorneys, Pyle Rome applies a behalf of skycaps at Logan Airport, servers at
what they’re doing, and the firm is pretty collaborative and lean approach to meeting the Hilltop Steakhouse and waiters at the
dangerous once they get their hooks in a the litigation needs of its clients in individual Federalist restaurant. As a result of its success
case,” while another peer says, “The firm has or class actions. Senior founding partner in this area, the firm is expanding the scope
solid roots in the securities and antitrust Warren Pyle has over 40 years of experience of this practice area to include litigation in
market. They are involved in many of the securing the rights of workers in nearly every Hawaii, Florida, New York and Maine.
most desirable cases.” Peers commend employment matter imaginable. Pyle is Shannon Liss-Riordan, Harold Lichten and
Norman Berman and Glen DeValerio particularly well known for his Hillary Schwab have an extraordinary record
personally for their leadership of the firm’s representation of college and university litigating on behalf of the working people of
direction. faculty in contract disputes, disability Massachusetts.
discrimination and denial of tenure claims.
Cooley Manion Jones David Rome, also a founding partner, focuses Segal Roitman
Cooley Manion Jones is heavily invested in his practice on the representation of unions, Segal Roitman represents unions and is an
maintaining its reputation as a litigation and recently had success in the representation impassioned proponent of workers
boutique that services businesses and of firefighters. mobilizing their agency to shape their
THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO AMERICA’S LEADING LITIGATION FIRMS & ATTORNEYS 101
MASSACHUSETTS
working conditions. Founded in 1972, the
firm has spent over 35 years litigating nearly
every sort of labor and employment claim on
behalf of its clients. In addition, the firm
represents clients in personal injury and
workers compensation claims. Indira
Talwani played a critical role in extending
whistleblower protection to employees
within the mutual fund industry. The
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 states that its
protection extends to employees of public
companies. Mutual funds are public but have
no employees. Instead, mutual funds hire
privately held management companies.
Despite this, Talwani embarked on a course
of action to hold mutual funds responsible
for the actions of its ‘contractors’. The
district court agreed and Segal Roitman is in
the midst of a battle to prevail on this issue.
Thornton & Naumes
Founded in 1978, Thornton & Naumes now
claims to be the largest plaintiff personal
injury law firm in New England, with 21
litigators. Behind such a commendable
accomplishment is a record of success in the
firm’s representation of over 20,000 victims.
The firm’s practice includes products liability,
False Claims Act matters, toxic torts, class
actions, construction accidents, and medical
malpractice. The firm was founded to litigate
on behalf of those suffering from
mesothelioma and other asbestos-related
diseases. While the firm continues its work in
this area, Thornton & Naumes is also known
for its representation of the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts in a lawsuit against the
tobacco industry that resulted in an $8 billion
settlement. Recent successes included an
$11.5 million settlement for the owners of
property with contaminated soil used as fill;
$6.1 million for a young man that sustained
amount of his left leg after begin ejected from
a bus that rolled over on the highway; $4.2
million for a child whose learning disabilities
are attributed to his exposure to lead; and
tens of millions of dollars on behalf of clients
with asbestors-related ailments. The firm is
led by Michael Thornton and Robert
Naumes.
102