Sheila L. Birnbaum is a partner at Dechert. She is co-chair of the firm’s product liability and mass torts practice and focuses on complex product liability, mass torts and insurance litigation.
Cases
victory for State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, when the U.S. SC reversed $145 million award against the company
national counsel for Dow Corning Corporation in the breast implant litigation
national counsel for Aventis Crop Science in several class actions and multidistrict litigation arising out of biogenetic corn
national counsel for Thompson-Delaco in the over-the-counter drug “PPA”
$500 million settlement for 92 families of 9/11 victim, distributed nearly $2 billion to additional claimants
Career
wasco-chair of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan’s practice
was chair of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom’s product liability group
was a professor of law and associate dean at New York University School of Law.
elected to the ALI in 1983, elected to ALI Council in 1998, ALI Emeritus in 2013
serves as Chair of the Regional Advisory Group for the Second Region and as an Adviser for the Restatement of the Law of Liability Insurance project
was previously an Adviser on the Principles of the Law of Aggregate Litigation project and the Complex Litigation project
first woman to become a tenured professor at Fordham University Law School
served as NYWBA President
Founder and past Director of WBASNY, a founder of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations, and the first Co-President of the Judges and Lawyers’ Breast Cancer Alert
Awards
ABA Commission on Women in the Profession’s Margaret Brent Women of Achievement Award
Milton S. Gould Award for Outstanding Appellate Advocacy
