Stephen McConnell

Stephen litigates antitrust, securities, white collar criminal, and mass tort cases throughout the United States. Stephen has tried dozens of cases before juries in federal and state trial courts, with first-chair wins in both government and private practice cases. He has successfully argued significant matters before federal and state appellate courts. The private practice clients include major consumer products, pharmaceutical, medical device, energy, entertainment and real estate companies, among others. He has defended companies in class actions and multi-district litigations. Many of the cases centered on allegations of unfair or deceptive marketing.

After law school, Stephen clerked for Judge William A. Norris on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He later served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California (Los Angeles), where he investigated and prosecuted criminal cases in the Major Frauds Section. Those cases included savings and loan frauds, violations of the securities laws, wire and mail frauds, and money laundering. He served as counsel to the Christopher Commission, an independent commission that investigated the Los Angeles Police Department in 1991, and as deputy general counsel to the Kolts Commission, an independent commission that investigated the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 1992.

Stephen has authored numerous book chapters and articles on litigation and marketing issues. Stephen is also a regular contributor to the award-winning Drug and Device Law blog.

Experience

• Representing global medical device company in the In re Transvaginal Mesh Litigation which includes more than 22,000 cases filed in federal and state courts across the country
• Represented device manufacturer in a products liability action in which plaintiff alleged that a urology procedure he had undergone caused him incontinence.
• Represented defendant in a suit by plaintiff for physical injuries, allegedly arising from laser urology procedure to address benign prostate hyperplasia; Case settled just before trial commenced.
• Represented defendant in a wrongful death claim for alleged perforation of trachea during cryoablation procedure.
• Represented pharmaceutical company in Multidistrict Litigation involving allegations of physical injuries caused by atypical antipsychotic medication.

Education

• University of Chicago Law School, 1985, J.D., cum laude, Member of the Law Review; Order of the Coif
• Harvard College, 1981, A.B., magna cum laude

Associations

• Adjunct Professor, University of Pennsylvania Law School (2011-current)
• Master in the University of Pennsylvania Inn of Court
• Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
• Barrister, Order of Veritas
• Advocate, Order of Certus