HarrisMartin's MDL Conference: Xarelto & Power Morcellators Speaker Profiles

Neil D. Overholtz specializes in pharmaceutical litigation, and has successfully handled thousands of defective drug and medical device cases, including fen-phen, Rezulin, Baycol, Bextra/Celebrex, Vioxx, Medtronic Defibrillators, and Guidant Defibrillators.

Recently, Mr. Overholtz has the distinction of having been appointed as national counsel on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committees for several federal products liability MDL’s (Mullti-District litigations), including the Trasylol MDL pending in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, before the Honorable Judge Middlebrooks, the Viagra MDL in the District Court in Minnesota, before the Honorable Judge Magnuson, as well as the Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Lead Wire MDL before United States District Court Judge Richard Kyle. Additionally, Mr. Overholtz has served as co-lead counsel in the In Re America Online, Inc Version 5.0 Software Litigation, MDL Docket No. 1341 (S.D. Fla), helping to negotiate a cash settlement for affected AOL members in excess of $15 Million as well as significant injunctive relief.

Mr. Overholtz has also recently served as co-chair of the Defective Medtronic Pacemakers and Defibrillators MDL discovery committee, and lead the firm’s efforts in national litigation, which resulted in a settlement of over $100 Million dollars. United States District Judge James Rosenbaum appointed Mr. Overholtz, to serve 25 of the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee Fee Committee. Mr. Overholtz also served a key role on the Guidant Defibrillators and Pacemakers MDL, which resulted in a settlement of over $200 Million dollars.

Roger has spent his entire career representing seriously injured individuals, including railroad employees and victims of dangerous products and defective pharmaceutical drugs. He has litigated cases in more than a dozen states, both in state and federal courts.

Roger has a national reputation as a leader in pharmaceutical litigation. Roger is acting as MDL Liaison Counsel in Yasmin/Yaz litigation, having been appointed by Chief Judge David Herndon, of the Southern District of Illinois. Roger is also lead counsel in the NuvaRing MDL, having been appointed by Judge Rodney Sippel of the Eastern District of Missouri. Roger has served on the National Plaintiffs' Steering Committees in the Ortho Evera MDL Litigation, appointed by Judge David A. Katz, of the Northern District of Ohio, as well as the Gadolinium MDL, appointed by Judge Dan A. Polster, of the Northern District of Ohio.

Roger is also active in the HRT Litigation in the City of St. Louis, Missouri Circuit Court, where he is representing women throughout the country who have Breast Cancer caused by hormone replacement drugs. There are more than 10,000 women nationally who have developed breast cancer because of these dangerous drugs.

Roger has also represented hundreds of railroad workers who have been seriously injured as a result of unsafe working conditions. Roger has a national reputation litigating cases in more than a dozen states, with record-setting verdicts in multiple jurisdictions. Roger is responsible for more than 20 jury verdicts in excess of a million dollars against many of the major railroads. Roger has appeared in the United States Supreme Court, successfully protecting the rights of injured railroad workers under the FELA. In his career, Roger has negotiated settlements in excess of $100 million dollars for his clients.

Roger is an Executive Board Member of the Mass Tort Trial Lawyer Association, a member of the American Association for Justice, a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and a member of Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys. Roger is a frequent speaker at national and local seminars and conferences involving mass torts and pharmaceutical litigation.

Elizabeth ("Beth") Graham is a director at Grant & Eisenhofer, leading the firm's complex pharmaceutical and device litigation practice. Since 1989, she has dedicated her practice to complex mass tort and class action litigation.

Ms. Graham's expertise spans the practice areas of mass tort, consumer fraud, product liability, environmental, and employment. She has served as Lead Class Counsel in multi-million dollar cases, has acted as a member of various Plaintiffs' Executive Committees in complex actions, and has prior experience as national defense coordination counsel in product liability litigation.

Notably, Ms. Graham has served as lead counsel in high profile class actions such as Borman Automotive v. American Honda Motor Corp. (MDL No. 1069), which resulted in a $435 million settlement; and litigation against Chrysler based on its Minivan Doorlatch failures and ABS brake defects. Ms. Graham served on the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee and represented dozens of victims in the In re Sulzer Hip Prosthesis and Knee Prosthesis Liability Litigation (MDL No. 1410). She has also represented over one hundred families injured by environmental contaminants, including radon, arsenic and rocket fuel, resulting in confidential settlements in excess of $25 million. Ms. Graham also has vast experience as a consultant to other mass tort firms that seek her advice in structuring their cases.