HarrisMartin’s Webinar Series: Multidistrict Litigation - Navigating the Landmines Speaker Profiles

Mark Lanier is consistently recognized as one of the top civil trial lawyers in America. Best known as a zealous advocate for individuals in personal injury and product liability claims against major corporations, Mark brings passion, creativity and an unparalleled ability to connect with juries in courtrooms across the nation.

Lana Varney believes practicing law is like fly fishing: preparation, presentation, and perseverance required. Global drug and medical device companies call on Lana when they need help with defending product liability litigation in the US, or when they want to try and avoid it all together. She currently serves as national counsel for several international companies defending claims against an osteoporosis medication, an afib drug, an anti-epilepsy drug, and female pelvic mesh medical devices. She has defended human blood products and plasma derived biologics, over the counter cough/cold products containing PPA, penile implants, seizure medications, bipolar treatments, and antidiuretic hormones.

Rachel Lanier joined the Lanier Law Firm as an associate in 2016 and practices in the areas of toxic torts, pharmaceutical litigation, mass torts, and product liability.

Ms. Lanier is dedicated to representing injured clients and their families by pursuing justice for those who have been harmed by toxic substances and defective products. Prior to joining the Lanier Law Firm, Ms. Lanier was an associate at a mid-sized firm in Manhattan, where she focused on representing individuals suffering from asbestos-induced diseases, such as mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Richard Arsenault has been recognized as one of America’s 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers by Trial Lawyer Magazine. He has participated in over 25 multidistrict litigation proceedings and currently serves as Co-Lead Counsel in the Actos MDL where a jury rendered a historic $9 billion dollar punitive damage verdict which has been reported as one of the nation’s largest personal injury verdicts. He subsequently served on the Actos MDL team that negotiated a $2.4 billion dollar settlement which is the largest single mass tort settlement for a drug that is still on the market. In the Pinnacle MDL pending in Dallas federal court where Richard serves on the Executive Committee, he was part of the Trial Team that secured a $502 million dollar jury verdict against Johnson & Johnson and DePuy, after an 11 week trial. Richard was nominated for the 2015 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award by the Public Justice Foundation and also selected as a 2015 member of the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. The National Trial Lawyers recognized Richard as the 2014 Trial Lawyer of the Year Civil Plaintiff Finalist.