Rachel Horton

Rachel A.H. Horton

Associate
Philadelphia
About

Rachel Horton represents pharmaceutical and medical device companies in multidistrict litigation and appeals throughout the United States. Rachel is a high-energy litigator who regularly handles complex matters. She has presented oral arguments in front of federal Courts of Appeals, state and federal trial courts and arbitration panels. Rachel was recognized with the Pennsylvania Lawyers on the Fast Track Award in 2025.  

Rachel has significant experience drafting dispositive motions that have helped eliminate or narrow claims. For example, she has deep experience litigating preemption and standing issues. Rachel's teams have achieved litigation victories that have resulted in numerous plaintiffs voluntarily dismissing their claims or appeals.

Rachel also maintains an active pro bono practice. She regularly handles Court-appointed appeals in the Third Circuit, and she is a past member of the Second Circuit's Pro Bono Panel.

Rachel graduated first in her law school class. During law school, she interned with the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where she assisted in the government's litigation of Federal Tort Claims Act and False Claims Act cases. She also served as an intern for the Honorable Louis H. Pollak, US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Then Rachel clerked for the Honorable Legrome D. Davis, US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Honorable Richard C. Wesley, US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Before practicing law, Rachel worked as a molecular biologist in a breast cancer research lab at the University of Pennsylvania while simultaneously earning a Master of Bioethics degree. Rachel's research into the genetic underpinnings of cancer has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Her background in science helps Rachel understand her clients' business and litigation needs.

Areas of FocusLife SciencesMedia, Sport and EntertainmentLitigation, Arbitration and Investigations
Bar admissionsPennsylvania
CourtsUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fifth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Tenth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh CircuitUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of PennsylvaniaUnited States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

EXPERIENCE

  • In re Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs) Products Liability Litigation, MDL Nos. 3094 and 3163 (E.D. Pa.): Serves as national counsel for Novo Nordisk in MDLs and related state court litigation. See, e.g., In re GLP-1 RAs, No. 24-MD-3094, 2025 WL 2396801 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 15, 2025)
  • In re Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2924 (11th Cir. & S.D. Fla.): Handling class action defense and government enforcement actions for Sanofi in MDL and related state court proceedings involving thousands of cancer claims and third-party payor, medical monitoring, and economic-loss class actions. See, e.g., In re Zantac, 546 F. Supp. 3d 1216, 1218 (S.D. Fla. 2021) (granting motion to dismiss RICO claims); In re Zantac, No. 20-MD-2924, 2023 WL 4765409 (S.D. Fla. July 26, 2023) (entering final judgment in medical monitoring class action cases and dismissing without prejudice all economic-loss class action cases for lack of standing)
  • In re Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability Litigation (Del. Sup. Ct.): Worked with Delaware counsel to obtain appellate victory on general causation in interlocutory appeal. In re Zantac, 342 A.3d 1131 (Del. 2025)
  • In re Taxotere (Docetaxel) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2740 (5th Cir. & E.D. La.): Appellate counsel for Sanofi handling all appeals and critical motions arising out of the multidistrict litigation, including successful defense of dismissals and summary judgment. See, e.g., Thibodeaux, 995 F.3d 384 (5th Cir. 2021) (statute of limitations); Durden, 2021 WL 2373490 (5th Cir. June 9, 2021) (same); Kuykendall, 966 F.3d 351 (5th Cir. 2020) (show-cause hearings); Clark, 837 F. App'x 267 (5th Cir. 2020) (same); Gahan, 859 F. App'x 692 (5th Cir. 2021) (causation); Phillips, 994 F.3d 704 (5th Cir. 2021) (learned intermediary doctrine). Also served as appellate counsel at two jury trials
  • Served as defense counsel in putative class action alleging economic loss based on purchase of intrauterine device. Plaintiffs in original and copycat action voluntarily dismissed after aggressive factual challenges to their standing
  • Obtained appellate victory for medical device company where the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed dismissal on personal jurisdiction grounds and failure to state a claim
  • Advised medical device company on best practices for handling early-stage litigation demands
  • Served as counsel in In re National Football League Players' Concussion Injury Litigation, MDL No. 2323 (E.D. Pa.)*
  • Litigated pro bono matters resulting in favorable precedential opinions, including Vurimindi v. US Attorney General, 46 F.4th 134 (3d Cir. 2022) (immigration), Ne. Pennsylvania Freethought Soc'y v. Cnty. of Lackawanna Transit Sys., 938 F.3d 424 (3d Cir. 2019) (First Amendment freedom of speech),* Tilija v. US Attorney General, 930 F.3d 165 (3d Cir. 2019) (immigration),* and Paladino v. Newsome, 885 F.3d 203 (3d Cir. 2018) (Eighth Amendment conditions of confinement)*  

*Denotes cases prior to joining DLA Piper

 
Education
  • J.D., Drexel University, 2013
    Valedictorian
    summa cum laude
  • M.B.E., University of Pennsylvania, 2011
  • A.B., Biology, Bryn Mawr College, 2007
    magna cum laude
    with honors in Biology

Bylines

Seminars

  • CLE Presenter, "Admission and Exclusion of Unique Evidence under Pennsylvania Law," October 14, 2025
  • CLE Presenter, "Effective Use of Motions to Dismiss and Motions for Summary Judgment," September 15, 2025
  • CLE Co-Presenter, "Winning Mass Torts: Strategies for Defending High-Stakes Litigation," June 18, 2025
  • CLE Presenter, "Summations and Jury Instructions in Pennsylvania Trials," March 28, 2025
  • CLE Presenter, "Understanding Verdict Inflation for Product Liability Defense Strategies," October 23, 2024
  • CLE Co-Presenter, "The Landscape for Strategic Litigation Against the Government," May 15, 2024

Media Mentions

Clerk Experience

  • Honorable Legrome D. Davis, US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2013 – 2014
  • Honorable Richard C. Wesley, US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2014 – 2015

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, Board of Advisors
  • Philadelphia Lawyers' Club

My latest insights

News

Litigator of the Week Runners-Up and Shout-Outs

16 September 2025 .1 minute read

News

DLA Piper receives multiple recognitions from Legal Intelligencer as part of 2025...

21 April 2025 .1 minute read

Past event

Appellate Roundtable: The Landscape for Strategic Litigation Against The Government

15 May 2024 .2 minute read

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Phone

+1 215 656 3307
(Work, Philadelphia)