United States
Cara D. Edwards
PartnerCara Edwards has a creative and holistic approach. Her role is extremely significant, and she was able to efficiently handle [the specific matter].
— Chambers USA 2024About
Cara Edwards focuses her practice on life sciences and consumer health. She defends some of the world's largest life sciences and consumer product companies in complex, large-scale mass tort product liability and class action matters, and in parallel regulatory and government enforcement proceedings as well.
Cara helps clients work through complex and multifaceted problems. She works with them to develop strategies guided by their business goals, so they can achieve their desired outcomes. She has extensive experience devising and executing mass tort resolution strategies.
She has served as national coordinating counsel, collaborated with clients to prepare for trial jury cases and appeals, and successfully resolved many notable multi-district litigation matters throughout the US.
Bar admissionsNew York
CourtsUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New YorkUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of New YorkUnited States Court of Appeals for the First CircuitSupreme Court of the United States
EXPERIENCE
Representative of her experience are the following cases:
- In re Eliquis Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2754 (S.D.N.Y.): National counsel for Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Pfizer in product liability litigation alleging that Eliquis causes bleeding, in which the DLA Piper team obtained landmark rulings finding that plaintiffs' claims were preempted at the pleading stage (Utts v. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., 226 F. Supp. 3d 166, 177 (S.D.N.Y. 2016) ("Utts I"); Utts v. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., 251 F. Supp. 3d 644, 658 (S.D.N.Y. 2017) ("Utts II"). The MDL decisions were affirmed on appeal (Gibbons v. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., No. 17-2638, 2d Cir. Mar. 26, 2019), a ruling the Drug & Device Law Blog called "the TwIqbal decision to end all TwIqbal decisions" in the preemption context and noted, "If anyone wonders why we consider preemption our side's most powerful defense, Gibbons is Exhibit A"
- In re Proton Pump Inhibitor Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2789 (D.N.J.): National counsel for Pfizer and Wyeth in product liability litigation alleging that proton pump inhibitors Protonix and Nexium 24HR (OTC) cause chronic kidney disease and other kidney injuries
- Proton Pump Inhibitor Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2789 (D. N.J.): National counsel for Pfizer and Wyeth in product liability litigation alleging kidney injuries caused by PPI use
- Essure Product Liability Litigation: Counsel for Bayer in product liability litigation alleging injuries caused by permanent contraceptive device
- In re: Eliquis (Apixaban) Product Liability Litigation, MDL 2754 (S.D,N.Y.): National counsel for Bristol-Myers Squibb Co .and Pfizer in product liability litigation alleging that Eliquis causes bleeding; obtained order dismissing all claims on basis of impossibility preemption
- In re Testosterone Replacement Therapy Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2545 (N.D. Ill.): Lead Counsel for Pfizer and Pharmacia & Upjohn in product liability litigation involving testosterone replacement therapies; obtained order dismissing all failure-to-warn claims on basis of impossibility pre-emption
- Pfizer's National Asbestos Litigation: Part of National Coordinating Counsel Team responsible for defending against various personal injury claims based on alleged asbestos-containing products, and talc-containing products
- In re: Chantix (Varenicline) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2029 (N.D.AL): Defended Pfizer in product liability litigation involving smoking cessation medication; formulated expert witness defense, participated in preparing for initial bellwether trials and resolution efforts
- In re Prempro Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1507 (E.D.AK): Defended Pfizer and Wyeth in product liability litigation involving claims that hormone therapy medication causes breast cancer, including assisting with several successful Daubert challenges and bellwether trials
- In re Pfizer Inc. Securities Litigation, MDL No. 1688 (S.D.N.Y.): Defended Pfizer in a securities class action involving disclosures related to popular anti-inflammatory medications
- In re Bextra and Celebrex Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1699 (N.D. Cal.): Defended Pfizer in product liability and consumer fraud litigation involving selective COX-2 inhibitors, including coordinating discovery with cases pending in state court, and assisting with a successful general causation challenge for the most commonly prescribed dose of Celebrex
Education
- J.D., New York University 2003
President, Student Bar Association
Managing Editor, Environmental Law Journal
Member, Federal Defender Clinic - B.A., Colgate University 1997
English Literature
Colgate Alumni Scholar
First Team All Patriot League, Softball
Awards
Chambers USA
- Band 6, Nationwide Product Liability & Mass Torts (2021-2024)
The Legal 500 United States
- Leading Lawyer, Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices - Defense (2018, 2020)
- Recommended, Healthcare: Life Sciences, 2020
- Next Generation Partner, Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices - Defense (2017, 2019)
- Recommended, Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Actions: Toxic Tort - Defense, 2016
Additional Awards
- Practice Group of the Year - Product Liability, Law360, 2024
- Named a New York Metro Super Lawyer in the area of Product Liability Defense (2013-2020)
- Selected to "Rising Stars" (since 2012)
- DLA Piper's Leadership Counsel for Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellow, 2014
Pro Bono
Cara's pro bono work focuses on various outreaches that include obtaining uncontested divorces for battered women, obtaining legal name changes for transgender individuals in conjunction with Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, volunteering at the New York Family Court Legal Services Project, and representing a charter school as part of the firm’s Signature Pro Bono Project. Most recently, she helped a Tibetan refugee obtain asylum, and represented the NAACP in a housing-discrimination lawsuit originally brought against the town of Huntington, New York, more than a decade ago. The case alleged that the town of Huntington discriminated against families with children and racial minorities and violated the Fair Housing Act by limiting an affordable housing development to one-bedroom units. On the eve of trial, DLA Piper achieved a settlement in favor of the NAACP.
Bylines
- Co-author, "Cannabis Mass Tort Litigation: What’s on the Horizon?" American Bar Association, April 7, 2023
- Author, "With a 'Snap' Litigators Have a New Tool To Thwart Forum Shopping," New York Law Journal, February 2020
- Co-author, "Keeping Civil Cases Civil: A Best Practices Guide from 4 Perspectives," ACCDocket, July 15, 2019
- Author, Expansion of FDA Authority to Regulate Food and Drug Products Globally, DRI: For the Defense, August 2011
Seminars
- Panelist, Corporate Counsel Women of Color Bootcamp 2020: How to Become an Expert in Your Field and the Go-To Lawyer Within Your Company (September 30, 2020)
- Panelist, ACI Conference: ACI’s 24th Annual Conference on Drug & Medical Device Litigation: The Federal Courts Divided: Overcoming Challenges to Jurisdiction in the Continuing Aftermath of BMS (December 10-11, 2019)
- Panelist, American Bar Association, 2018 Current Issues in Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Biotech Litigation: Civility Panel, (November 9, 2018)
- Panelist, National Bar Association, Commercial Law Section: "Ethical Considerations: Diversity, Inclusion and Overcoming Unconscious Bias" (February 16, 2018)
- Panelist, American Bar Association Litigation Section: "Current Issues in Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Biotech Litigation," (November 4, 2016)
- Panelist, 12th Annual CCWC Career Strategies Conference: "Industry Trends and Best Practices: Healthcare, Life Sciences, and Pharmaceutical," (September 21, 2016)
- Panelist, Charting Your Own Course Career Conference: "Relationship Recovery and Other Moments of Truth," (February 8, 2016)
- Panelist, ACI Conference: "Ethics and Products Liability Litigation: Maintaining Civility While Defending Against an Increasingly Aggressive Plaintiffs' Bar," (December 10, 2014)
- Panelist, LMA Panel on Women’s Initiatives, (June 19, 2014)
- Panelist, Think Globally Think Globally—Strategies and Recent Developments in International Dispute Resolution, DRI Annual Meeting, (October 17, 2013)
- Panelist, Women, Influence & Power in Law Conference, (October 3-4, 2013)
- Speaker, Expert Witness Admissibility Part II: The Winning Daubert Motion, Internal CLE (March 7, 2012)
- Speaker, Expert Witness Admissibility: The Basics, Internal CLE (February 27, 2012)
- Seminar Contributor, ACI Conference: 16th Annual Drug and Medical Device Litigation, Sorting Through the Science and Explaining Complex Medical Data (December 7, 2011)
Memberships And Affiliations
- American Bar Association, Women Advocate Committee
- New York City Bar Association, Product Liability Committee
- Association of Black Women Attorneys
- National Association of Women Lawyers
- DRI (Defense Research Institute), Drug & Medical Device Committee & New York State Liaison
DLA Piper Committees
- Americas pro bono committee
- New York Office Diversity and Inclusion Committee
- Firm Policy Committee
- New York Office Hiring Committee
- New York Office Deputy Managing Partner
My latest insights
Connect
Phone
+1 212 335 4714
(Work, New York)
