James E. Hooper, Jr.

Biography

Cases

• In re Juul Labs Inc. Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation (19-md-02193-WHO, N.D. Cal.) - Serving as lead national trial counsel to a major U.S. distributor of vaping products in federal multidistrict litigation in California. WTO is liaison counsel to all of the distributor defendants in the litigation.
• In re Gadolinium-Based Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2868 (J.P.M.L. 2018) - As lead national trial counsel to GE Healthcare, successfully argued before the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to defeat plaintiffs' attempt create an MDL involving gadolinium-based contrast agents.
• Developed, presented, and defended multiple defense expert witnesses in the fields of occupational medicine, industrial hygiene, and state-of-the-art scientific knowledge.
• Coordinated asbestos-defense strategies integrating historical and newly developed scientific research in toxicology, epidemiology, analytical chemistry, and particulate analysis and characterization.
• In re: Zoloft (Sertraline Hydrochloride) Products Liability Litigation (E.D. Pa. 2016) - Successfully excluded all of plaintiffs' general causation experts to help Pfizer secure summary judgment in federal Zoloft birth defect MDL.
• Porter v. Smithkline Beecham (Phila. Ct. Com. Pl. 2015) - Contributed to summary judgment win for Pfizer in a Zoloft birth defect case in Philadelphia. WTO partner Jim Hooper cross-examined the plaintiffs' only expert to offer live testimony, leading to the exclusion of both of the plaintiffs' experts. This was the second time courts excluded causation experts in Zoloft birth defect litigation. In 2014, Hooper cross-examined three causation experts in federal multidistrict litigation in Philadelphia; all three were barred from offering causation opinions.
• McNellis v. Pfizer (3d Cir. 2008) - Won an appeal for Pfizer in a groundbreaking preemption case before the Third Circuit.
• Taylor v. Solvay Pharmaceuticals - Obtained voluntary dismissal of claims against Solvay Pharmaceuticals in litigation stemming from the 1999 Columbine High School shooting.
• Miller v. Pfizer - Won exclusion of a star expert for the plaintiffs in antidepressant suicide litigation and won summary judgment for Pfizer in federal court in Kansas in a case alleging that the company's antidepressant led to the suicide of a minor.
• Motus v. Pfizer - Obtained summary judgment for Pfizer in a case alleging wrongful death, failure to warn, and other claims involving the company's popular antidepressant, and won on appeal in the Ninth Circuit.
• Smith v. Pfizer - Won exclusion of a plaintiff's causation experts and summary judgment for Pfizer in federal court in Kansas in a case alleging that the company's antidepressant led to the suicide of an adult male patient.
• Tebbetts v. Ford - Won a New Hampshire "no airbag" trial for Ford before getting all no-airbag cases held preempted in Geier in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Publications & Speaking Engagements

Presentations

• "Punitive Damages," presented at 27th Annual Conference of Colorado Defense Lawyers Association (August 20, 2004).
• "Court-Appointed Experts," presented at The Network of Trial Law Firms (March 14, 2002).
• "The Future of Preemption," presented at Defense Research Institute (May 3, 2001).
• "Daubert and Differential Diagnosis," presented at The Network of Trial Law Firms (January 4, 2001).
• "Bright Lines, Dark Deeds: Counting Convictions Under the Armed Career Criminal Act," 89 Mich. L. Rev. 1951 (1991).

Press

• Chambers USA: WTO "Acts Totally with the Client's Interest at Heart."
• Benchmark Litigation 2021 Includes 23 WTO Lawyers
• 27 WTO Lawyers Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2019
• WTO Leads Top 100 in Colorado Super Lawyers
• 26 WTO Lawyers ranked in the 24th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America
• Who's Who Legal Names Seven from WTO for Product Liability Defense
• Chambers USA 2017 recognizes Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell among the top litigation firms nationwide and in Colorado
• 42 WTO Lawyers Named to the 2017 Colorado Super Lawyers List
• 20 WTO Lawyers ranked in the 23rd Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®
• Chambers USA 2016 Ranks WTO Among Top Firms Nationwide and in Colorado
• 20 WTO Lawyers ranked in the 22nd Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®
• WTO Leads the Nation for Ranked Lawyers in Product Liability & Mass Torts Defense in Chambers USA 2015
• Legal 500 US Ranks Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell in Three Areas Nationwide
• Best Lawyers® 2015 Ranks 20 WTO Attorneys
• Pfizer Legal Team Wins Daubert Exclusion of Plaintiffs' General-Causation Experts in Birth Defects Mass Tort Litigation
• Benchmark Litigation 2013 Ranks Seven WTO Partners Among 33 Colorado Litigation Stars
• Legal 500 US Ranks WTO as One of Two Top Product Liability and Mass Tort Defense Firms in the Automotive Industry
• Benchmark Litigation Ranks Six WTO Partners Among 30 Colorado Litigation Stars
• Pfizer Presents WTO with Performance Award

Other Experience

Legal Memberships, Activities, and Honors

Teaching Positions

Personal Interests