Phoebe A. Wilkinson

Partner

Practice Description

Representative Matters

Counsel to pharmaceutical manufacturer in more that 1,500 high profile product liability litigations filed in state and federal courts throughout the United States. Chadbourne serves as co-national in these matters. Ms. Wilkinson’s responsibilities includes work involving class certification issues and procedure.

Counsel to an international manufacturer of consumer products on US regulatory, risk management and product liability matters.

Represented a major international cosmetics company in their products liability litigation.

In the commercial litigation arena, Ms. Wilkinson has worked on a number of cases involving insurance brokerage disputes, including litigations concerning broker malpractice, breach of restrictive covenants, unfair competition, and breach of fiduciary duty. She has also litigated post-employment disputes regarding deferred compensation benefits paid to former executives.

Handled litigations and arbitrations involving environmental indemnification disputes arising out of mergers and acquisitions.

Advises on and litigates complex contract matters involving aircraft leasing agreements for a nationally known air cargo transportation services company, as well as a major international airline.

Handled several litigations and mediations involving patent and intellectual property contract matters for a major international company in the motion picture industry, and a leading company in the bar code scanning industry.

Litigated numerous securities arbitrations before the NASD.

Practice in the field of bankruptcy litigation has included a number of debtor-creditor issues including automatic stay relief, preference and fraudulent conveyance actions, and planned confirmation issues.

Litigated in the area of complex high profile probate litigations, including a battle in the largest estate ever probated in Kings County (Brooklyn), New York.

Honors

Chambers USA - America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2008): Cited as "Up and Coming" for her work in products liability.

The Legal 500 (2008 and 2007): Recognized for product liability and mass tort defense.

Activities and Affiliations

Serves on the boards of directors for the following organizations:

Brown University Sports Foundation;
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Inc. (NYLPI);
New York City Cyclones (a youth ice hockey organization); and
The American Friends of St. Paul’s Girls’ School in London, England.

Member: New York State Bar Association; DRI; ABA; and Federal Bar Council American Inn of Court.

Chair of Chadbourne’s Pro Bono Committee since July 2006. Ms. Wilkinson has served on the committee for more than a decade.

For several years served as Chadbourne’s solicitor for the Legal Aid Society Associates’ Campaign, setting records for contributions in each of the years she ran Chadbourne’s internal campaign. Ms. Wilkinson served as the Chair of the 1999-2000 Campaign on a city-wide basis.

Publications

"Is the Tide Shifting for Foreign Plaintiffs Wishing to Litigate Product Liability Claims in the US Courts?," Scrip World Pharmaceutical News, August 17, 2007
"Defending Warnings-based Claims Against Manufacturers," (co-author), For the Defense, July 2007
"Foreign Plaintiff’s Attempts to Use U.S. Courts to Litigate Personal Injury Product Liability Claims," Products Liability, ABA Section of Litigation, Committee on Products Liability Litigation, Winter 2007
"Chadbourne & Parke's Pro Bono Program: A Commitment to the Highest Aspirations of the Legal Profession," The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, January 2007
"A Products Liability Practice Meets The Challenge Of The Plaintiffs Bar," (co-author), Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, November 2006

"Is the Tide Shifting for Foreign Plaintiffs Wishing to Litigate Product Liability Claims in the US Courts?," Scrip World Pharmaceutical News, August 17, 2007
"Defending Warnings-based Claims Against Manufacturers," (co-author), For the Defense, July 2007
"Foreign Plaintiff’s Attempts to Use U.S. Courts to Litigate Personal Injury Product Liability Claims," Products Liability, ABA Section of Litigation, Committee on Products Liability Litigation, Winter 2007
"Chadbourne & Parke's Pro Bono Program: A Commitment to the Highest Aspirations of the Legal Profession," The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, January 2007
"A Products Liability Practice Meets The Challenge Of The Plaintiffs Bar," (co-author), Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, November 2006
"Should Foreign Plaintiffs' Personal Injury Suits Be Litigated in U.S. Courts?," law.com, July 2006
"Class Action Fairness Act of 2005," Client Alert, February 28, 2005
"No-Injury Lawsuits and Constitutional Standing to Sue in Federal Courts," (co-author), International Law Office, March 2004

Speeches and Events

Litigation Products Liability Committee's Pharmaceutical Litigation Regional CLE Workshop, New York, NY, November 14, 2008
"Class Actions: Are They An Effective Access to Justice Tool?," International Bar Association Conference, Pro Bono and Access to Justice Committee, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 16, 2008
"Preventative Medicine: Uncovering Business Practices That Are Warning Signs to Consumer Fraud Litigation," Defending Consumer Fraud Economic Injury Claims, Philadelphia, PA, September 23-24, 2008
"Cross Examining a Plaintiff's Regulatory/FDA Expert," 2nd Annual Drug & medical Device On Trial Conference, New York, NY, June 24-25, 2008
"Arbitration and other Contractual Issues," Mealey's Product Recall Liability Conference: Made in China and Beyond, Washington, DC, December 10-11, 2007

Litigation Products Liability Committee's Pharmaceutical Litigation Regional CLE Workshop, New York, NY, November 14, 2008
"Class Actions: Are They An Effective Access to Justice Tool?," International Bar Association Conference, Pro Bono and Access to Justice Committee, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 16, 2008
"Preventative Medicine: Uncovering Business Practices That Are Warning Signs to Consumer Fraud Litigation," Defending Consumer Fraud Economic Injury Claims, Philadelphia, PA, September 23-24, 2008
"Cross Examining a Plaintiff's Regulatory/FDA Expert," 2nd Annual Drug & medical Device On Trial Conference, New York, NY, June 24-25, 2008
"Arbitration and other Contractual Issues," Mealey's Product Recall Liability Conference: Made in China and Beyond, Washington, DC, December 10-11, 2007
"Foreign Plaintiffs’ Ongoing Efforts to Litigate Personal Injury Suits in the United States," Fourth Annual Drug and Medical Device Conference, New York, NY, November 1-2, 2007
"Cross-Examining a Plaintiff's Regulatory/FDA Expert," Drug and Medical Device on Trial, An Interactive Mock Trial of a Medical Products Company, New York, NY, July 18-19, 2007
"Current Trends in U.S. Litigation--Consumer Protection Statutes as a Means to Bring Medical Device Class Actions," C5's Advanced Legal, Regulatory and Commercial Guide to Medical Devices: Best Practices, Key Regulatory Issues and Future Prospects in the Changing Medical Device Market, Munich, Germany, February 26-27, 2007
"The Increasing Attempts to Use U.S. Courts By Foreign Plaintiffs," ABA Section of Litigation Products Liability Committee, 2006 Pharmaceutical CLE Workshop: Current Issues in Pharmaceutical Law and Policy, Kenilworth, NJ, November 16, 2006
"Aggregate Litigation: Plaintiffs' Tactics and Strategies to Defeat Them," Marcus Evans Drug and Medical Device Litigation Conference, New York, NY, April 25-26, 2006