HarrisMartin's MDL Conference: Physiomesh, IVC Filters & Xarelto Speaker Profiles



Co-Chair Neil D. Overholtz, Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLLC, Pensacola, FL Show/Hide Bio

Neil D. Overholtz specializes in pharmaceutical litigation, and has successfully handled thousands of defective drug and medical device cases, including fen-phen, Rezulin, Baycol, Bextra/Celebrex, Vioxx, Medtronic Defibrillators, and Guidant Defibrillators.

Recently, Mr. Overholtz has the distinction of having been appointed as national counsel on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committees for several federal products liability MDL’s (Mullti-District litigations), including the Trasylol MDL pending in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, before the Honorable Judge Middlebrooks, the Viagra MDL in the District Court in Minnesota, before the Honorable Judge Magnuson, as well as the Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Lead Wire MDL before United States District Court Judge Richard Kyle. Additionally, Mr. Overholtz has served as co-lead counsel in the In Re America Online, Inc Version 5.0 Software Litigation, MDL Docket No. 1341 (S.D. Fla), helping to negotiate a cash settlement for affected AOL members in excess of $15 Million as well as significant injunctive relief.

Co-Chair Henry G. Garrard III, Blasingame Burch Garrard Ashley, P.C., Athens, GA Show/Hide Bio

Henry was born in Washington, Georgia on April 3, 1946. He was admitted to the bar in Georgia in 1971.

Education: University of Georgia (B.B.A., cum laude, 1968; J.D., cum laude, 1970). Phi Delta Phi; Phi Kappa Phi; Omicron Delta Kappa; Blue Key Member, Editorial Board, Georgia Law Review, 1969-1970.

Member:
Western Circuit Bar Association
State Bar of Georgia
American Association for Justice
Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
Judge Advocate, USAF, 1971-1975
Practice Areas:

Plaintiffs Personal Injury
Medical Malpractice
Products Liability
Qui Tam Litigation
Tort Liability
Class Actions

Co-Chair Douglass A. Kreis, Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLLC, Pensacola, FL Show/Hide Bio

Douglass A. Kreis, a partner with the firm, received his B.A. degree from Mercer University – with a Major in Political Science and Minor in English, attending under a four-year academic/athletic scholarship, and his Juris Doctorate from Cumberland School of Law. While in law school, Mr. Kreis earned the distinction as Cumberland’s 1997 National Environmental/Toxic Tort Law Conference Representative (Washington, D.C.). After gaining significant trial advocacy and legal briefing experience through Cumberland’s Trial Advocacy Program/Moot Court Competitions, Mr. Kreis accepted a prestigious internship with current Alabama Supreme Court Justice, Michael Bolin.

Over the past fifteen years, Mr. Kreis has dedicated himself towards seeking justice for clients injured by defective pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices – successfully representing thousands of clients in litigation throughout the country. After initially focusing his efforts on pharmaceutical drug related claims against Wyeth (now Pfizer) (diet drug related valvular heart disease and primary pulmonary hypertension), Bayer (Baycol related rhabdomyolysis), Ephedra Dietary Supplements (Heart Attack & Stroke Litigation); and GlaxoSmithKline’s diabetes drug Avandia, Mr. Kreis expanded his practice to include complex medical device defect claims. Mr. Kreis has successfully pursued failed medical device claims against major manufacturers including: Smith & Nephew (Profix/Genesis knees), Zimmer (Durom hips), Stryker Orthopedics/Howmedica (Trident and Rejuvenate / ABG II hips); Bausch & Lomb (ReNu) and American Medical Systems (AMO) (contact lens solutions); AM2PAT (contaminated heparin syringes); Davol & CR Bard (Kugel hernia mesh) and Transvaginal Mesh manufactured by: Mentor; Johnson & Johnson; American Medical Systems; Bard; Covidien; Coloplast; and other manufactures.

Tommy Fibich, Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs, Houston

John A. Dalimonte, Dalimonte Rueb Law Group, LLP, Boston

Roger Denton, Schlichter Bogard & Denton, LLP, St. Louis

Patrick H. Garrard , Blasingame Burch Garrard Ashley PC, Athens, GA

Richard Freese, Freese & Goss, PLLC, Dallas

Ramon Rossi Lopez, Lopez McHugh LLP, Newport Beach, CA

Mallory Mangold, Levin Papantonio Thomas Mitchell Rafferty & Proctor, P.A., Pensacola, FL

James B. Matthews III , Blasingame Burch Garrard Ashley PC, Athens, GA

Donald A. Migliori, Motley Rice, LLC, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Jaime Moss, Lenze Moss, PLC, Manhattan Beach, CA

Robert Martorana, Vice President, Burford Capital LLC, New York

Steve Nober, Founder/CEO, Consumer Attorney Marketing Group (CAMG), Woodland Hills, CA

Fred Thompson III, Motley Rice, LLC, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Troy Bouk, Levin Papantonio Thomas Mitchell Rafferty & Proctor, P.A., Pensacola, FL

Paul L. Stoller, Gallagher & Kennedy, Phoenix

Gregory D. Rueb, Dalimonte Rueb Law Group, LLP, Boston

Josh B. Wages, Blasingame Burch Garrard Ashley PC, Athens, GA

Aimee H. Wagstaff, Andrus Wagstaff, Denver