Biography

Ms. Brown’s recent trial victories and representations include serving as:
- Trial counsel for Johnson & Johnson in a bellwether trial in New Jersey state court. Plaintiff sued for failure to warn, design defect, and manufacturing defect, alleging that J&J’s baby powder contained asbestos and caused the plaintiff’s cancer. After a four-week trial, during which Ms. Brown led the examination of plaintiff and defense experts, the jury returned a unanimous defense verdict – marking the first win for the company in New Jersey state courts, where thousands of similar cases are pending. The American Lawyer featured the verdict in its “Litigator of the Week” series, describing it as “a slam dunk for the defense.”
- Trial counsel for Spanish energy company Repsol in a billion-dollar complex commercial dispute concerning pollution of the Passaic River in New Jersey. Ms. Brown successfully argued a significant summary judgment motion on an alter ego theory of liability, effectively eliminating all claims against Repsol in this decade long litigation. She is currently defending this win on appeal.
- Trial counsel for Procter & Gamble in a class action lawsuit regarding a popular probiotic. Ms. Brown led the expert witness development in this case, which resulted in a favorable settlement prior to trial.
- Trial counsel for a transportation equipment leasing company in an international mass tort arising from a major train derailment in Lac Megantic, Quebec, which involved complex bankruptcy and contractual indemnification issues. She also served as lead trial counsel for the same company in a first-of-kind multi-million dollar breach of contract case regarding damage to transportation equipment.
- Trial counsel for a national office supply company in a high-profile antitrust case brought by the Federal Trade Commission to block a multi-billion dollar merger. At trial, Ms. Brown led the cross examinations of several of the government’s key customer and competitor witnesses.
Additionally, over the last several years, Ms. Brown has been involved in a number of different pharmaceutical product liability litigations. She has served as trial counsel, coordinated trial strategy, developed numerous scientific and medical expert witnesses, and taken countless depositions of plaintiffs, prescribing and treating physicians, and expert witnesses.
Ms. Brown also played an integral role on the trial team that that secured a defense verdict for Philip Morris USA, Inc., in a case brought by 37 St. Louis hospitals against six tobacco companies, claiming more than $455 million in economic damages. Ms. Brown regularly argued evidentiary matters throughout the four-month trial and prepared key aspects of the defense case against the individual hospital witnesses. She continues to perform various different trial roles on behalf of Philip Morris.
Ms. Brown has an active pro bono practice. She appears regularly in Philadelphia Family Court on behalf of the Support Center for Child Advocates, as a court-appointed attorney for dependent children. She also recently secured a six-figure settlement for a Riker’s Island inmate, alleging physical injuries, as well as a violation of his religious rights.
Ms. Brown serves as Chair of the American Bar Association’s Mass Torts Litigation’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation Subcommittee. She has been recognized by Legal 500 as a recommended lawyer for General Commercial Disputes and in two product-related areas: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices – Defense and Toxic Tort – Defense.
Awards and Recognition, Speaking Engagements, Guides and Resources, Latest Thinking, Firm News & Announcements
Awards and Recognition
- Allison Brown named a "Recommended" Lawyer for General Commercial Disputes in the US Award Brief — Legal 500 US
- Allison Brown named a "Recommended" Lawyer for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices – Defense in the US Award Brief — Legal 500 US
- Allison Brown named a "Recommended" Lawyer for Toxic Tort – Defense in the US Award Brief — Legal 500 US
Speaking Engagements
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Short Circuits: Brief Updates on Noteworthy Issues from the 12 Federal Circuits and Their States
Speaker(s):
Allison M. Brown
June 07, 2018 — Chicago, IL — Weil Litigation partner Allison Brown will be participating as moderator at a session at the Trial Lawyers of America’s Annual Meeting entitled “Short Circuits: Brief Updates on Noteworthy Issues from the 12 Federal Circuits and Their States.”
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ADR for Complex Claims: Choosing and Using the Most Effective Resolution Instruments
Speaker(s):
Allison M. Brown
August 25, 2016 — Webinar
Latest Thinking
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Federal Judge Doesn’t Like Defendants’ Facebook Discovery Requests
Blog Post — Product-Liability Monitor
— By
Allison M. Brown
— November 12, 2015
Defense lawyers can’t get enough of Facebook. The potential for photos of personal injury plaintiffs gallivanting in tropical locales with umbrella drinks is too enticing to resist. We know the rules – we don’t “friend” our plaintiffs, we don’t initiate contact, but we monitor religiously what they share with theRead the full article →
The post Federal Judge Doesn’t Like Defendants’ Facebook Discovery Requests appeared first on Product-Liability Monitor - Weil.
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The Gatekeepers of Expert Evidence
Blog Post — Product-Liability Monitor
— By
Allison M. Brown
— June 09, 2015
Not all scientific evidence is created equal. The “Hierarchy of Scientific Evidence” pyramid (you know the one – multi-colored, with case reports at the bottom and randomized controlled trials at the top) is your friend. Learn it, love it, and use it all the time. Understanding the limitations of the scientific evidence on which plaintiff’s […]
The post The Gatekeepers of Expert Evidence appeared first on Product-Liability Monitor - Weil.
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You Get What You Pay For
Blog Post — Product-Liability Monitor
— By
Allison M. Brown
— April 17, 2015
A California federal judge recently dismissed Plaintiff’s consumer fraud class action complaint against Johnson& Johnson (“J&J”), alleging injuries stemming from her purchase of J & J’s Baby Powder from 1950 to 2013. Plaintiff Mona Estrada, on behalf of herself and others similarly situated, claimed that she had purchased Baby Powder for personal use after reading the […] ...
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Ask Your Doctor
Blog Post — Product-Liability Monitor
— By
Allison M. Brown
— March 16, 2015
Doctors are smart folks who want to do the right thing for their patients. By and large, they want more information, not less. By and large, they respect the wishes of their patients. Ask any doctor if she would have wanted to know additional safety information when prescribing a medicine or medical device and the […] ...
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Humanizing the Corporation
Blog Post — Product-Liability Monitor
— By
Allison M. Brown
— November 24, 2014
Jurors are real people – they have kids, they have jobs, they coach little league, they go to church. Real people like people they can identify with. Real people like people they can trust. And real people have a hard time finding against or punishing people they like. It’s just human nature. So what do […] ...
Firm News & Announcements
- Weil Featured in Law360 “How They Won It” Series for J&J Trial Win Firm Announcement — November 01, 2018
- Diane Sullivan and Allison Brown Named “Litigators of the Week” by The AmLaw Litigation Daily in 2018 Firm Announcement — October 19, 2018