U.S. Judge Appoints SSH Attorney for Leadership Role in Mass Tort Litigation
Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana appointed Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP Attorney Abby E. McClellan to serve on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC) of the Taxotere (Docetaxel) Products Liability Litigation. McClellan was chosen, along with 13 others, for a leadership role to oversee the complex management of the plaintiffs’ litigation which includes breast cancer survivors from across the country. According to the FDA, Taxotere is known to cause permanent hair loss in some women who use the drug as part of chemotherapy treatment.
“I’m honored to serve in this capacity, along with other members of the PSC,” said McClellan. “I bring to this litigation the unique and diverse perspective of an attorney that is working daily with women affected by Taxotere.”
Stueve Siegel Hanson is one of the largest plaintiffs’ firms based in the Midwest. The firm has a successful track record of results in personal injury, product liability, mass tort, complex business, class action, securities, and environmental actions while serving as lead or co-lead counsel in courts across the country.
“We are pleased Judge Engelhardt recognized Abby’s capabilities in mass tort litigation and appointed a diverse committee to represent plaintiffs in this important case,” said Stueve Siegel Hanson Partner Norman E. Siegel. “Abby is a rising star in mass tort litigation. She’s an attorney not only with legal acumen but she has great compassion for our clients.”
Q and A with Abby McClellan
Describe the experience of working with women affected by Taxotere use?
“After my first intake of a potential Taxotere victim, I quickly realized this is an exceptional group of plaintiffs. These women had to process one of the most difficult sentences anyone can hear: ‘You have breast cancer.’ After battling to beat cancer, these women found themselves unable to rid themselves of the constant memory of the disease: permanent hair loss.”
You are now in a management role but also advocating for these women. Explain that experience?
“These women’s voices were silenced when doctors, friends and family dismissed their disfigurements with the frequently heard statement ‘yes but you’re lucky to be alive.’ It has taken significant strength and trust for my clients to fully discuss their hair loss with me. My clients now know that it is okay to be upset about the disfiguring hair loss of which they have been burdened. As a member of the PSC, I will share these women’s concerns and make sure all decisions are made to further the litigation in the interests of these women.”
Can you talk about your firm’s experience in Mass Tort Litigation?
“I’m honored to work with highly experienced attorneys in mass tort litigation including Partners Norman Siegel and Todd Hilton. Norm has served in leadership roles in more than a dozen multi district cases. In Vioxx litigation, Todd led a Stueve Siegel team that secured more than $220 million in relief for Missouri consumers who purchased Vioxx before it was removed from the market. With the mentorship of these two partners paired with other attorneys and staff experience at Stueve Siegel Hanson, I am highly qualified for the position. I take the PSC role very seriously.”
McClellan earned her law degree from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law. She is a member of the firm’s Mass Tort Practice and represents individuals harmed by dangerous drugs and devices. To read more about McClellan, click here
To hear Abby in her own words, click here
