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OUR PEOPLE

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Adriane R. Theis
Partner

Adriane.Theis@rgtlegal.com

(202) 695-7785

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Ms. Theis has significant experience with many facets of mass torts.
 
Ms. Theis’s practice is primarily focused on mass tort resolution and settlement.  As national settlement counsel and as a neutral, Ms. Theis has experience negotiating, structuring, and administering settlements, ranging from resolution of individual cases to aggregate settlements. Ms. Theis has been responsible for analyzing complex scientific concepts and evaluating claims in order to develop compensation matrices and to facilitate the equitable allocation of settlement funds. She has also worked with lien administrators and bankruptcy trustees to help usher settlements to completion.

 

As Special Master of Wave Discovery in In re 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2885, Ms. Theis oversaw the expedited case-specific discovery of several concurrent waves each consisting of hundreds of cases. She coordinated with both plaintiff and defense leadership to facilitate the orderly and efficient completion of discovery. Ms. Theis also mediated case-specific discovery disputes as they arose. 
 
Finally, Ms. Theis has experience with MDL common benefit fund administration. She has assisted in creating systems and processes for attorney common benefit time and expense submission, overseen the development of common benefit budgets, and monitored common benefit contributions, expenditures, and work. She also has assisted with evaluating attorney MDL contributions for the allocation of common benefit awards.
 
During her free time, Ms. Theis enjoys playing Euchre, watching horror movies, and cooking for friends.

 

 
NOTABLE MATTERS

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  • Appointed by U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida as Special Master overseeing Wave discovery in In re 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2885.

  • Retained as Special Master to develop compensation matrix, evaluate claims, allocate settlement funds, and administer extraordinary injury fund in a private aggregate settlement involving claims related to a medical device.

  • Along with Special Master Ellen Reisman in In re Atrium Medical Corp. C-Qur Mesh Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2753, designed and implemented injury model, contributed to development of settlement administration processes and operations, and evaluated claims to allocate settlement funds fairly and equitably.

  • Assisted Special Master Ellen Reisman with claim evaluation and allocations, including extraordinary injury appeals, in In re: Ethicon Physiomesh Flexible Composite Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation, No. 1:17-md-2782.

  • Assisted Common Benefit Special Master Ellen Reisman in In re Atrium Medical Corp. C-Qur Mesh Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2753 with allocation of plaintiffs' common benefit fund, resulting in a Report & Recommendation setting forth fee and expense allocations agreed to by all affected firms and adopted by the Court.

  • Assisted Common Benefit Special Master Ellen Reisman in In re Abilify (Aripiprazole) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2734 with the allocation and administration of plaintiffs’ common benefit fund, resulting in an agreed-upon allocation of fees and expenses reflected in a Report & Recommendation which was then adopted by the Court.

  • Assisted Special Master Ethan Greene in evaluating claims and allocating settlement funds, including appeal awards, to plaintiffs in a private settlement alleging personal injury and wrongful death claims in the GM Ignition Switch Litigation.

  • Counseled national automotive company regarding settlement of product liability claims.

  • Represents Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and American Medical Systems, Inc. in settlement of pelvic mesh product liability actions in multi-district litigation in federal district court and developed processes to administer aggregate settlements efficiently.

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SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS 

 

  • HarrisMartin’s MDL Conference, July 2019

    • Settlement Issues for the Plaintiff and the Defense

    • Instructive Guidance for Navigating Today’s Mass Tort Landscape

  • Trial Lawyers of Mass Torts, December 2022​

    • Ethics of Complex Litigation​

    • Discovery Issues in Mass Torts and Class Actions

  • Trial Lawyers of Mass Torts, Women's Summit, February 2023​

    • Settlement in Mass Torts:  Helping Each Other Understand the Opportunities and Challenges​

  • GWU Law Bench & Bar Conference, April 2023​

    • Judicial Review of Mass Tort Settlements​

  • HarrisMartin's The Art of Litigation:  Crafting a Better Practice, November 2023​

    • The Art of Change:  Understanding the Importance of Rules Change in Federal Practice​

  • Trial Lawyers of Mass Torts, December 2023​

    • Ethics in Legal Marketing​

 
MEMBERSHIPS AND RECOGNITION 

 

  • Fellow of the Academy of Court-Appointed Neutrals

  • Selected for Washington DC Rising Stars list 2017-2020

EDUCATION AND PRIOR EXPERIENCE  

  • B.A. 2006, Haverford College

  • J.D. 2009, University of Michigan Law School, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif

  • Law Clerk, Hon. Noël Anketell Kramer, District of Columbia Court of Appeals (2010-2011)

  • Associate, Arnold & Porter LLP 2010, 2011-2015 (Washington, D.C.)

BAR ADMISSIONS  

Ms. Theis is admitted to the bars of Michigan and the District of Columbia.

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