Ms. Perry's practice focuses primarily on the area of products liability litigation with an emphasis on the national defense of pharmaceutical products and the coordination of mass tort products liability litigation involving occupational exposures.
Ms. Perry has represented numerous multinational companies in the defense of a wide range of prescription medicines including atypical anti-psychotics, anti depressants, hormone products, narcotic analgesics, diabetes drugs, as well as over the counter medications. She also has represented multinational corporations in the defense of industrial products including chemicals, asbestos and silica. She has been a key member of national teams responsible for the development and implementation of litigation strategies for the defense of pharmaceutical products liability claims and occupational exposure claims in the mass tort context. She also has been responsible for selecting, training, and managing defense counsel nationwide and internationally.
Ms. Perry has developed and implemented strategies to respond to the broad range of issues confronted by pharmaceutical companies and industrial manufactures and distributors, including multi-district litigation, defense of medical monitoring claims, federal preemption, product identification and market share liability, punitive damages, epidemiological analysis of causation, and Daubert (and its state law equivalents) hearings on the admissibility of medical and scientific expert testimony. At the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts Ms. Perry regularly addresses issues involving scientific and medical causation, exposure, the application of statutes of limitations and damages.
Ms. Perry provides clients with risk management guidance during the product development phase and during the marketing and distribution of products. She provides strategic planning guidance, including advice with respect to informed consent documents and procedures and the host of issues presented by pretrial and post-trial marketing studies. Ms. Perry lectures and writes about compliance issues and effective risk management guidance.
Ms. Perry also supervises McCarter's in-house Science Group, a team of science and information specialists providing consulting and information management services. The Science Group assists in identifying, analyzing, and disseminating in-depth scientific and medical literature and information addressing the many highly complex issues facing our clients.
Ms. Perry was recognized as a New Jersey Super Lawyer for 2005 - 2010.
Memberships & Affiliations
American Bar Association, Section on Litigation
American Bar Association, Committee on Product Liability
American Bar Association, Women in Products Liability Sub-Committee
International Association of Defense Counsel
Defense Research Institute, Drug and Medical Device Sub-Committee
New Jersey State Bar Association, Section on Civil Trial Practice
Representative Matters
Ms. Perry regularly appears in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Probate Part, specializing in complex guardianship and estate matters.
News
03/22/10, 37 McCarter Attorneys Recognized As New Jersey Super Lawyers for 2010
03/31/09, 43 McCarter Attorneys Recognized As New Jersey Super Lawyers for 2009
Speaking
10/27/11, Does Jurisdiction Follow the Product?
Debra M. Perry
Moderator, Women in Products Liability Twelfth Annual Regional CLE Workshop
05/04/11, When Does Beshada Really Apply and How?
Debra M. Perry
Harris Martin CLE Conference
09/01/08, The Viability of Medical Monitoring Claims in Drug and Device Consumer Fraud Class Actions
Debra M. Perry
American Conference Institute
03/28/06, Standardizing the Recordation and Production of Clinical Trial Data
Debra M. Perry
American Conference Institute - E-Discovery Preparedness for Pharma
Publications
Spring 2011, 50 State Survey on Plaintiff's Medical Care and Treatment - Discovery and Evidentiary Issues: New Jersey Chapter
Debra M. Perry and Sara F. Merin
Product Liability Committee of the ABA Section on Litigation
07/01/09, The Viability of Medical Monitoring Class Actions
Debra M. Perry and Zane C. Riester
For The Defense
07/01/2007, Navigating Litigation and Risk
Debra M. Perry and Mitchell S. Kurtz
For The Defense
10/20/2006, Managing Litigation Risk Through Improved Clinical Trials
Debra M. Perry and Mitchell S. Kurtz
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