Paulina do Amaral

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Paulina do Amaral: Attorney with Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP

Biography

With over 25 years of experience, Paulina do Amaral is a partner in Lieff Cabraser’s New York office and a senior member of the firm’s Mass Tort and Injury Practice Team. Paulina represents individuals, groups and classes in complex, multi-party litigation in state and federal courts and in multidistrict litigation throughout the U.S. Paulina’s current work includes representation of government entities in one of the largest pieces of civil litigation in history, In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, in which she serves as a leader of the Law and Briefing Committee and on the Expert Oversight Committee.

Paulina has dedicated her career to achieving justice for individuals injured by dangerous and defective products and other corporate wrongdoing against some of the largest corporations in the world. With vast specific experience in the area of pharmaceutical litigation, Paulina has represented thousands of individuals, successfully recovering millions of dollars on their behalf, in cases involving drugs such as Actos, Zofran, Baycol, Rezulin, and Fen-Phen, and other health products such as talc products, defective surgical mesh, and an infant food thickener given to premature infants who were either killed or suffered lifelong harm. Paulina also served on the bellwether trial team in the Yaz and Yasmin birth control drug injuries case that was weeks from trial when the entire litigation settled.

In addition to her pharmaceutical and health product experience, Paulina’s past work includes environmental and 9/11 injury litigation. Working on behalf of more than 500 individuals in Eastern Kentucky, she successfully resolved claims arising from an October 2000 coal sludge disaster . Paulina also served as lead pro bono counsel on behalf of seven victims and their decedents in hearings before the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund arising out of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. The combined awards obtained were in excess of $5 million.

In 2019, Paulina was named to the Board of Trustees of the UC College of the Law, San Francisco.

Publications/Presentations

•Panelist, “Opioids Litigation,” HarrisMartin MDL Conference, July 2025
•Panelist, “The Opioid Crisis in America: Exploring the Legal Solutions,” American Association for Justice Winter Convention, February 2024
•Speaker, “Update: Lessons from the Opioid Litigation,” American Association for Justice Annual Convention, July 2023
•Panelist, “Litigating Class Actions Conference,” Law Seminars International, November 11, 2020
•Faculty Member, “Mass Tort MDL Certificate Program,” Duke Law School Bolch Judicial Institute, November 9, 2020
•Speaker, “Career Advice Panel Part I: The Traditional Path,” UC College of the Law, San Francisco, October 29, 2020
•Co-Chair, HarrisMartin Opioid Litigation Conference, San Francisco, February 2018
•“Rapid Response: Opioid Litigation, ” American Association for Justice Seminar, September 2017
•Co-Author, “Class Actions Fairness Act of 2005,” California Litigation, Vol. 18, No. 3, 2005

Honors & Awards

•Selected for inclusion by peers in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of “Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Plaintiffs,” 2017-2026
•“Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America,” Lawdragon, 2026
•“Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2019-2026
•“Lawdragon 500 Global Plaintiff Lawyers,” Lawdragon, 2024
•“Super Lawyer for New York Metro,” Super Lawyers, 2024, 2025
•Legal 500 recommended lawyer, LegalEase, 2013

In the News

•February 17, 2026
30 Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Recognized as Lawdragon “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2026
•October 30, 2025
21 Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Selected as 2025 New York Metro Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
•September 8, 2025
Twenty-Seven Lieff Cabraser Partners Named to 2026 “Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America” List
•August 21, 2025
36 Lieff Cabraser Lawyers Named to 2026 Best Lawyers Listings
•July 30, 2025
Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Speak at July 30 HarrisMartin MDL Conference in Boise, ID

See more ›

Areas of Practice (3)

  • Defective Products
  • Environmental Law
  • Personal Injury & Mass Torts

Education & Credentials

University Attended:
University of Rochester, B.A., 1988; University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 1996 Honors: Moot Court Executive Board, 1995; University of California, Hastings College of the Law, National Moot Court Competition Team, 1995; University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Executive Editor, 1995; University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 1996 Honors: Moot Court Executive Board; University of California, Hastings College of the Law, National Moot Court Competition Team; University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Law Journal: Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly; University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Executive Editor; University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Law Journal: Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly, 1995
Law School Attended:
University of California, Hastings College of the Law, J.D., National Moot Court Competition Team; University of California, Hastings College of the Law, J.D., Law Journal: Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly; University of California, Hastings College of the Law, J.D., Executive Editor; University of California, Hastings College of the Law, J.D., 1996 Honors: Moot Court Executive Board
Year of First Admission:
1999
Admission:
1997, New York; 1998, California; 1999, U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit; 2004, U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan; 2004, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York; 2007, U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan; 2008, U.S. District Court, Central District of California; 2008, U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York; 2014, U.S. Supreme Court; 2020, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Memberships:

Professional Associations

•American Association for Justice
•Association of the Bar of the City of New York (Committee on the Judiciary, 2007 - 2010)
•New York State Bar Association
•State Bar of California
•UC College of the Law, San Francisco, Board of Trustees
•Women En Mass

Reported Cases:
Representative Cases: Defective Surgical Mesh; Opioids Litigation; Simply Thick; Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella
ISLN:
913164783

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Location

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Contact Information:

212-355-9592  Fax

www.lieffcabraser.com

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