White & Wiggins: Deborah E. Lewis

Deborah E. Lewis
Partner

dlewis@whitewiggins.com
214-665-4157
Dallas

Practice Areas
Product Liability and Toxic Tort
Drug and Medical Device Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Tort/Insurance Defense

Deborah E. Lewis

Deborah E. Lewis is a Partner in the Firm's Dallas office. She is an experienced trial attorney who defends corporations and health care providers in product liability actions, including pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, automobile and component part manufacturers, retailers and physicians. She also advises clients on federal regulatory issues, including product recalls.

A former registered nurse, Ms. Lewis brings a unique perspective to her representation of product liability and health care clients. Not only does she understand the health care industry and safety and effectiveness issues concerning drugs, medical devices and medical care, she quickly gains the trust of medical experts and industry leaders as she helps clients develop successful defense strategies. Ms. Lewis is the "go to" counsel for a major medical device manufacturer for its product liability lawsuits, defending its matters nationally and internationally. She has obtained summary judgments and numerous dismissals for the medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturer.

Ms. Lewis has previously served as regional counsel to a major U.S. automobile manufacturer, defending its product liability lawsuits in 14 states from Texas to Hawaii. In that role, she managed the overall defense strategy for the client, developed relationships with local counsel, and obtained hundreds of dismissals/summary judgments in product liability actions.

Ms. Lewis is a frequent speaker on various legal topics involving health care issues, product liability issues, and litigation strategy. She serves as Co-Chair of the Medical Device Action Alliance of the Health Industry Council of DFW, is Secretary of the Health Law Section of the National Bar Association, and a member of the Defense Research Institute.

EXPERIENCE

Dismissal of product liability action filed in Arkansas State Court (2011)
Consulting counsel to litigation in Hong Kong involving PMA medical device and litigation in Barbados concerning over the counter drug (2011)
Raleigh v. Alcon Laboratories, Inc., 934 N.E.2d 530, 343 Ill. Dec. 206 (2010) (summary judgment affirmed from action filed in IL)
Summary judgment in favor of medical device manufacturer in action filed in Sacramento, CA state court (2010)
Dismissal in favor of medical device manufacturer in action filed in Beverly Hills, CA (2010)
Dismissal with prejudice in favor of medical device manufacturer in action filed in federal district court, Riverside, CA (2009)
Summary judgment in favor of medical device manufacturer in Chicago state court (2009)
Dismissal with prejudice in favor of pharmaceutical manufacturer in action filed in federal court, Northern Dist. Illinois (2008)
Dismissal with prejudice in favor of medical device manufacturer in action filed in Orange County, CA (2008)
Dismissal with prejudice in favor of medical device manufacturer in action filed in IL state court (2008)
Defense arbitration ruling in favor of US automobile manufacturer in action filed in Nevada (2007)
Defense verdict in product liability action against retailer concerning allergic reaction to product
Numerous defense verdicts and summary judgments in medical malpractice actions against physicians, dentists, nurses and hospitals
Edwards v. Garcia-Gregory, MD, 866 SW.2d 780 (Tex. App-Hous [14th Dist] 1993, writ denied)
Texas Medicus, PA v. Polly Ryan Memorial Hospital, 1993 WL 460098 (Tex. App.- Hous. [1st Dist])

EDUCATION

JD, University of Texas at Austin (1991)
MS, University of Oklahoma
BSN, University of Tulsa

BAR/COURT ADMISSIONS

Admitted to practice in Texas
Admitted to practice before the US District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern Districts of Texas
Admitted to practice before the US District Court in Colorado
Admitted to practice before the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Admitted pro hac vice in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Oklahoma and Washington

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES/MEMBERSHIPS

Member, National Bar Association, Secretary of Health Law Section
Member, Defense Research Institute
Co-chair, Medical Device Action Alliance, Health Industry Council of DFW

PRESENTATIONS/PUBLICATIONS

Product Liability 2010: Year In Review, ABA Section of Litigation, 2011
"Litigation Trends and Risk Mitigation", National Bar Association 2010 Healthcare Law Summit, Washington, DC, May 2010
"FDA Regulatory Process - Medical Devices," National Bar Association 2009 Healthcare Law Summit, Washington, DC, May 2009
"Defending Liability Claims in Cases Involving Both Innovator and Generic Manufacturers", ACI 13th Annual Drug and Medical Device Litigation Seminar, December 2008
"Best Strategies for Retaining Healthcare Experts," National Bar Association 2008 Healthcare Law Symposium, July 2008
"Congressional Patent Law Overview - The Impact on Medical Device Technologies", Medical Device Roundtable, Health Industry Council of DFW Region, October 2007
"Motion Practice: How to Win Your Case One Piece At A Time", DRI Young Lawyers Seminar, Miami, Florida, 2006
"HIPPA Privacy Regulation for the Employer", Texas Minority Counsel Conference, Houston, Texas, 2002
"Successful Working Relationships", Texas Minority Counsel Conference, Houston, Texas, 2002
Panelist on Client Development, Corporate Counsel Conference, National Bar Association, Commercial Law Section, 2001
"Analysis of Legal Issues Medical Device Cases", Medical Malpractice, Medical Device & Pharmaceutical Litigation, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 2001
"Analysis of Legal Issues Medical Device Cases", Medical Malpractice, Medical Device & Pharmaceutical Litigation, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 1998
"Professional Malpractice Claims Evaluation and Litigation - Plaintiffs and Defendant's Perspective", DTPA and Consumer Law Institute, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 1998