Marie has developed her expertise in the defense of complex litigation through more than 25 years of practice in this area. Marie has handled cases from coast-to-coast in numerous state and federal jurisdictions. She has served as national counsel for several pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, for whom she has developed and implemented defense strategies in broad ranging litigations involving thousands of cases pending in multiple jurisdictions. Marie has tried cases, argued appeals and resolved cases through mediation and arbitration. Marie teaches and lectures on civil procedure and expert issues and is widely recognized for her expertise in pharmaceutical and medical device law as well as legal and trial strategy.

Marie is the past chair of the SHB Search Committee and past chair of the SHB Professional Development Committee. In addition, she is actively involved in the firm’s diversity efforts and organized and chaired the SHB Women’s Management Council to address specific issues related to retention and development of women attorneys.

Marie is a fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America and a member of The Trial Law Institute. She has been listed as one the Best Lawyers in America and in The International Who’s Who of Life Science Lawyers and The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers. Since 2005 she has been recognized as a Super Lawyer in Missouri and as one of the Top 50 Women Super Lawyers in Kansas and Missouri. In 2008, the Kansas City Business Journal recognized Marie as one of 25 "Women Who Mean Business" for her career accomplishments and her contributions to the success of other women in the community. The BTI Consulting Group has also named Marie a 2010 and 2012 Client Service All-Star. Marie has also been recognized in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 editions of The Legal 500 United States, the 2010 edition of Expert Guides: Guide to the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers and LMG Life Sciences 2012.

Mass Tort Litigation

Marie has handled trial and pre-trial responsibility for major companies in mass tort litigation. In this capacity, she has served as:

• Trial counsel for Roche in the Accutane litigation pending in New Jersey in front of Judge Carol Higbee.
• National counsel for Bausch & Lomb Inc. in the ReNu contact lens solution litigation, including developing and implementing a successful strategy to resolve 2000 cases and claims alleging permanent vision loss. The vast majority of cases were disposed of by Daubert/Frye challenges to plaintiff’s experts. See In re Bausch & Lomb Inc. Contact Lens Solution Prods. Liab. Litig., No. 2:06-MN-77777-DCN, 2009 WL 2750462 (D.S.C. August 26, 2009); Bausch & Lomb Contact Lens Solution Prod. Liab. Litig., Decision and Order, No. 766000/2007 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Co. July 15, 2009).
• National counsel for Eli Lilly and Company for lawsuits alleging autism as a result of exposure to Thimerosal in childhood vaccines. The defense strategy involves cooperation with major vaccine manufacturers in a joint defense approach to this litigation.
• Trial counsel for Wyeth in the diet drug litigation, including claims for heart valve disease and a fatal lung disease. Victory in the trial of Weston v. Wyeth was recognized by The National Law Journal’s “Defense Hot List” in 2006.
• National counsel for Pharmacia and Upjohn in litigation involving its sleeping medication, Halcion.
• Lead counsel for Eli Lilly and Company in litigation arising out of intentional dilution of chemotherapy drugs by Kansas City pharmacist.

Product Liability Litigation

• Counsel for pharmaceutical companies in cases involving migraine medications, polio vaccine, anti-reflux devices, antibiotics and angioplasty devices.
• Counsel for ball bearing manufacturer in grain elevator explosion case in Northwest Texas.
• Counsel for manufacturers of electrical circuit breakers, press brakes and tobacco.

Commercial and Administrative Matters

Marie has

• Represented clients in trademark infringement claims and pursued restitution for distribution of counterfeit products.
• Represented manufacturers and pharmacists before state regulatory boards.

Professional Honors

Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America

Member, The Trial Law Institute

Named one of 25 "Women Who Mean Business" by the Kansas City Business Journal, July 2008

Selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

Recognized as a Super Lawyer in Missouri since 2005, and as one of the Top 50 Women Super Lawyers in Missouri and Kansas

Named to The International Who's Who of Life Sciences Lawyers 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, and The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012

Named a 2010 and 2012 Client Service All-Star by BTI Consulting Group

Recognized in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 editions of The Legal 500 United States

Recognized in the 2010 edition of Expert Guides: Guide to the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers

Named a Life Sciences Star in LMG Life Sciences 2012

Publications and Presentations

"Implementing Best Practices for Bellwether Trial Selection in Mass Tort Litigation," American Conference Institute's 17th Annual Drug and Medical Device Litigation Conference, December 5, 2012

Marie Woodbury, Christopher Gramling and William Northrip, Keeping the Lid on Pandora’s Box: Using Traditional Limits on Liability to Defend Corporate Defendants Against Civil Liability Based on Criminal Misuse of Legal Products, Mealey’s Personal Injury Report, October 24, 2011 View

Marie Woodbury and Matt Bohnen, Partnering in Alternative Fee Arrangements, Executive Counsel, August/September 2010 View

"Deposition Skills Workshop," Faculty member for intensive two credit intersession course at University of Kansas Law School, January 2010

Marie S. Woodbury, Denise J. Talbert and John C. Vaglio, Chapter 28: E-Discovery – Practical Considerations, in Product Liability Litigation: Current Law, Strategies and Best Practices (PLI 2009)

"Preemption Defense Workshop: Lessons From Good, Levine & Riegel," Sixth Annual Update of the Law, June 25, 2009

"Preemption and Wyeth v. Levine: Looking Into the Future," American Conference Institute, December 10, 2008

Marie S. Woodbury and Laurie A. Henry, Crossing Borders and Seas: International Regulatory Events and Their Impact on United States-Based Litigations and Trials, Defense Research Institute Monograph and Presentation, May 2008

"In Re Courtney Litigation: The Scope of the Duty Owed By a Manufacturer to Prevent Criminal Conduct," UMKC Law School, June 2003

"Discovery From Plaintiffs In a Mass Tort Case," Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, May 2003

Marie S. Woodbury and Sharon M. Williams, Medical Monitoring: an Overview, Global Legal Group: The International Comparative Legal Guide to Product Liability 2003 View

Marie S. Woodbury and Angela M. Seaton, An Arsenal for Excluding Expert Witness Causation Testimony, Defense Research Institute Monograph and Presentation, May 2001

Marie is admitted to practice before the state courts of Missouri and Kansas, the U.S. District Courts for the District of Kansas and the Western District of Missouri, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

1979   J.D., University of Kansas School of Law

(Order of the Coif; Articles Editor, Kansas Law Review)

1973   B.S.F.S., Georgetown University (International Affairs)