Shook Partner Thrives on Serving Clients Who Are 'Changing the World'

Shook Partner Alicia Donahue is featured in Who's Who Legal (WWL) about her career and area of law. Donahue practices in Shook’s San Francisco office and represents drug and device manufacturers in complex litigations, coordinated proceedings and MDLs throughout the country. She also has a broad range of general product liability litigation experience and is nationally known to judges, mediators, arbitrators and lawyers on both sides of the bar in multiple practice areas. She is on the firm’s executive committee and has served as the co-chair of the firm’s lauded Product Liability Litigation Practice Group. Below is an excerpt from WWL’s Q&A.

How will the increasing focus on sustainability and the environment shape product liability over the years?

“Companies need to recognize that environmental, social and governance issues will be more important than ever. Businesses will need to understand the impact of their footprint and litigation risks. We launched an ESG practice in 2022 with attorneys focused on these developing areas. People, planet and profits all associated with that footprint need to be managed together to have ethical behavior in companies.” 

What do you enjoy most about working in product liability defense? 

“A couple of things come to mind right away. First, I enjoy learning the details of the development, design and manufacturing process, no matter what the product is. There are so many aspects about launching a product including development, science and engineering. Practicing in this area for 35 years has been a gift. The clients that we represent whether in the area of life sciences, biotech, pharmaceutical or medical devices, are changing the world as they develop truly life-saving and life-changing products.”

WWL writes Donahue should be noted for her longtime experience in the pharmaceutical space. “Alicia Donahue stands out for her three decades of experience navigating pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers through high-value product liability disputes.”

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