Kirkland & Ellis Taps Nationally Renowned Trial Lawyer Alli Brown to Launch New Philadelphia Office
Kirkland & Ellis announced today the addition of five new partners led by nationally renowned litigator and trial lawyer, Allison Brown. Ms. Brown will be based in Philadelphia, where Kirkland will open a new office. The team of litigators, which includes Jessica Davidson, Geoffrey Wyatt, Nina Rose and Christopher Cox, brings deep, industry-leading experience in product liability, mass torts and complex commercial litigation.
The team has an unrivaled track record in product liability and mass torts, having tried and won numerous multibillion-dollar defense verdicts in some of the most challenging jurisdictions nationwide. Ms. Brown, in particular, is known for achieving successful outcomes in complex and consequential matters, including in jury trials across the country. Collectively, the team brings deep and wide-ranging expertise across every aspect of high-stakes civil and multidistrict litigation matters from trial to the appellate stage.
“Alli is among the most accomplished and sought after trial lawyers in the country, and the arrival of this team will build on the significant growth and success of Kirkland’s litigation department in recent years,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “We’re proud that clients turn to Kirkland for their most complex, wide-ranging, bet-the-company litigation and that our firm continues to attract the world’s best litigators, like Alli, to our platform. We’re excited to work alongside her as we embark on this new chapter for Kirkland in Philadelphia.”
Kirkland Executive Committee member Andrew Kassof added: “Alli fits our litigation team perfectly. She’s one of the very top trial lawyers in the country, she’s beloved by her clients and colleagues, and she consistently wins in the hardest cases anywhere.”
“This is an exciting time to join Kirkland, which has an incredibly impressive litigation practice with a deep bench of the most talented lawyers practicing today,” Ms. Brown commented. “Kirkland’s commitment to litigation, and specifically jury trial work, is unmatched. I am looking forward to joining my new colleagues to build on the significant achievements of the firm’s litigation practice.”
Throughout her career spanning more than two decades, Ms. Brown has successfully represented top multinational corporations across the pharmaceutical, life sciences and consumer goods industries in their most high-profile jury trials.
Named Litigator of the Year by American Lawyer in 2022 for her “against all odds” jury trial wins and one of the Top 10 Women Litigators in the U.S. by Benchmark Litigation in 2024, Ms. Brown has been widely recognized for her work. She is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is ranked by Chambers USA. She was named an American Lawyer Northeast Trailblazer, a National Law Journal Litigation Trailblazer and a Law360 MVP. She has also been repeatedly recognized by Benchmark Litigation as one of its Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America. She joins Kirkland from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where she was a partner. Ms. Brown holds degrees from Georgetown University Law Center and New York University.
“Jessica, Geoff, Nina and Chris are an exceptionally talented group whose collective experience and success in litigating product liability, mass tort and complex commercial cases will further strengthen Kirkland’s litigation offering,” Mr. Kassof continued. “We are excited to leverage their expertise in tackling our clients’ most important matters and trials. As a litigation department, we’ve never been stronger, and these terrific partners add tremendous skill, talent and depth to our team.”
Jessica Davidson has extensive experience defending mass tort and complex commercial litigation. Ms. Davidson’s work focuses on product liability matters and multidistrict litigation proceedings. Based in New York, she has repeatedly been selected for inclusion in Chambers USA and recognized in Financier Worldwide’s Power Players series as a Distinguished Advisor for Product Liability. Ms. Davidson earned her degrees from Georgetown University Law Center and Columbia University.
Geoffrey Wyatt, who is based in Washington, D.C., represents clients in mass tort and aggregate litigation, with an emphasis on appellate litigation. With over two decades of experience, Mr. Wyatt has been involved in a range of matters, including appellate litigation in state and federal intermediate appellate and supreme courts, litigating dispositive and class-certification motions. He is ranked by Chambers USA in the Product Liability & Mass Torts category. Mr. Wyatt received his degrees from Harvard Law School and Michigan State University.
Nina Rose has experience managing large-scale product liability litigation, encompassing cases pending in state courts across the country and actions coordinated in federal multidistrict litigation proceedings. Ms. Rose, who is based in Washington, D.C., has represented companies in the defense of product liability and consumer class action claims involving pharmaceutical, personal care and other consumer products. She has been named one of the Top 30 Lawyers Under 30 in Washington, D.C., by Legal Bisnow. Ms. Rose received her degrees from Georgetown University Law Center and Duke University.
Christopher Cox, based in New York, has over two decades of experience representing corporate clients, including medical device and pharmaceutical companies, consumer product manufacturers and insurers, in complex civil litigation in state and federal courts across the country at both the trial and appellate levels. He regularly advises clients on all stages of the discovery process providing effective strategies for success. Mr. Cox received degrees from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the University of Virginia.