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Buffy Mims

Buffy Mims

Partner
Washington, DC
About

Buffy Mims is an accomplished trial attorney who handles cases in a wide range of practice areas, including product liability, toxic torts, commercial, consumer fraud and environmental contamination.

Buffy's practice largely includes national representation of clients in complex, multi-jurisdiction matters from discovery to bellwether trials and resolution. She represents clients in the life sciences, automotive, food and beverage, government contracts and retail industries. She manages and develops the defense of product liability cases, analyzing ongoing litigation, coordinating the work of counsel across the country and preparing expert and company witnesses for trial.

Buffy has achieved defense verdicts for clients in 'bet-the-company' trials where tens to hundreds of millions of dollars were at stake. She has also tried cases in an ATRA-certified 'hellhole' jurisdiction. The trials include state and federal cases, including MDL bellwether cases and mass tort claims. Buffy has been recognized in Chambers by The Legal 500 for Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Actions: Toxic Tort and Consumer Products. Buffy is also a fierce advocate of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession and has helped lead these efforts at every organization where she has been employed.

Areas of FocusConsumer Goods, Food and RetailHealthcareLife SciencesLitigation, Arbitration and InvestigationsMedia, Sport and Entertainment
Bar admissionsDistrict of Columbia, 2000
CourtsUnited States District Court for the District of ColumbiaUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland

EXPERIENCE

  • Jennifer Chamberlain v. Avon Products, Inc. et al., Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, G.D. No. 22-005532 (May 1, 2023): Lead counsel in personal injury case alleging malignant mesothelioma from asbestos. Favorable settlement after argument on MILs, prior to jury selection
  • In re Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2924 (S.D. Fla.): Co-national counsel for Sanofi in MDL involving thousands of cancer claims and third party payor, medical monitoring, and consumer fraud class actions
  • In re Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2873 (D.S.C.): National counsel for BASF Corporation in actions involving claims of environmental contamination, medical monitoring, and personal injury from PFAS chemicals allegedly due to fire-fighting foam
  • In re Taxotere (docetaxel) Prods. Liab. Litig., MDL No. 2740 (E.D. La.): National counsel for Sanofi in MDL for personal injury claims involving allegations re chemotherapy drug Taxotere
  • Ehlers v. Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., No. 2:19-cv-00194 (D. Vt., May 2020): Obtained a motion to dismiss in a consumer-brought nationwide class action alleging a false advertising claim against Ben & Jerry's ice cream. The court found the plaintiff was taking marketing statements out of context and therefore the complaint did not stand up to scrutiny
  • Quinteros, et al., v. DynCorp et al., No. 7-1042 (D.D.C., April 20, 2017): Obtained a unanimous jury verdict finding no liability in tort in a case in which six test plaintiffs claimed damages resulting from a herbicide used to spray illicit coca plants in the Republic of Colombia
  • Ezeb v. Sandoz Pharm. Corp., No. 1992-20622 (La. Civ. Dist. Ct., Orleans Parish, June 21, 2016): Persuaded the plaintiff to accept a settlement favorable to Sandoz on the last day of trial before closing arguments. The settlement finally ended the 26-year-old personal injury case
  • Earp v. Novartis Pharm. Corp., No. 11-680 (E.D.N.C., May 14, 2014): Obtained a complete defense verdict following a finding by the jury that the alleged failure to provide an adequate warning or instruction regarding the use of chemotherapy drugs Zometa and Aredia was not the proximate cause of the plaintiff's jaw injury
  • In re Aredia and Zometa Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3:06-MD-1760 (M.D. Tenn.): National counsel for Novartis in MDL involving hundreds of claims re bisphosphonates drugs used to treat bone cancer
Education
  • J.D., Georgetown University Law Center
  • B.A., Temple University

Awards

The Legal 500 United States

  • Recommended, Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Consumer Products (including Tobacco) (2022)
  • Recommended, Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Actions: Toxic Tort - Defense (2022, 2024)

Bylines

  • What COVID-19, Social Issues Mean For Pharma Case Juries (June 29, 2021)
  • "Data Must Drive Diversity to Make a Meaningful Impact," ACC Colorado Quarterly Newsletter (July 2020)
  • "The Plaintiffs’ Bars’ Use of COVID-19 To Spur Personal Care Products Lawsuits," COVID-19 Shook Client Primer (May 8, 2020)

Seminars

  • Panelist, "Nuclear jury verdicts: Where have we been and where are we going?," National Bar Association, October 20, 2021
  • Panelist, "Silver Linings: What Pandemic-Inspired Virtual Proceedings Should Become Permanent," Lawyers for Civil Justice Annual Meeting (May 6, 2021)
  • Panelist, "Product Liability and Mass Torts," elevating Black Excellence Regional Summit (April 27, 2021)
  • Panelist, "Aftershocks: How Covid-19 and Other 2020 Events Are Impacting Jurors' Views in Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Cases"; Pfizer Legal Alliance (April 13, 2021)
  • Roundtable Speaker, "Implicit Bias + Debiasing," Association of Corporate Counsel National Chapter Region (August 2020)
  • Panelist, "Disrupting Structural Barriers Impeding the Advancement of Lawyers of Color", National Bar Association – Commercial Law Section Annual Meeting, (February 2020)
  • Panelist, "Assessing How Recent Current Events are Impacting Juror Mindsets, Perceptions and Verdicts in Drug and Device Cases," 25th Annual Conference on Drug & Medical Device Litigation (December 2020)
  • Panelist, "The Business Imperative for Diverse Legal Perspectives," Retail Law Conference 2019, Nashville (October 2019)
  • Speaker, "Disrupting the Mass Tort Industry," 22nd Annual Conference on Drug & Medical Device Litigation, New York City (December 2017)
  • Panel Moderator, "Inside View: Legal and Ethical Considerations for In-House Counsel," 4th Annual Life Sciences Legal Summit, San Francisco (September 2017)
  • Speaker, "The Parallel Bars: Investigating Risks From, and Best Practices to Push Against, the Intense Surge in Parallel Proceedings," 27th Annual Seminar on Complex Litigation Defense, Washington, DC (April 2015)
  • Panelist, "Leave Humble Behind: Lead Your Cheering Section," Georgetown Law Women’s Forum (February 2015)
  • Panel Moderator, "Subprime Lawsuits: Unbundling Baseless Claims in Serial Litigation," 26th Annual Seminar on Complex Litigation Defense, Washington, DC, (April 2014)
  • Speaker, "Big Government in the Courtroom: Case Study of Westrick v. Second Chance Body Armor, et al.," 25th Annual Seminar on Complex Litigation Defense, Washington, DC (April 2013)
  • Speaker, "Who Pays the Bills: "Loser Pays" and Cost-Shifting in E-Discovery, Daubert Proceedings and More," 24th Annual Seminar on Complex Litigation Defense, Washington, DC (April 2012)
  • Panelist, "Disrupting Structural Barriers Impeding the Advancement of Lawyers of Color, Corporate Counsel Conference," National Bar Association Commercial Law Section (NBA-CLS) (February 2020)
  • Panel Moderator, "Persuading With Passion: Tips From the Top, Litigation Forum of the Women’s Bar Association," (January 2012)

Media Mentions

  • "Ben & Jerry’s Gets Quick Win in "Happy Cows" False Ad Suit," Law360 (May 2020)
  • "DynCorp Prevails in Ecuadorean Farmer's Herbicide Suit," Law360 (April 2017)
  • "Law360 Product Liability Editorial Advisory Board," Law360 (March 2017)
  • "10 Partners On the Secret Of Success," Law360 (December 2015)
  • "And the Defense Wins," The Voice (DRI) (August 2015)
  • "La. Appeals Court Backs Novartis in Schizophrenia Drug Suit," Law360 (June 2015)
  • "And the Defense Wins," The Voice (DRI) (July 2014)
  • "Novartis Prevails in Bone Drug Trial in NC," Law360 (May 2014)
  • "Novartis Gets Punitive Damages Barred in Bone Drug Suit," Law360 (May 2014)
  • "Novartis Picks Up Win in Okla. Bone Drug Injury Suit," Law360 (July 2012)

Civic and Charitable

  • Children’s Law Center, Pro Bono Attorney, 2007-2015
  • Lawyers for Civil Justice
  • Legal Counsel for the Elderly, Advisory Committee

Memberships And Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • National Bar Association
  • Women's Bar Association
  • Chair, Litigation Forum, 2010-2012
  • Member, Alternate Hearing Committee of the DC Board of Professional Responsibility 
  • Defense Research Institute

My latest insights

Podcast
Website_Hero_Abstact_Architectural_Ceiling_P_0089_Mono

The Post-Pandemic Jury

22 June 2021 .1 minute read

News
Website_Hero_Abstact_Architectural_Ceiling_P_0089_Mono

Buffy Mims joins DLA Piper’s Litigation and Regulatory practice in Washington, DC

11 January 2021 .2 minute read

Connect

Phone

+1 202 799 4300
(Work, Washington, DC)
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