John Ewald
is a litigation partner in the New York office and a member of the firm's Mass Torts and Product Liability Practice. Mr. Ewald represents clients in all phases of complex multi-party, consolidated, and class action litigation, and has handled significant actions involving the chemical, vaccine and prescription drug industries.
Mr. Ewald's representations and experience include:
Representing a major chemical manufacturer as national counsel in a consolidated action in West Virginia involving more than 100 plaintiffs alleging injuries from chemical exposure during their employment.
Representing a major chemical manufacturer in its defense of a putative class action in West Virginia alleging medical monitoring claims from the plaintiffs' alleged exposure to chemicals emitted from a metals plant.
Acting as a member of the Orrick team that served as national counsel to Wyeth (now Pfizer) throughout the United States in nearly 400 product liability cases involving claims that childhood vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal caused autism in some vaccinated children. He was one of the primary drafter of briefs in appellate and trial courts across the country concerning the scope of Vaccine Act preemption, culminating in a favorable decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in Bruesewitz v. Wyeth LLC, 131 S. Ct. 1068 (2011). Mr. Ewald has also represented Wyeth in cases involving permanent injuries to infants allegedly resulting from immunization with the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine.
Acting as a member of the Orrick team that defended a prescription drug manufacturer in a New York state action involving personal injuries allegedly resulting from the administration of an anti-nausea drug.
Successfully represented a major German manufacturer in a confidential ICC arbitration concerning contract and indemnification issues, obtaining substantially all of the relief requested.
Mr. Ewald actively participates in Orrick's pro bono program. He received the 2010 Orrick Pro Bono Award for significant pro bono contributions, including his representation of a Guantanamo Bay detainee before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. As counsel of record, Mr. Ewald drafted the briefs and argued the case in the D.C. Circuit. Awad v. Obama, 608 F.3d 1 (D.C. Cir. 2010).
