Deirdre Gallagher has been a practicing trial attorney for seventeen years, representing companies in complex litigation in both Missouri and Illinois. She has tried over 30 cases to verdict in various state and federal courts. Although Ms. Gallagher’s practice encompasses the defense of class actions, mass torts, and toxic exposure claims, she specializes in the area of pharmaceutical litigation.
Ms. Gallagher has successfully obtained summary judgment for pharmaceutical and medical device
manufacturers Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, Genentech, Dow Corning, Medtronic, Merrill Dow, and Eli Lilly. Recently, Gallagher brought successful Daubert challenges in the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the United States District Court for the
Admissions
Southern District of Illinois in lawsuits against Novartis for its product Parlodel. In both cases, plaintiffs’
Missouri
experts were excluded from testifying that Parlodel caused plaintiffs’ strokes based on a lack of scientific
Illinoi s
reliability, and Novartis received summary judgment.
Practice Areas Product Liability
In 1997, in Rodriguez v. Suzuki Motor Corporation, after reversal of the verdict by the Missouri Supreme
Commercial Litigation
Court, Suzuki changed its trial team, and Ms. Gallagher was hired to defend Suzuki. In the second trial, the
Toxic Torts / Mass Litigation Class Actions
jury awarded plaintiff approximately one-third of the original verdict. This verdict was again overturned by
the Missouri Supreme Court on evidentiary issues. Gallagher was part of a mediation team that settled the
Education
case after four days of intense negotiation. The Rodriguez case created the strict legal standard for the
St. Louis University , '86 University of Missouri, '83 Associations/Affiliations
Ms. Gallagher also represented the large long-term care facility chain, National HealthCare, against the
American Bar Association
government in the first quality of care fraud and abuse case prosecuted outside of Pennsylvania. After two
Missouri Bar Association
months of contentious discovery, NHC reached a very favorable settlement with the United States
Defense Research Institute Bar Assoc. of Metro. St. Louis Illinois Bar Association Missouri Org. Defense Lawyers Amer. Assoc. of Nurse Attorneys
Most recently, Ms. Gallagher sued The May Department Stores Company for infringing the trademark of
Amer. Soc. of Law and Medicine
her client, bebe stores, inc. She sought and was granted a preliminary injunction against May, who was
ordered to cease using the infringing mark in their new proprietary line of clothing. This case was reported
across the country and was reported by the Washington Post to be as high as a $34 million loss to May.
Gallagher has been an adjunct professor at UM-St. Louis School of Nursing and has spoken to many
groups on topics of medical liability, including lecturing physicians on proper prescribing practices, drug-
drug interactions, recognizing, documenting and treating suicidality, and medical ethics. She also
published a monthly column in the St. Louis Lawyer for several years. She is currently on the advisory
board for Legal Advocates for Abused Women. In March of 2003 she was awarded the UM-St. Louis "Trail Blazer" award and in April of 2003 was selected for membership in Outstanding Lawyers of America, an honor bestowed on only 100 lawyers per state.
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January 28, 2013 Roll Cal : Present Stacy Ross, Ted Disabato, Brenda Smarko, Jan Hil , Kendal Dauphin, Beth Murphy Reports: Peggy Meyer – Principal of Woerner School Update: Woerner has 400 students, preschool – 5th grade; pul students from Holly Hil s, Bevo; Feed to Long and Blow Schools; Feel free to cal for a visit; 85% of students on free or reduced lunch; Woerner has single gend