Brian P. Cadigan

Partner

Los Angeles

Delivers tenacious defense and strategic clarity in complex products liability, medical device, and pharmaceutical litigation in federal and state courts

Brian is a fierce litigator who relentlessly defends the nation’s largest companies in high-stakes product liability and commercial disputes. He has built a national practice centered on delivering results in complex, high-value cases – particularly in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and industrial sectors. He handles litigation at every scale – from multi-district litigation (MDL) to class actions, coordinated state proceedings, and single-plaintiff actions.

Brian has defended a wide range of businesses dealing in a number of products – from hernia mesh and breast implants to helmets, planes, trains, industrial equipment, and other consumer products – that have allegedly caused various injuries – everything from cancer to catastrophic brain injuries. He has played pivotal roles in bellwether mass tort trials, including one of the country’s largest MDLs with more than 17,000 cases, and he has successfully drafted and argued dispositive motions that have resulted in major wins.

Experience

Representative matters

Polypropylene Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation: Representing C.R. Bard, Inc. and Davol, Inc. in federal multidistrict litigation involving hernia mesh patches, as national counsel and trial team member in all three bellwether trials.
Johns v. C.R. Bard (S.D. Ohio) (August 2021): Representing C.R. Bard in first "bellwether” trial for the Polypropylene Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation MDL, resulting in complete defense verdict.
Milanesi v C.R. Bard, (S.D. Ohio) (April 2022): Representing C.R. Bard in the second bellwether trial for the Polypropylene Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation MDL. This was a plaintiff selected case, which resulted in a defense verdict on six of seven claims and plaintiffs’ verdict on the one remaining claim for $255,000.

Recognitions

  • Featured on Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, 2018, 2023-2025

Credentials

Education

  • University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 2014, J.D., cum laude, Senior Supervising Editor, Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly; National Finalist, Evan A. Evans Moot Court Competition; Moot Court Board Member; Witkin Award for Academic Excellence in Legal Writing and Research
  • University of California, Santa Barbara, 2011, B.A., History and Political Science, With Honors

Professional admissions & qualifications

  • California

Professional affiliations

  • DRI, Drug and Medical Device Committee
    • Member, Steering Committee, 2024-present
  • DRI, Young Lawyers Committee
    • Member, Steering Committee, 2018-2024
    • Co-Chair, Online Programming Subcommittee, 2023-2024
    • Co-Chair, Online Community Subcommittee, 2022-2023
    • Co-Chair, Corporate Counsel Development Subcommittee, 2020-2022
    • Co-Chair, Online Education Subcommittee, 2019-2020
    • Vice-Chair, Online Education Subcommittee, DRI, 2018-2019
  • Associate Representative, Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Young Lawyers Division, 2021-2024
  • Co-Chair, Discovery Strategies Subcommittee, American Bar Association Mass Torts Committee, 2019-present
  • Southern California Marketing Liaison, DRI Annual Conference, 2019
  • Young Lawyer Liaison Chair, DRI, Trial Tactics Committee, 2018-2019
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association

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