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Susan Burnett is an attorney with 30 years of experience primarily in the defense of medical device and pharmaceutical product liability litigation, including multiple mass torts and various toxic torts claims. Susan's versatile experience includes serving as co-counsel in an appeal before the Fifth Circuit involving a national, no-injury class of consumers and insurers in a pharmaceutical product liability case, as well as arguing and defending in the Fifth Circuit a summary judgment based on the national Vaccine Act in a case alleging brain injury to a child.

She has been instrumental in defending numerous cases involving class action allegations and complex Daubert issues, in removing a variety of types of cases to federal court and is well-versed in appellate and error preservation issues. Along with an AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell, Susan is admitted in Texas, including every federal district court in Texas, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.  
 
Susan earned her J.D. with high honors (Order of the Coif) from the University of Texas School of Law in 1988 and her B.A. with honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1985.

Bar Admissions

  • Texas, 1988

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2006
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, 2000
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, 1995
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, 1995
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, 1995
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, 1995

Education

  • The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 1988
    with High Honors
    Order of the Coif
  • The University of Texas at Austin, B.A., 1985
    with Honors

Professional Associations

    • Defense Research Institute

Distinctions

    • Lawyers for Civil Justice
      —Outstanding Contributor Award, 2017, 2018
    • Martindale-Hubbell
      —Rated AV Preeminent

Recent News, Events and Blogs


Speaking Engagements

  • "Hot Topics in Drug & Device Litigation," Co-Presenter, Client Presentation, March 2019
  • "The Renewed Viability of Brand Preemption: "Clear Evidence" Standard After Wyeth v. Levine," ABA Life Sciences Legal Summit, September 2016
  • "Drug and Medical Device Shortage: Issues and Challenges," Panelist, Berkley Life Sciences Webinar, July 2012

Publications