Paula S.Quist

Partner

Chicago + 1.312.269.4277

Paula Quist focuses her practice on difficult commercial litigation, with an emphasis on the defense of product liability and mass tort cases. She has extensive experience defending individual and multiplaintiff claims in a variety of industries, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer products, and semiconductor/electronics. She has served on several national coordinating counsel teams defending clients in class action, multidistrict, or coordinated state-court litigation across the country. In 2014, Paula was a member of the trial teams that secured back-to-back defense verdicts in two catastrophic brain injury cases in which the plaintiffs sought millions of dollars in damages.

In addition to her trial work, Paula regularly counsels clients on product liability risks in connection with mergers/acquisitions and other transactions. She also has handled a variety of other high-stakes disputes, including antitrust, unfair/deceptive trade practices, consumer fraud, securities, and contract disputes. Most recently, Paula led the Jones Day trial team that, along with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, secured a complete defense verdict on behalf of two prosecutors in a high-profile § 1983 case before a federal jury in Chicago. She was also part of a team that successfully represented R.J. Reynolds in a billion dollar contract dispute with dozens of states and territories. As part of that representation, she served as trial counsel in multiple arbitrations before a panel of three retired federal judges.

Paula is the administrative partner for the Chicago Office and also serves on the office's Hiring Committee.

Experience

  • Four clients prevail on products liability claim in Northern District of IllinoisAn Illinois federal court dismissed two pharmaceutical companies, and granted summary judgment to two others, in a product liability lawsuit.
  • Commercial sterilization company defends against multiple personal injury lawsuitsJones Day serves as lead counsel for a commercial sterilization company in multiple personal injury cases.
  • Global pharmaceutical company secures summary judgment on all claims in wrongful death action involving clinical trial participantJones Day successfully defended a global pharmaceutical manufacturer in a wrongful death suit filed by the parents of a young woman with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia who died in a clinical trial for CAR-T cell therapy.
  • Riverside portfolio company acquires SCRAM Systems®Jones Day represented The Riverside Company in connection with the acquisition and financing by portfolio company LMG Holdings, Inc. of Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc. dba SCRAM Systems®, a leading provider of technology-enabled monitoring solutions and groundbreaking offender management software for state and local judicial systems and corrections departments.
  • Commercial sterilization company defends against putative class actionJones Day is representing a commercial sterilization company in a putative class action seeking medical monitoring damages from Ethylene Oxide exposure at a facility formerly owned by the client.
  • Cook County state’s attorneys win defense verdict in § 1983 CaseOn April 13, 2017, a federal jury returned a unanimous defense verdict in favor of Jones Day clients, current and former Cook County Assistant State’s Attorneys Joseph Magats and Martin Fogarty.
  • Hill-Rom acquires Mortara Instrument for $330 millionJones Day advised Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. in its acquisition of Mortara Instrument, Inc., a privately held leader in diagnostic cardiology and patient monitoring solutions, technologies, and devices, for $330 million in cash.
  • Caesars' second lien noteholders negotiate extraordinary recovery through consensual chapter 11 planJones Day represented the Official Committee of Second Priority Noteholders ("Second Priority Noteholders") of Caesars Entertainment Operating Company ("CEOC"), the casino operator who filed for bankruptcy in January 2015.
  • Cardinal Health acquires Cordis for $1.9 billionJones Day advised Cardinal Health, Inc. in its acquisition of Johnson & Johnson's Cordis business, a leading global manufacturer of cardiology and endovascular devices, for $1.9 billion in cash.
  • Cardinal Health acquires The Harvard Drug Group for $1.115 billionJones Day advised Cardinal Health in its acquisition of The Harvard Drug Group, a distributor of generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter medications, and related products to retail, institutional, and alternate care customers from Court Square Capital Partners for $1.115 billion.
  • Reynolds American acquires Lorillard for $27.4 billionJones Day advised Reynolds American Inc. (NYSE: RAI) in its acquisition of Lorillard, Inc. for $27.4 billion and in the related $7.1 billion divestiture to an affiliate of Imperial Tobacco Group and $4.7 billion investment by British American Tobacco, RAI's largest shareholder.
  • Abbott secures second unanimous defense verdict in products liability trial involving powdered infant formulaOn Friday, March 14, 2014, Jones Day secured a unanimous defense verdict in favor of Abbott Laboratories in a product liability case in federal court in Asheville, North Carolina.
  • Abbott wins unanimous jury verdict in first products liability trial involving powdered infant formulaOn January 17, 2014, after a two-week trial in Sioux City, Iowa, a federal jury found in favor of Jones Day client Abbott Laboratories in a product liability suit seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages.
  • Potash Corporation settles antitrust class actionsJones Day defended Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Inc. and PCS Sales (USA), Inc. against class actions alleging that they and other potash producers conspired to fix potash prices, to divide markets, to restrict supply, and to fraudulently conceal the conspiracy, all in violation of federal and various state antitrust laws.
  • R.J. Reynolds seeks reduction in 2003 settlement paymentsJones Day represents R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in a pending arbitration under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with various U.S. States and Territories in which R.J. Reynolds and other tobacco company signatories seek an over $1 billion reduction in their 2003 settlement payments.
  • Family remains intact by obtaining adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident for Mexican national clientOn March 5, 2007, in connection with Mr. Aguilar-Cerda's attempt to seek adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident, an immigration judge found Mr. Aguilar-Cerda removable from the United States for (1) procuring admission to the United States by fraud and (2) entering the United States without having been admitted.
  • Showing of imminent danger of serious physical injury prevails in Sixth Circuit appealJones Day Chicago scored a victory on March 28, 2011, in a Sixth Circuit appeal argued only three weeks earlier.
  • Potash Corporation successfully defends historic $43.1 billion hostile takeover bidFollowing an arduous three-month battle, Jones Day's client, Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Inc., successfully repelled BHP Billiton's hostile $43.1 billion tender offer for all of PotashCorp's shares in November 2010.
  • Woodward acquires HR Textron Inc. from Textron Inc. for $365 millionJones Day advised Woodward, Inc. in its $365 million acquisition of HR Textron Inc. from Textron Inc. HR Textron is an industry leader in the advanced technology, engineering development, and manufacturing of mission-critical actuation systems and controls for weapons, aircraft, turbine engines, and combat vehicles.
  • Entrepreneur successfully resolves complex shareholder dispute in arbitrationJones Day represented a successful entrepreneur in a complex shareholder dispute regarding a series of close corporations.
  • Additional Speaking Engagements

    • June 7, 2012
      Jones Day Chicago 2012 MCLE University