The following is an excerpt from Practice Perspectives: Vault's Guide to Legal Practice Areas.
Bettina Jendrek is a member of the firm’s product liability litigation group, where she represents clients in complex civil cases, focusing on mass tort, product liability, and personal injury litigation in state and federal courts, with a particular focus on tobacco cases. Bettina’s practice encompasses every phase of litigation, including case investigation and strategic assessment, crafting and executing discovery plans, deposing fact and expert witnesses, and preparing cases for trial. She has been a key member of trial teams in multiple high-stakes jury trials, bringing valuable litigation skills and a commitment to achieving successful outcomes for her clients. She also has significant experience litigating disputes over attorney fees and costs.
Tommy Huynh is a products liability lawyer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tommy’s practice focuses on representing pharmaceutical and consumer product companies in complex product liability and mass tort litigation across the country, including in federal multidistrict litigations and state court coordinated proceedings.
Describe your practice area and what it entails.
Bettina: I represent clients in complex commercial litigation. What sets our product liability litigation practice apart is the opportunity for lawyers to develop diverse skills and expertise, allowing them to tackle a wide range of challenging issues. Additionally, our attorneys often take ownership of cases much earlier in their careers compared to their peers at other firms, fostering both professional growth and client trust.
Tommy: I defend manufacturers against claims that they defectively designed their products or failed to warn about their risks, and such defect or failure to warn caused plaintiffs' injuries. To investigate and prepare defenses against these claims, we collect plaintiffs' purchase and medical records and take depositions of fact and expert witnesses.
What types of clients do you represent?
Bettina: I have the privilege of working on a team of phenomenal lawyers that represents consumer product manufacturers—in particular, Altria—on a range of matters.
Tommy: I represent pharmaceutical and consumer product clients, most recently including Sanofi and Altria.
What types of cases/deals do you work on?
Bettina: My practice focuses on complex civil litigation, including dozens of smoking and health cases pending in jurisdictions across the country. My work generally falls into two categories: As a "fact attorney," I handle jurisdictional case workups, discovery, and trials, while as a "law attorney," I focus on complex legal issues and appeals.
Tommy: In the past several years, I've spent most of my time working on nationwide product liability litigation concerning the heartburn medication Zantac.
How did you choose this practice area?
Bettina: Product liability offers lawyers the opportunity to tackle complex legal and scientific issues, collaborate with experts across disciplines, and develop a diverse set of litigation skills. The practice is intellectually rewarding and impactful, often involving high-stakes cases that shape industry standards. I chose this practice because of my passion for continuous learning—the chance to discover new things, collaborate with others, and take on meaningful responsibilities early in my career. Product liability is a dynamic and fulfilling area of law.
Tommy: I chose product liability primarily for two reasons. First, I like the fast-paced nature of the work. Because of the volume of cases and their often expedited schedules, I jump from one case, deposition, or hearing to another. Second, I enjoy how no two cases are the same even though they involve the same product; at a minimum, plaintiffs' use and medical histories will differ. This keeps things interesting.
What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?
Bettina: There’s no one typical day in our practice. One day, I might collaborate with colleagues across different offices and time zones on discovery strategy and preparing for complex depositions. Another day, I could be coordinating with a team on trial preparation. One of the many great aspects of our firm is the seamless collaboration across offices, giving lawyers direct access to clients and exceptional development opportunities across the firm.
Tommy: On a typical day, I'm discussing strategy and tasks with my team; conferring with counsel for co-defendants and plaintiffs; and revising briefs, pleadings, or discovery. Other days, I'm at depositions, hearings, or trials.
What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?
Bettina: A successful lawyer in this field needs strong litigation skills—legal writing, deposition techniques, and courtroom advocacy—combined with effective communication that adapts seamlessly to clients, co- and opposing counsel, and judges. Mastery of the law, a thorough understanding of procedural rules, and sound judgment are essential. Equally important is the ability to collaborate with colleagues, empathize with clients' needs, and lead inclusively.
Tommy: We take and defend many depositions in mass torts, so I'd suggest a deposition skills class. I took one in law school, and it gave me a solid foundation to build on.
What is the most challenging aspect of practicing in this area?
Bettina: One of the challenges of our practice is navigating unique factual and legal questions that rarely have straightforward answers. However, this also creates opportunities for creative thinking, persuasive advocacy, and practical problem-solving.
Tommy: The most challenging aspect is vetting and weeding out non-meritorious claims that get lumped together with thousands, if not tens of thousands, of lawsuits.
What do you like best about your practice area?
Bettina: The best part of my practice is working with brilliant colleagues every day. When I first interviewed for a summer associate position at Arnold & Porter over a decade ago, I was struck by how intelligent, yet down-to-earth and approachable, the lawyers were. The firm fosters an environment where people can have fulfilling personal lives, families, and hobbies outside of work without compromising the exceptional quality of the lawyering that happens here every day.
Tommy: I like learning the science from our experts; they are at the top of their respective fields at leading institutions, and I get a front-row crash course.
What kinds of experience can summer associates gain in this practice area at your firm?
Bettina: Summer associates play a hands-on role in our litigation, whether that be through contributing critical legal research for major briefs or analyzing complex facts for deposition preparation. We also provide meaningful opportunities to observe experienced attorneys in action during depositions and important hearings, offering valuable insight into the practice of law.
Tommy: Unlike in other practice areas, there are often many opportunities for summer associates to shadow depositions and hearings because of the number of cases.
How useful is technical and scientific knowledge for your everyday practice?
Bettina: In the product liability space, nearly every case involves complex technical and scientific issues. A willingness to dive into the science, engage with experts, and apply that knowledge to our litigation is among the most exciting and critical aspects of our work.
Tommy: Having a technical or scientific background is not necessary to get up to speed on issues we often face, such as those related to epidemiology, toxicology, and plaintiffs’ medical treatment for their injuries. I was an economics major, and many in my practice group studied the humanities.