Experienced Life Sciences Product Liability Litigators Eric Alexander and Matthew Jacobson Join Holland & Knight

WASHINGTON (August 7, 2023) – Experienced life sciences product liability litigators Eric Alexander and Matthew Jacobson have joined Holland & Knight's Litigation Section as partners in Washington, D.C. They were previously partners with Reed Smith.

"Eric and Matt are well-known product liability litigators and trial lawyers whose litigation skills, experience and very active mass tort practice will enhance our Product Liability practice, and specifically our Product Liability – Life Sciences Team," said Christopher G. Kelly, leader of Holland & Knight's Litigation Section. "Given the firm's growing healthcare and life sciences industry credentials, this is an area where we can achieve significant growth."

Mr. Alexander's practice focuses on product liability litigation for pharmaceutical and medical device companies. He specifically concentrates on scientific, medical and regulatory issues in product liability cases, including expert discovery, Daubert motions and preemption issues. He also has experience working on commercial disputes, False Claims Act cases, disability insurance and personal injury cases involving food and beverage products, and he has counseled clients on a range of issues, including product labeling and risk minimization.

Mr. Alexander is currently co-lead national counsel for a multinational medical device company in the national hernia mesh product liability litigation, which involves more than 35,000 individual plaintiffs and a federal multidistrict litigation (MDL).

Mr. Jacobson's practice focuses on product liability litigation for medical device companies, and he has experience working on single plaintiff matters as well as coordinated cases and MDL. He has also represented consumer product and transportation manufacturers in product liability actions in state and federal courts. In addition, Mr. Jacobson has become a thought leader on issues involving the interplay between 3D printing and product liability.

"The addition of Eric and Matt allows us an exceptional opportunity to grow our Product Liability – Life Sciences Team and add product liability experience to the Mid-Atlantic Region, which will enhance our national coverage in this important practice area," said Timothy Ray, co-leader of Holland & Knight's Product Liability Team and head of the firm's Chicago Litigation Practice. "The depth of knowledge and the breadth of experience they bring in handling product liability matters will make them valuable members of our team."

"We were particularly impressed with the growth of both the litigation and life sciences practices at Holland & Knight over the past year and know that the strength of both of these practices will help us deliver the best possible service to our clients," said Mr. Alexander. "We look forward to offering our support to Holland & Knight's established clients in the medical device and technology areas."

Mr. Alexander received a J.D. degree from Duke University School of Law and a B.A. degree from Kenyon College. Mr. Jacobson received a J.D. degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law and a B.A. degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.