Rachel Weil has devoted the past 30 years to the defense of prescription drug and medical device manufacturers in high-profile, high-stakes federal MDLs and state court coordinated proceedings. She has represented manufacturers of silicone breast implants, second-generation antipsychotics, diabetes drugs, H2 blockers (stomach acid remedies) and treatments for opioid use disorder.
For nearly ten years, Rachel was involved in every phase of case workup in the Pelvic Mesh MDL in the Southern District of West Virginia, including “company story” deposition preparation, hundreds of fact witness depositions, all aspects of expert witness work (including expert depositions) and analysis of sales representative “call notes” for potential marketing depositions. For the last several years of that MDL, she was responsible for all dispositive motions and motions to exclude experts filed on behalf of her client. When the MDL shut down, Rachel’s responsibilities continued in the state courts to which cases were remanded.
Rachel brings deep knowledge of the FDA regulatory framework to the counsel she provides in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation. Clients recognize that this expertise, combined with her broad experience and client-centered advocacy, produces favorable outcomes and enables her to manage, litigate and resolve large dockets of cases.
In other contexts, Rachel has represented a "Big Three" pharmaceutical distributor in nationwide “bet the company” commercial litigation associated with the opioid epidemic, arguing dispositive motions in state and federal courts across the country. She represented a major food manufacturer in cases alleging that a food thickener caused catastrophic illness in premature infants. She has also represented manufacturers in cases alleging injury from herbicides and injury and property damage from PFAS and related chemicals.
Rachel is passionate about mentorship and enjoys working with younger attorneys and helping them to succeed at the highest levels. She is deeply committed to her community and has, for many years, represented children living in poverty as a pro bono child advocate in Philadelphia’s family court system. She is also an elected member of her local school board.
In her free time, Rachel enjoys Broadway theater, U.S. and international travel and showing her Standard Poodles.