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Practices

Biography

Susan is a member of the firm’s Product Liability and Mass Tort practice group and has practiced in the Lexington office for 26 years, representing regional and national clients in state and federal court. Her practice focuses on products liability, pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, toxic tort, and defense of catastrophic injury cases.

After graduating from law school at the top of her class, Susan was law clerk to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Kentucky before joining Frost Brown Todd.

Her medical device and pharmaceutical experience includes defending manufacturers of transvaginal mesh, robotic arm surgical system, breast implants, Levofloxacin, Lidocaine hydrochloride, Oxycodone and Oxycontin opioid pain medication, Risperidone, Rofecoxib, Tacrolimus, and Valproate. Susan has represented chemical manufacturers and distributors in the toxic tort arena, where her experience includes trichloroethylene, 1, 1,1 trichloroethane, and carbon monoxide. Susan has counseled pharmaceutical manufacturers sued by the State Attorney General involving allegations of violations of consumer protection laws.

Other Info About Susan

Experience

Legal Work Highlights

Defense of transvaginal mesh manufacturer in multi-district litigation related to the placement of mesh for treatment of pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.

Defense of pharmaceutical company in Average Wholesale Price litigation.

Defense of pharmaceutical manufacturer in action where plaintiffs alleged that drug taken during pregnancy caused birth defects.

Represented pharmaceutical manufacturer in an action by the Attorney General of Kentucky alleging violations of the Consumer Protection Act in the marketing and distribution of prescription medicine, and in that manufacturer’s lawsuit against the Commonwealth/AG related to the retention of contingency fee counsel.

Defended chemical manufacturer and distributor in state and federal litigation regarding the alleged exposure to trichloroethylene.

Defended device manufacturer in state and federal litigation against allegations that the robotically-assisted surgical system was defective.

Defended tool manufacturer in gas explosion case resulting in catastrophic injury.

Education

Law School

University of Kentucky College of Law, J.D., 1989, Order of the Coif

Undergraduate School

Indiana University of Pennsylvania, B.A., 1977, summa cum laude

Clerkships

Susan served as a clerk for the court(s) and judge(s) below:

Law Clerk, Chief Justice Robert Stephens, Supreme Court of Kentucky (1989-1990)

Bar Memberships

Susan is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

Kentucky, 1989

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

The Best Lawyers in America®: Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, 2013-2025, “Lawyer of the Year,” 2019, 2023; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, 2013-2025, “Lawyer of the Year,” 2017, 2023

Selected for inclusion in Kentucky Super Lawyers®

AV® Rated, Martindale-Hubbell®

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

American Bar Association

Kentucky Bar Association

Fayette County Bar Association

Kentucky’s Mass Tort Litigation Committee, Member

Defense Research Institute, Drug and Medical Device Committee

Civic Activities

Civic & Charitable Organizations

Lexington Humane Society, Board of Directors and Former Chair

Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter; Former Chair, Board of Directors; Executive Committee