Hunter J. Shkolnik

PARTNER

"Our clients always come first. We combine strong trial advocacy with the unparalleled use of technology in order to give our clients the very best representation possible."

Education
  • Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, J.D.
  • University of Massachusetts, B.A., cum laude
Bar Admissions
  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • Wisconsin
  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of New York
  • United States District Court, Southern District of New York
  • United States District Court, Western District of New York
  • United States District Court, Northern District of New York
  • United States District Court, District of New Jersey
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
  • Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Overview

Hunter J. Shkolnik is an esteemed and dedicated attorney who focuses on the trials of significant personal injury cases, primarily in the area of drug, automobile, aviation-related, and heavy truck product liability litigation. As an esteemed attorney, he leads the discovery and trial teams of various mass tort pharmaceutical and medical device litigations for the firm.

He is also active in managing national litigation and plaintiff litigation groups including the American Association of Justice’s Actos Litigation Group.

Mr. Shkolnik is currently serving as a chairman, leader, or court-appointed representative on Plaintiff Steering Committees in various drug and other mass torts. Additionally, Mr. Shkolnik has also held officer positions in the New York State Trial Lawyers, Nassau County Bar Association and Committee Chair positions in ATLA Health Care Finance Litigation Group, Orthopedic Implant Litigation Group, AAJ Breast Cancer Litigation Group, Co-Chair AAJ Heart Device Litigation Group, and the Chair of the Medtronic ICD and CRTD Litigation Sub Group.

Hunter is a founding board member and Vice President of the Trial Lawyers of Puerto Rico (TLPR), a trade association bringing together top trial lawyers to share expertise, build partnerships, and to add value to the local Puerto Rico community.

Mr. Shkolnik has also lectured and organized seminars on issues involving Guidant, Medtronic, and St. Jude pacemakers; ICD and lead wire recall science and litigation; cardiac device product liability litigation; class action topics such as Ethics of Mass Tort Settlements, Lone Pine, State Federal Coordination and Preemption; and has — on multiple occasions — lectured on the science related to various pharmaceuticals. He will return as a speaker at Mass Torts Puerto Rico (MTPR) in May 2023.

He is a legal and political news analyst with extensive experience in areas such as civil and criminal law as well as election-related issues.

Other Experience

  • Napoli Bern Ripka Shkolnik LLP
  • Rheingold, Valet, Rheingold, Shkolnik & McCartney

Recent Cases

*Results May Vary Depending On Your Particular Facts and Legal Circumstances*

$650 Million Ruling in National Pharmacy Chain Opioid Trial
U.S. District Court for Northern Ohio Judge Dan Aaron Polster ruled that CVS, Walgreens and Walmart must pay over $650 million over 15 years and set up an abatement program to Lake and Trumbull counties. The ruling is the first by a federal judge that assigns a monetary amount against pharmacy chains for their role in the opioid epidemic.

The funds will be used in programs to address the fallout from opioid abuse the defendant’s marketing of opioids caused.

$600 Million Settlement in the Flint Water Litigation  
Napoli Shkolnik PLLC, as co-liaison and negotiating counsel in the Flint Water Litigation, along with interim class counsel and representatives of the State of Michigan Attorney General’s office, reached a landmark wide- reaching $600 million settlement with the State of Michigan, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (now the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy), City of Flint, former Governor Richard Snyder, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and several other State and City employees in the Flint Water Crisis Litigation on behalf of the citizens of Flint, Michigan.

Jury Verdict in National Opioid Trial
This jury verdict was secured on behalf of our clients Lake and Trumbull Counties (OH) against pharmacy giants CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart.

$1.1 Billion Settlement: New York Opioid Jury Trial
This settlement was reached with the three largest drug distributors, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson, in the first opioid jury trial.
(Napoli Shkolnik is Counsel to Nassau County.)

$50 Million Settlement: New York Opioid Jury Trial
Endo Pharmaceutical agreed to this settlement to end their involvement in the NY opioid jury trial, where the company was accused of its role in the opioid epidemic.
(Napoli Shkolnik is Counsel to Nassau County.)

$320 Million Opioid Settlement
This landmark settlement was reached on behalf of Cuyahoga County (Ohio), one of the bellwether plaintiffs in the National Opioid Litigation, against four of the key players responsible for the opioid epidemic.

Jeffrey Boatman, et ano. v. Uniflight, LLC
$24.1 Million Verdict in favor of helicopter crash victim

$650 Million Pharmaceutical Settlement
In re: Pradaxa (Dabigatran Etexilate) Products Liability Litigation: clients participated in the $650 Million Pradaxa Master Settlement Program for compensation for their bleeding injuries caused by the blood thinner Pradaxa.

Judicial Appointments

  • Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation,MDL 2804 by United States District  Court Judge Dan Aaron Polster of the Northern District of Ohio
  • Co-Liaison Counsel in the Flint Water Crisis Litigation by United States District Judge Judith E. Levy of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in In Re: Invokana (Canagliflozin) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2750
  • Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in the Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2738 (Honorable Freda L. Wolfson)
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in In Re: Taxotere (Docetaxel) Products Liability Litigation,MDL 274 (Honorable Kurt D. Engelhardt)
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee;In Re: Toyota Motor Corp. Unintended Acceleration Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2151 (Honorable James V. Selna)
  • Actos Product Liability Steering Committee, American Association of Justice’s Actos Litigation Group
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, In Re: Medtronic Inc., MDL 1726 (Honorable James M. Rosenbaum) (retired)
  • Co-Lead Counsel, In Re: Fleet Oral Sodium Phosphate Solutions Litigation, MDL 2066 (NDOH) (Honorable Dan A. Polster)
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee & National Settlement Counsel in the In Re: Nuvaring Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1964 (MOED) (Honorable Rodney W. Sippel)
  • Co-Liaison Counsel & Member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, New Jersey Nuvaring Products Liability Consolidated Mass Tort Litigation (Honorable Brian R. Martinotti)
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee,In Re: Medtronic, Inc., Sprint Fidelis Leads Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1905 (Dist. Minn.); (Honorable Richard H. Kyle)
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, In Re: Medtronic Inc., MDL 1729 (Honorable James M. Rosenbaum) (retired)
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, New Jersey Metoclopramide (Reglan) Product Liability Consolidated Mass Tort Litigation (Honorable Carol Higbee)
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee Member- Co-Lead Trial Team, Strategic Planning, Expert and Discovery Subcommittee, In Re: Guidant Corp. Implantable Defibrillators Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1708 (Honorable Donovan Frank)
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, New York State Consolidated Bextra/ Celebrex Litigation
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee and Lead Counsel; Trial, Expert, Discovery Sub Committees and Co-Lead Trial Team, In Re: New York Sulzer Inter Op Hip and Knee Implant Litigation; (Justice Helen Freedman) (retired)
  • State Federal Liaison Counsel, In Re: Bausch & Lomb, Inc., Contact Lens Solution Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1785 (Honorable David C. Norton)
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee & Lead trial attorney for the first scheduled bellwether trials; State Federal Liaison Counsel, In Re: New York Consolidated Bausch & LombContact Lens Solution Litigation (Justice Helen Freedman) (retired)
  • Discovery Co-Chair, New Jersey Levaquin Mass Tort Litigation
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee,In Re: PepsiCo. Inc., Bottled Water Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, MDL 1903 (Honorable Cathy Seibel)
  • Liaison Counsel, In Re: Zimmer NexGen Knee Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2272 (N.D.Ill) (Honorable Rebecca R. Pallmeyer)
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, In Re: DePuy Orthopaedics. lnc., Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2244 (Honorable James Edgar Kinkeade)
  • Plaintiffs’ Liaison Committee for Personal Injury and Wrongful Death, In Re: Pom Wonderful Sales and Marketing Practices Litigation, MDL 2199 (Honorable Dean D. Pregerson)
  • Co-Lead Counsel, In Re: Kaba Simplex Push Button Lock Sales and Marketing Litigation, MDL 2220; (EDOH); (Honorable Donald C. Nugent)
  • Co-Lead and Co-Liaison Counsel in the In Re: Eliquis (Apixaban) Product Liability Litigation, Honorable Judge Denise L. Cote for the Southern District of New York
  • National Settlement Counsel in the In Re: Pradaxa (Dabigatran Etexilate) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2385, United States District Judge David R. Herndon for the Southern District of Illinois
  • Co-Lead Class Counsel in the In Re: Daily Fantasy Sports Marketing And Sales Practices Litigation, MDL 2677 (George A. O’Toole, Jr.,)
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee and Lead Counsel, In Re: New York Diet Drug/Fen Phen Litigation; (Justice Helen Freedman) (retired)
  • Co-Lead Counsel, In Re: Bayer Healthcare LLC and Merial Limited Flea Control Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, MDL 2319 (Nd. Ill) (Honorable Dan A. Polster)
  • Co-Lead Counsel,In Re: Incretin Mimetics Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1331 (Honorable Maurice M. Paul)
  • Lead Class Counsel,Hernandez-Ortiz, et al. v. 2 Gold, L.L.C., et al., Supreme Court of the State of New York, Index No. 158155/2012; (Honorable Ellen M. Coin)
  • Lead Class Counsel,Roberts, et al. v. Ocean Prime, LLC, et al., Supreme Court of the State of New York, Index. No. 150612/2013; (Honorable Manuel J. Mendez)
  • Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, In Re: American Medical Systems, Inc., Pelvic Repair Systems Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2325 Judge Joseph Goodwin for the Southern District of West Virginia
  • Lead Class Counsel, Sterling, et al. v. Stratfor Enterprises, LLC, et al., Eastern District of New York 2:12-cv-00297 (Honorable Judge Denis R. Hurley)

 

Awards & Honors

American Association for Justice – Leaders Forum
Best Law Firms in New York, U.S. News & World Report, 2019
The Best Lawyers in America: Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs
The Best Lawyers in America©
The Best Lawyers in America: Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs
Lawdragon Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, 2023
Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow Marquis Who’s Who®, 2018
The National Trial Lawyers, Aviation Trial Lawyers – Top 10
New York Super Lawyers®: 2006 – 2023

The National Top 100 Trial Lawyers Logo

Publications

Media Appearances

WABC-7 Eyewitness News Exclusive

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Law360

LawNewz Network

FoxNews.com

FoxBusiness News

FoxNews Live

PrimeTime Justice with Ashleigh Banfield

New at 4

CBS News

Documentary, Children of Flint: Flint Water Crisis Victims Speak Out

Speaking Engagements

  • Panelist, Where Mass Environmental Meets Mass Torts, Mass Torts Puerto Rico (May 5, 2023)
  • Panelist, Navigating “Game Over” Developments, Mass Torts Puerto Rico (May 4, 2023)
  • Panelist, Opioid Litigation Fee Panel Issues, Mass Torts Puerto Rico (May 4, 2023)
  • Speaker, Global Class Actions & Mass Torts Conference, Perfect Law LTD (April 27-27, 2023)
  • Panelist, Hurdles New MDLs are Facing, HarrisMartin’s MDL Conference: Hair Straightener & Social Media Litigation (January 25, 2023)
  • Panelist, Camp LeJeune The Legislation: The Science, Damages and Defenses, Complex Litigation Symposium (November 11, 2022)
  • Speaker, Mass Tort Dockets: Updates and Insights, Pharmaceuticals, Mass Torts Puerto Rico (May 5, 2022)
  • Speaker, Global Settlements Update in Mass Tort Litigation and Mass Tort Management, Perrin Virtual Mass Tort Litigation Conference (March 2, 2022)
  • Panelist, Opioid Litigation Conference, Perrin Virtual Conferences (September 9, 2021)
  • Presenter, Mass Tort Webinar: Elmiron, CAMG January Webinar Series (January 21, 2021)
  • Panelist, “Elmiron Eye Damage Litigation”, HarrisMartin’s Webinar Series (October 28, 2020)
  • Featured Speaker, “Achieving Sustainable Law Firm Growth Through Digital Marketing”, HarrisMartin’s Webinar Series (October 1, 2020)
  • Featured Speaker, “The Roundup Settlement Class – Are Futures Class Actions and Science Panels the Answer?“, HarrisMartin’s Webinar Series (July 28, 2020)
  • Featured Speaker, “Masstort: COVID-19 and the Law”, Mass Tort News.live (June 30, 2020)
  • Speaker, “What’s Happening in the Litigation?”, Perrin Conferences: The Opioid Litigation Conference (June 6, 2019)
  • Featured Speaker, “Elmiron: Legal Optics and Overview“, CAMG Webinar (May 13, 2020)
  • Speaker, “How the Uptick in Opioid Litigation is Affecting the Industry: Key Takeaways from the MDLs”, American Conference Institute (ACI) 2nd Annual Forum on Controlled Substances (February 5 – 7, 2019)
  • Speaker, “Mass Tort Landscape: Part 2”, HarrisMartin’s MDL Conference: Current Mass Torts from E-Discovery Through Exit Strategies – Navigating “Game-Changing” Dynamics (November 28, 2018)Co
  • -Chair, HarrisMartin’s Water Contamination Litigation Conference, 2018
  • Speaker, “Current Motions and Defenses, The JPML Petitions: One MDL or Two? / State Court Cases”
  • Speaker, “Product Liability”, Decision 2018: Recent Developments in Tort Law, New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA)
  • Speaker, “Opioids: Science, Medicine & Litigation”, HB Litigation Conferences presents Mass Tort Med School: Emerging medical & litigation issues for plaintiff attorneys (May 9 -11, 2018)
  • Presenter, “Incretin drugs including Victoza, Byetta, Januvia and Janumet causing cancer and severe side effects”, CAMG Incretin Litigation Webinar (January 29, 2018)
  • Speaker, “Opioid MDL Update”, HarrisMartin’s MDL Conference: Onglyza, Opioid & Sorin 3T Heater-Cooler System Litigation (January 24, 2018)
  • Speaker, “Opioids – The Latest Information and Strategies”, Masters of Mass Tort Seminar (January 17-19, 2018)
  • Faculty Member, “Opioid Crisis: Claims, Damages & Science”, HB Litigation Conferences
  • Speaker, “Hot Topics in Mass Tort Litigation Seminar”, American Association for Justice Continuing Legal Education
  • Faculty Member, “Litigating Public Health Epidemics”, Current Issues in Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Biotech Litigation: American Bar Association Regional CLE
  • Featured Panelist, “Who are the Governmental Action Plaintiffs and What are the Causation Theories?”, National Opioid Litigation Conference: HarrisMartin Publishing
  • Faculty Member, “Public Nuisance: No Doubt, But Can We Prove It?”, Prepare to Fight the Opioid Crisis: American Association for Justice Leaders Forum
  • Co-Chair, “The Impact of Daimler and BMS-Plavix”, HarrisMartin California Mass Tort and Class Action Litigation Conference
  • Speaker, “Flint Water Crisis: Get in the Know about Lead Poisoning and How It’s Litigated”, Perrin Conferences
  • Faculty Member, “Hot Topics and Trends in Litigation Seminar”, American Association for Justice
  • Speaker, “Flint Water Crisis”, HarrisMartin’s MDL Conference: Pharmaceutical and Environmental Mass Tort Litigation
  • Speaker, “Uber and the Sharing Economy: Law, Ethics and Policy”, Temple University Fox School of Business
  • Speaker ” Pharmaceutical and Environmental Mass Tort Litigation”, HarrisMartin Conference
  • Co-Chair, “Fantasy Sports, Volkswagen, Porsche and Pharmaceutical Litigation”, HarrisMartin Conference
  • Speaker, “Volkswagen Diesel Fuel Emissions Fraud”, HarrisMartin Conference
  • Speaker, “Mass Tort vs. Class Action: What it is and What it is Not.”, The American Association for Justice (AAJ)
  • Speaker, “Diabetes Drugs (Actos, Januvia, Byetta” at Mass Tort Med School, A Boot Camp for Plaintiff Attorneys, HB Litigation Conferences
  • Speaker, “Decisions 2013: Recent Developments in Tort Law”, NYSTLA Seminar Series
  • Speaker, “Class Certification: Defining or Challenging Class Membership”, Strafford Webinars
  • Speaker, “HarrisMartin’s Complex Litigation Conference”
  • Speaker, “Mirena IUD, Tylenol, Granuflo, Byetta & Januvia”, HarrisMartin MDL Conference
  • Speaker, “Plaintiff Pharmaceutical Litigation Forum 2013”, HB Litigation Conferences
  • Speaker, Breast Cancer Litigation, ATLA Breast Cancer Litigation Group Educational Seminar
  • Speaker, “Transvaginal Mesh and Actos Litigation Group”, Harris Martin MDL Conference
  • Speaker, HarrisMartin’s MDL Conference: Xarelto & Power Morcellators
  • Speaker, HarrisMartin’s Major Developments in Drug & Device Litigation
  • HarrisMartin’s MDL and Complex Litigation Seminar
  • Speaker, 11th Annual Class Action/Mass Tort Symposium presented by the LSBA, “Multi-district Litigation and the Parallel State Court Universe: A Practitioner’s Global Positioning Guide”
  • Speaker, NYSTLA, “Product Liability Mass Tort & Class Actions: What every lawyer should know and understand”
  • Speaker, Pharmaceutical Litigation Forum, “Case Theories, Challenges and Case Selection Considerations for your Actos Inventory.”

Professional Affiliations

• American Association of Justice (AAJ), PFC Water Contamination Group, Co-Chair
• American Association of Justice (AAJ), The Actos Bladder Cancer Litigation Group, Co-Chair
• American Association of Justice (AAJ), Past Vice-Chairman, Healthcare Finance Litigation Group
• American Association of Justice (AAJ) Health Orthopedic Implant Litigation Group, Past Vice-Chairman, Science Committee Director
• American Association of Justice (AAJ), Past Chairman, Health Breast Cancer Litigation Group
• American Association of Justice (AAJ), Co-Chair, Health Heart Device Litigation Group
• Law360’s 2020 Editorial Advisory Boards: Trials
• Law360’s 2021 Product Liability Advisory Board
• Long Island Affiliate of the NYSTLA, Past President
• Nassau County Bar Association, Past Vice-Chairman, Medical-Legal Committee
• New York State Trial Lawyers (NYSTLA), Board of Directors; Past Secretary, Assistant Treasurer, and Treasurer
• Suffolk County Bar Association
• Trial Lawyers of Puerto Rico, Vice President