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Profile of Sheila Finnegan
 

Sheila Finnegan

 
Partner - Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP
 
Sheila Finnegan Email :
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Company Name : Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP
 
Company Website : www.mayerbrownrowe.com
 
Company Address : 71 S. Wacker Dr.
, Chicago, IL,
United States,
 
Sheila Finnegan Profile :
Partner - Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP
 
Sheila Finnegan Biography :

Experience:

Sheila Finnegan is co-leader of Mayer Brown's Chicago Litigation practice. She is a skilled trial attorney who has handled approximately 40 civil and criminal jury trials in federal and state courts, and she was described by Chambers USA 2006 as ". . . great on her feet and equally good on paper."

Sheila has represented companies and individuals in accounting fraud, health care fraud, consumer fraud, securities fraud, antitrust and other investigations initiated by the Department of Justice, various US Attorneys' offices, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Attorneys General offices in Illinois and New York. In addition, she has conducted numerous internal investigations on behalf of Mayer Brown clients, and she has used her investigatory and trial skills in defense of class actions alleging product defects, securities fraud and consumer fraud brought against major corporations in the pharmaceutical, insurance, financial and retail sales industries. Sheila is a member of the firm's electronic discovery group and advises clients on the creation of defensible e-discovery processes, preservation of electronic data, and responses to burdensome e-discovery requests.

Prior to joining Mayer Brown in 2000, Sheila served as Chief of the Criminal Division in the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois. As a federal prosecutor, she successfully prosecuted cases involving public corruption, complex bank fraud, commodities fraud, tax offenses, money-laundering and racketeering. Sheila oversaw all health care fraud cases and personally handled the largest parallel criminal/civil health care fraud case in the Northern District of Illinois, for which she received a Director's Award for Superior Performance from the US Attorney General (2000). She also served for several years on the Financial Fraud Task Force. Previously, Sheila served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Milton I. Shadur, US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Sheila is Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy at Northwestern University Law School. She has lectured on trial practice, plea negotiations, evidentiary rules and fraud investigations at seminars hosted by various bar groups, the Department of Justice, and the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois. In addition, she has delivered authoritative presentations on topics of health care fraud at professional training symposia such as the HHS Medicare Contractor Health Care Fraud Investigations program. Sheila is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. She has been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America and ranked by Chambers USA 2006 as a leading lawyer in general commercial litigation.

Notable Engagements:

Products Liability, Class Actions and Other Litigation:

Medical device class action and trial: Represented Fortune 200 pharmaceutical company in product liability suits involving in vitro beta-hCG blood serum pregnancy tests. Plaintiffs alleged they were misdiagnosed with cancer as a result of false positive test results, leading to unnecessary hysterectomies, chemotherapy and other medical treatment. Suits were filed in multiple federal and state court jurisdictions around the country and included an Illinois federal class action seeking medical monitoring. Successfully defeated all class allegations and all claims of product defect. Conducted a three-month jury trial of a case featured on PrimeTime Live and other news programs, in which the jury rejected the product defect claim, as well as the consumer fraud and other cross-claims of the co-defendant physician. Jury accepted argument that the physician had been negligent so attributed half of the damages to the physician, and half to the pharma company based on inadequate warning of potential for false positives.

Asbestos (Mesothelioma) trial: Represented company that formerly mined asbestos in a jury trial in Cook County, Illinois. Jury rejected plaintiff's product liability claims and found no liability. Defended clients in other asbestos product liability lawsuits settled prior to trial.

Medical food warnings case: Represented pharmaceutical company in lawsuit alleging inadequate warnings that tube-feeding formula contained allergenic substance (milk protein), leading to patient's death from allergic reaction.

Defamation case: Represented Fortune 50 company and its CEO in defamation suit brought by the former president of a major division of company after he was terminated and CEO made public statements at analysts' meetings concerning reasons for termination.

Securities fraud class actions: Represented telecommunications company in shareholder class action following stock drop. Represent major insurance company in class action lawsuit filed on behalf of putative class of long-term investors in annuity products, alleging diminution in value of investment from failure to prevent market timing and correct stale pricing. Case was transferred to MDL and motion to dismiss is pending.

Madison County class action: Represented Fortune 50 company in class action filed in Madison County, Illinois, alleging consumers were defrauded in connection with sale of tire balancing and shaving service.

Injunction hearing: Represented global foodservice retailer (Fortune 500 company) in TRO and preliminary injunction hearing, gaining the requested relief through settlement after an evidentiary hearing and successful cross-examination of franchisee.

White Collar/Corporate Compliance

Health care fraud cases: Represented former district manager of pharmaceutical company (TAP) charged by a federal grand jury with paying kickbacks to physicians through various marketing programs. Represented pharmaceutical company in federal investigation of drug marketing practices. Handled anti-kickback self-disclosure matter stemming from employee misconduct for a large, international medical device manufacturer. Represented health care transportation companies investigated by the Illinois Attorney General's Office and federal grand jury for alleged fraudulent billing. Represented pharmaceutical company investigated by state Attorney General's Antitrust Bureau in connection with the pricing of a drug.

Public corruption cases: Represented a sitting State's Attorney in investigations by federal grand jury, a Special Prosecutor, and the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission for alleged bribery scheme prior to taking office. Represented state treasurer in federal grand jury investigation of alleged use of state employees for campaign activities while on the state payroll.

Accounting fraud: In parallel SEC and federal grand jury proceedings, represented employees of manufacturer who signed auditor confirms for customer which allegedly overstated funds owed to the customer at year end and were used to inflate income on financial statements. Conducted internal investigation of large public company accused of accounting improprieties by anonymous employee.

Pro bono murder/death penalty case: Represented defendant charged with murder of a police officer and with felony murder of two police officers who died in helicopter crash during ensuing manhunt. Defendant pled guilty after the state dropped the death penalty demand shortly before trial.

Education:

University of Chicago Law School, JD, cum laude, 1985; Order of the Coif; Member, Law Review, Georgetown University, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, BSFS, 1982.

 
Sheila Finnegan Colleagues :
Name Title Email

Duncan Abate

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David Abbott

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Karen Abbott

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Agnes Abosi

Assoc. Please login

Robin Abraham

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