Natalie Mantell, board chair and immediate past president of the New Jersey Defense Association and a prominent litigator best known for her products liability work in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, has joined McCarter & English as a partner in the firm’s Newark office.
Mantell, who also does state and federal appellate work, was a member of the successful litigation team in the precedential In Re Accutane case. In that case, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that the Daubert factors for admissibility of expert testimony should be adopted in civil cases statewide, and McCarter attorneys appeared as successful amicus counsel on behalf of four statewide commerce groups.
Mantell comes to McCarter from Gibbons, where she was a director. Before joining Gibbons, she served as a law clerk to Judge Jack L. Lintner of the New Jersey Appellate Division, under whom she developed a passion for appeals. Her appellate work includes products cases, but also those in employment, real estate and free speech matters.
“Natalie is a hugely valuable addition to our already-nationally renowned products practice,” said Cathy Mohan, firm-wide leader of McCarter’s products liability practice group. “The breadth of her practice – in products and appeals – makes her an ideal fit for us and our clients, especially now that we are handling the asbestos-related talc docket, post-trial motions and appeals” for a major New Jersey pharmaceutical and personal products manufacturer.
Added Michael P. Kelly, chairman of McCarter: “World class lawyers like Natalie are precisely the kind of lawyer we are seeking to help build our future. Whether it’s pharmaceuticals or medical devices, talc cases or chemicals or power tools, she will fit right in, to the benefit of the firm and, more importantly, our clients.”
Along with litigation, Mantell counsels clients in various sectors regarding liability avoidance and risk mitigation.