Scott M. Edson

Counsel

Scott Edson is a counsel in O’Melveny’s Washington, DC office and a member of the Class Actions, Mass Torts and Insurance Litigation and Appellate Practices. Since joining the firm, Scott has represented clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as in the U.S. Supreme Court. Scott's practice focuses on the pharmaceutical, health care, and life sciences industries

Illustrative Professional Experience

• Successfully briefing and arguing criminal appeal in state intermediate appellate court and court of last resort, which resulted in new trial for client (State v. Simms, __ A.3d __ (Md. 2011), aff’g 4 A.3d 72 (Md. Ct. Spec. App. 2010))
• Successfully briefing and arguing appeal in consumer fraud action, which resulted in published opinion affirming pre-discovery dismissal of proposed nationwide consumer fraud class action (Whiting v. AARP, 637 F.3d 355 (D.C. Cir. 2011))
• Co-authoring briefs in appeal that successfully defended pre-discovery dismissal of proposed ERISA nationwide class action against major health insurer (Lieberman v. United Healthcare Ins. Co., 413 F. App’x. 171 (11th Cir. 2011))
• Co-authoring appellate briefs in successful interlocutory appeal from adverse class certification decision (Sacred Heart Health Sys., Inc. v. Humana Military Healthcare Servs., Inc., 601 F.3d 1159 (11th Cir. 2010))
• Successfully briefing and arguing appeal regarding standing to enforce administrative procedures (Lemon v. Geren, 514 F.3d 1312 (DC Cir. 2008))
• Coauthoring Supreme Court merits briefs in criminal appeal regarding reach of federal money laundering statute, which resulted in judgment of acquittal (Cuellar v. United States, 553 U.S. 550 (2008))
• Coauthoring petition for writ of certiorari and subsequent remand briefing in criminal appeal from federal money laundering convictions, which resulted in judgment of acquittal (United States v. Ness, 565 F.3d 73 (2d Cir. 2009))
• Defending vessel owner as appellate counsel in asbestos trial under federal maritime law, which resulted in defense verdict
• Successfully representing health care patent owner in appeal from adverse judgment (Central Admixture Pharmacy Services, Inc. v. Advanced Cardiac Solutions, P.C., 281 F. App’x 987 (Fed. Cir. 2008))
• Successfully representing major liability insurer in appeal from adverse coverage determination (BASF, Inc. v. Great American Assurance Co., 522 F.3d 813 (7th Cir. 2008))
• Defending major pharmaceutical companies in state attorney general actions
• Defending major pharmaceutical company in phased, multi-plaintiff personal injury trial
• Defending major financial services company in removing state attorney general actions to federal court under the Class Action Fairness Act

Professional Activities

Law Clerk, Honorable Robert Bruce King, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
Admitted to Practice, U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Seventh, Eleventh, Federal, and District of Columbia Circuits; U.S. District Courts for Northern District of Florida and District of Columbia; U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Author, "The Common Issue in Mass Tort Consolidation," LAW360 (Sept. 22, 2009) (with Matthew M. Shors); "Title VI or Bust? A Practical Evaluation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act as an Environmental Justice Remedy," 16 Fordham Environmental Law Review 141 (2004)