Ms. Connor has vast experience litigating cases on behalf of industry leaders in the petrochemical, manufacturing, and industrial fields, in actions arising in the areas of complex toxic tort, product liability, premises liability, construction, pharmaceutical, and asbestos actions. She has keen insight into developing beneficial cost-effective strategies and garnering favorable results in complicated and tough cases, making her an extremely effective advocate.
As one facet of her practice, Maryellen has achieved several successes in challenging causation in toxic tort cases and has skillfully navigated the nexus between science, technology, medicine and the law. She has defended toxic tort, products liability, asbestos and construction/premises cases in New York, New Jersey, Texas, California, Illinois and Massachusetts.
Maryellen has served as local, regional and national counsel and has represented some of the nation's leading petrochemical companies, chemical manufacturers, and medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Hoechst Celanese, Pennzoil, Baxter Healthcare and Zeneca (now AstraZeneca) in litigations involving benzene, petrochemicals, solvents, latex gloves and the breast cancer drug Tamoxifen (Nolvadex).
She works closely with the nation's leading scientific and medical expert witnesses on cutting-edge causation issues, including extensive work with specialists in brain cancer and leukemia/lymphomas and multiple other cancers, epidemiologists, immunologists and industrial hygienists at premiere medical facilities and academic institutions. Maryellen has established longstanding relationships with these experts and is highly respected for her understanding of complex medical and scientific issues and the nexus between science, medicine and the law.
Maryellen developed the medical causation defense for a prominent New York general contractor in a case alleging exposure to the solvent methyl ethyl ketone. This work included both trial court motion practice and significant appellate practice. After a protracted battle on both medical and scientific issues and general contractor/labor law issues, she obtained a favorable summary judgment ruling on the issue of direction and control under New York law, resulting in a dismissal of all claims against the general contractor. Maryellen routinely represents solvent manufacturers in personal-injury actions alleging exposure to benzene, pending in New York and New Jersey state courts.
Maryellen also represents numerous defendants sued in the asbestos litigation in New York County and has played a lead role in both the development and management of these accounts and in creating defense strategies for these entities. She has participated in the trial of numerous asbestos cases brought in New York County, been lead counsel in defending dozens of cases pending against Westinghouse in state courts in New York and New Jersey. Maryellen successfully argued dispositive motions establishing or solidifying product defenses critical to Westinghouse in the New Jersey Counties of Camden and Middlesex.
Prior to joining Malaby & Bradley, Maryellen worked for more than ten years at the Washington, D.C. office of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld.