Amy Fisch Solomon

Solomon has transitioned into more of a mentoring role after over 30 years of practicing medical malpractice and product defect cases, but she’s still busy as ever.

She’s battled two hip replacement surgeries over the past year and a half, although it has allowed her to dispense more advice to associates.

“It really evolved into a relationship I love. I am blessed with having to work with some extremely bright and energetic, capable lawyers that has re-energized me in such a way that it’s lots of fun,” said Solomon.

Her team has been focusing its attention to thousands of transvaginal mesh implant lawsuits currently pending in multidistrict litigation in West Virginia. It’s considered one of the largest multidistrict litigations in history.

The mesh products were used on women who underwent pelvic surgeries and sold to doctors by Ethicon, a division of Johnson & Johnson.

But according to lawsuits, the mesh created a whole host of new problems for patients.

“This material would erode and embed into the tissues of the uterus and create an extreme amount of pain,” said Solomon.

The litigation, of which there are 40,000 cases still pending, has seen a number of multimillion-dollar jury verdicts. In April, a New Jersey Superior Court jury rendered a $68 million verdict on behalf of a woman who suffered chronic pain after receiving the mesh devices. In 2016, Ethicon paid $120 million to resolve about 3,000 cases.

Solomon has also settled many of its cases but still has about 75 remaining.

“We’re hopeful that we might actually get to try some of these. It’s exciting for us to be working on this,” said Solomon.

In 1989, Solomon was the first female attorney hired by Girardi Keese. Although today female attorneys lag behind their male counterparts in positions as partners and lead trial attorneys, Solomon said she’s seen a lot of progress.

“I am always blown away at how many young women say, ‘I had no idea I could pursue that kind of practice.’ It’s been very eye-opening to me but also helpful to develop greater paths for these young women that want to do this,” said Solomon.

— Justin Kloczko