Preview Newsletter
Ethicon Media Monitoring 7/9/2018
-
Fury as officials push back on new guidelines for use of controversial vaginal mesh: Campaigners claim decision is 'utterly scandalous' and could 'maim thousands more women'
Jul 6, 2018 | Daily Mail
By Stephen Matthews
Campaigners have today blasted the decision to push back the release of guidelines into controversial vaginal mesh implants that could maim hundreds more women. -
Hospital recalls women who had pelvic floor surgery using mesh
Jul 8, 2018 | The Guardian
By Hannah Devlin
A hospital has called back nearly 200 patients who were given a controversial pelvic operation after concerns about complications. -
Bristol bowel surgery patients recalled for case review
Jul 6, 2018 | BBC News
Almost 200 bowel surgery patients are being recalled over concerns about the clinical treatment they received. -
HSE tells doctors they must inform women of 'longterm pain' risk before vaginal mesh operations
Jul 8, 2018 | thejournal.ie
By Michelle Hennessy
THE HSE HAS told doctors that women who are due to undergo vaginal mesh procedures should be informed of the possible severe complications like longterm pain and erosion of the device into the bladder. -
Fury as officials push back guidelines on vaginal mesh
Jul 6, 2018 | Infosurhoy
By Marta Subat
Campaigners have today blasted the decision to push back the release of guidelines into controversial vaginal mesh implants that could maim hundreds more women. -
Prolapse and pelvic floor health in women: Why we need to talk about it
Jul 7, 2018 | ABC News
By Olivia Willis
Madeleine Hamilton had read all the birth and parenting books she was supposed to. -
Defending Against Anti-Corporate Sentiment, Shook Hardy's Hildy Sastre Talks Strategy
Jul 6, 2018 | Law.com
By Lidia Dinkova
In a world where public sentiment tends to favor the underdog, Hildy Sastre is one of the litigators defending that someone or something bigger.
Client Attorney Privileged/Attorney Work Product/At Request of Counsel
Online Sources
-
Jul 6, 2018 | Daily Mail
By Stephen Matthews
Campaigners have today blasted the decision to push back the release of guidelines into controversial vaginal mesh implants that could maim hundreds more women.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5925893/Fury-officials-push-guidelines-vaginal-mesh.html
-
Hospital recalls women who had pelvic floor surgery using mesh
Jul 8, 2018 | The Guardian
By Hannah Devlin
A hospital has called back nearly 200 patients who were given a controversial pelvic operation after concerns about complications.
The move by North Bristol NHS trust follows the suspension of one of the UK’s leading surgeons, Anthony Dixon, who worked at Southmead hospital and the private Spire Bristol hospital, and is subject to a “fitness to practise” inquiry by the General Medical Council. The Guardian revealed last year that 100 women were considering legal action, claiming that pelvic operations performed by Dixon had left them with traumatic, life-altering complications. Some also said Dixon had made lewd or inappropriate comments during consultations.
Many of the complaints related to a procedure pioneered by Dixon, called rectopexy. It involves using a surgical mesh to repair pelvic floor tissue weakened by childbirth.
Now, the trust appears to have widened its investigation and has recalled all patients given the procedure, some of whom were operated on by surgeons other than Dixon.
Separately, Avon and Somerset police confirmed that its own investigation would examine whether any criminal offence had been committed after being contacted by a former patient of Dixon.
Christopher Burton, the medical director for North Bristol NHS trust, said: “We are continuing a detailed investigation into concerns about certain pelvic floor procedures performed to treat rectal prolapse and as part of this process we are writing to invite patients who have had similar surgery for an independent clinical review of their treatment.”
The trust has already been contacted by many patients via a phone helpline set up after Dixon’s suspension, some of whom have attended the hospital for a consultation.
On Friday, the trust wrote to a further 198 patients who had undergone the rectopexy or similar procedures and who had not yet raised any concerns. The trust has invited these patients to an independent clinical review with an independent expert surgeon, who will assess if they are satisfied by the results of the surgery.
“We would like to reassure our patients that we are taking this matter very seriously,” said Burton.
The case raises fresh concerns about the use of surgical mesh, after an admission by the government this year that the rapid adoption of vaginal mesh surgery to treat prolapse and urinary incontinence during the past decade had exposed women to unacceptable risks. According to the Pelvic Floor Society (PFS), 2.5% of women who have rectopexy surgery will suffer complications, but most will benefit.
The trust did not say whether it had issued guidance to doctors not to perform any further rectopexies.
Madeleine Pinschof, of Thompsons Solicitors in Bristol, who is representing former patients of Dixon, said: “While we’re pleased to see steps being taken to investigate serious concerns regarding rectopexy mesh surgery ... at Southmead hospital, we urge the North Bristol NHS trust to stop performing mesh-related procedures immediately to minimise the risk of harm to other patients while they review the evidence.”
When contacted last year, Dixon said he was unable to comment on specific allegations owing to patient confidentiality, adding: “As with any surgical procedure, there may be complications but I would like to reassure patients that the overwhelming majority of operations I have completed have been successful.”
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/08/hospital-recalls-women-who-had-pelvic-floor-surgery-using-mesh-bristol-trust
-
Bristol bowel surgery patients recalled for case review
Jul 6, 2018 | BBC News
Almost 200 bowel surgery patients are being recalled over concerns about the clinical treatment they received.
It follows an investigation by the BBC which revealed the surgeon who pioneered the use of mesh to treat rectal prolapse has been suspended.
The consultant carried out surgery at Southmead Hospital and at the private Spire Hospital in Bristol.
Southmead Hospital said it was writing to 198 patients to invite them for a clinical review.
Tony Dixon said he supports any action that will benefit patients and welcomes the steps taken to reassure the public.
He used a technique known as mesh rectopexy to fix bowel problems, often caused by childbirth.
But several women treated by Mr Dixon claim they were left in severe pain and were not warned of potential complications following the surgery.
North Bristol NHS Trust is undertaking a "thorough review process" of all pelvic floor surgery patients treated at Southmead Hospital, including those operated on by other surgeons.
Spire Bristol Hospital also said it had "taken the precautionary decision to invite a select cohort of patients" back to its hospital for a review.'Detailed investigation'
The NHS has set up a helpline to deal with patients who have come forward and is now writing to other people who have had similar procedures but have not raised any concerns.
A select number of patients from both hospitals are being invited to a clinical review with an independent expert surgeon, who will assess if they are satisfied by the results of the surgery.
Dr Chris Burton, medical director at North Bristol NHS Trust said: "We are continuing a detailed investigation into concerns about certain pelvic floor procedures performed to treat rectal prolapse and as part of this process we are writing to invite patients who have had similar surgery for an independent clinical review of their treatment."
Dr Jean-Jacques de Gorter, from Spire, said: "We understand that receiving this letter may cause some anxiety for our patients but there is no reason to be unduly concerned."
The Trust referred Mr Dixon to the General Medical Council earlier this year.
Mr Dixon has previously told the BBC any surgery could have complications and that the majority of his operations were successful, and he had done them in good faith.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-44740724
-
HSE tells doctors they must inform women of 'longterm pain' risk before vaginal mesh operations
Jul 8, 2018 | thejournal.ie
By Michelle Hennessy
THE HSE HAS told doctors that women who are due to undergo vaginal mesh procedures should be informed of the possible severe complications like longterm pain and erosion of the device into the bladder.
A learning notice was issued to hospitals on 26 June, following a meeting between Minister for Health Simon Harris and three women who have experienced complications from these surgeries.
One of the women who attended this meeting and who shared her experience with the minister, Lesley-Anne Stephens, told TheJournal.ie she was “pleasantly surprised” by how empathetic he and his officials were.
She was 36 when she had a procedure to address urinary stress incontinence. Now, at 39 she is in constant pain and has to use a walking stick for support.
“We were initially only given 30 minutes, so we had four minutes each to tell our stories but when we got in there he just told us we had as long as we needed, he was going to give us his time, so that was absolutely unbelievable,” she said of her meeting with Minister Harris. “They really listened to us, so we were extremely happy when we came out.”
Vaginal mesh devices are used in procedures to treat stress urinary incontinence and pelvic prolapse, conditions woman can suffer after childbirth.
There has been global scrutiny surrounding the devices because of serious complications suffered by some women and a partial ban on their use was issued in the UK at the end of last year. Campaigners in Ireland are pushing for a ban in this country until a full assessment of the risks and complications associated with the devices is carried out.
Lesley-Anne Stephens has had two partial removal operations in Ireland but she was still experiencing pain so she recently travelled to England for treatment by a specialist in this area, Dr Sohier Elneil. She performed a full removal but also had to perform a urethroplasty and a full vaginal reconstruction.
“I was damaged so badly from the mesh that she had to just fully reconstruct me inside Those are separate operations for most people. She couldn’t tell me for sure whether it was all gone or not, she was extremely honest with me – because it was broken into tiny fragments inside my body she couldn’t be sure. There was a piece of it stuck into a lump of my muscle, she said it was like taking hair out of chewing gum.”
‘The ability to treat complications’
The notice issued to Irish doctors last month stated that controversy about the use of mesh devices “is not unique to Ireland”. It advised doctors that mesh procedures for stress incontinence should be reserved for patients who have been assessed in an appropriate uro-gynaecological/urological setting and in whom conservative measures have failed.
“Surgeons must ensure they have appropriate facilities and training plus the ability to either treat the patients who develop complications themselves or an approved, appropriate pathway to refer on to another,” it stated.
The notice also addressed the procedure for telling patients about possible complications, including the “uncommon complications” such as erosion into the bladder and longterm pain.
It noted that the NHS has a 16-page leaflet on these procedures and said a national consent form is now being prepared by the HSE. The Chief Medical Officer is also preparing a report on these devices for the minister.
In the meantime, doctors have been told to make patients aware that complications may necessitate the removal of the device and that this may be “extremely difficult”.
This is because the mesh device is designed to allow tissue to grow in and around it, so it can act as a supporting wall for nearby muscle or organs.
‘I cried all the way home’
Seven weeks on from her major surgery, Lesley-Ann Stephens is finding her recovery slow and difficult. And she is disappointed that she had to travel to another country – and pay €15,000 – to have the a device that was inserted under the public health system here removed.
“You should not be able to have something in this country put in and then not have anyone here who can remove it.
Her flight home with her husband Darren was then delayed.
“When I got in the car at Dublin Airport I just cried, and I cried all the way home. I think it’s disgusting for any woman to have to go through that in this day and age. We surely mean more to people than that.”
The 39-year-old said she does not know if she will ever make a full recovery.
“I’m in a different state of mind now, I feel like I just have to accept what’s happened to me. But what this has done to my family and other people’s families is disgusting. I’m not fighting for myself anymore, this isn’t about me, I want it stopped so that no one else has to go through this.”
http://www.thejournal.ie/vaginal-mesh-6-4111943-Jul2018/
-
Fury as officials push back guidelines on vaginal mesh
Jul 6, 2018 | Infosurhoy
By Marta Subat
Campaigners have today blasted the decision to push back the release of guidelines into controversial vaginal mesh implants that could maim hundreds more women.
Health officials admitted they needed longer to analyse the long-term effects of the scandal-hit devices, dubbed ‘barbaric’ by victims, MPs and doctors.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (Nice) draft guidelines, which are sent to all medics in the NHS, are now scheduled to be published in April – not February, as originally planned.
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Surgical Mesh Implants (APPG) announced it was ‘deeply disappointed’ to learn of the delay and called for mesh to be suspended.
Campaigners have branded the decision ‘utterly scandalous’, as they fear hundreds more women could be permanently scarred during those extra two months that doctors will have to dish out the implants.
Vaginal mesh implants, made of brittle plastic that can curl, twist and cut through tissue, have been branded the ‘biggest medical scandal’ since thalidomide.
Thousands of women have been maimed by mesh across the world and have been left on the brink of suicide, unable to work and reliant on wheelchairs.
Tireless fights by campaigners, backed by MailOnline, and ‘meshed up’ victims have led to internal investigation by the NHS and debates in the House of Commons.
Sling The Mesh, a 6,100-strong campaign group for those affected by mesh, leaked the email from Nice announcing the decision to delay its guidelines.
The expected publication date has been pushed back until April 2 – around seven weeks after it was originally planned to drop on February 8.
The email, sent by health chiefs yesterday, read: ‘The change is to allow Nice to take into account data on long term adverse effects.’
The consultation on the draft guidelines for mesh will now run from October 5 to November 15 – an extension of less than six weeks.
Kath Sansom, founder of Sling The Mesh, told MailOnline: ‘It’s of paramount importance to release these guidelines as soon as possible to stop more women being maimed by these operations.
‘The fact Nice has pushed them back by two months is utterly scandalous.’
Owen Smith, chair of the APPG, added: ‘I’m deeply disappointed to learn that NICE have delayed the publishing of their guidelines on mesh.
‘As we’ve seen from the recent NHS audit into mesh, the government’s own statistics vastly underestimate the problems caused by mesh.
‘It is imperative that Nice brings forward their guidelines on mesh and suspends its use until we have a proper understanding of the risks of mesh.’
The APPG has repeatedly demanded Nice update the guidelines on treating urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse as a ‘matter of urgency’.
A spokesperson for Nice said: ‘It was necessary to add an additional two months to the timeframe for the clinical guideline on mesh for urinary incontinence in women to allow for an extensive evidence search for long-term data and for the committee members to properly consider this.
‘Nice still plans to have draft recommendations available by the end of the year.’
NHS Digital data shows nearly 130,000 patients have undergone a mesh procedure for incontinence or prolapse in the past decade.
A Government audit in April delved into the effects of mesh – but Sling The Mesh argued at the time it didn’t show the ‘true scale of the disaster’.
The risks of complications from mesh were shown to be around the 45 per cent mark – unlike NHS assertions it is no more than three per cent.
The dangers of mesh for prolapse and incontinence, common medical issues after childbirth, were almost equal, despite Nice only recommending a ban on the former.
It came after the Government released its three-year investigation into the mesh scandal last September. It rejected calls for a ban at the time.
All forms of pelvic mesh were banned in New Zealand back in December, and a similar move against prolapse has been made in Australia.
Vaginal mesh has been subject of various legal proceedings across the world, with figures suggesting more than 100,000 are suing manufacturers of the devices.
Despite the risks, widely publicised over the past year, most women experience no problem and doctors are adamant the procedure is beneficial.
The scandal came to light last April, when the NHS tried to dodge media attention over the implants that left hundreds of women in agony.
Senior doctors immediately called for a public inquiry into the controversial mesh, with some claiming the scandal could be akin to thalidomide.
At the time, 800 women were suing the NHS and device manufacturers. However, it is unsure how many women are now looking to take action in Britain.
http://infosurhoy.com/cocoon/saii/xhtml/en_GB/science/fury-as-officials-push-back-guidelines-on-vaginal-mesh/
-
Prolapse and pelvic floor health in women: Why we need to talk about it
Jul 7, 2018 | ABC News
By Olivia Willis
Madeleine Hamilton had read all the birth and parenting books she was supposed to.
"I was focused on breastfeeding, how I would cope if my birth plans didn't go to plan, how I would recover psychologically … those kind of things," she said.
What she had not been warned about, like so many women, was the long-lasting damage her pregnancy and birth could do to her pelvic floor muscles.
"I was a little bit familiar with urine leakage and things like that … but prolapse was very far back in my mind as the worst-case scenario."
Six weeks after the birth of her third child, Madeleine became one of the millions of Australian women who experience some level of pelvic organ prolapse.
"I was trying to enjoy the luxury of an unpressured bowel movement while my baby and toddler were asleep … and lo and behold, part of my insides appeared on the outside," she said.
What surprised Madeleine most was the reaction of the women around her.
"They'd say, 'Oh yeah, I had one too' or 'I've had troubles with incontinence' and all kinds of things, and I never had any idea," she said.
"I think we really owe it to women who are considering having children to tell them that these things can happen, but that there are preventative measures and things you can do after birth to help."Half of women with children have symptoms of prolapse
In Australia, it is estimated at least half of women who have had more than one child have some degree of pelvic organ prolapse.
Prolapse is when the muscles and ligaments that support a woman's pelvic organs (known as the pelvic floor) weaken, causing those organs — the bladder, bowel and uterus — to stretch and drop down into the vagina or against the wall of the vagina.
The most common symptom of prolapse is bowel and bladder incontinence, the latter of which affects more than a third of Australian women.
Symptoms also include uncomfortable feelings of fullness or swelling in the vagina, and for some women, sex may become painful.
While pregnancy and vaginal birth are the primary causes of prolapse, heavy lifting, chronic constipation, obesity, and ageing can also weaken the pelvic floor.
Contrary to popular belief, giving birth by caesarean section does not prevent pelvic floor problems either. Hormonal changes and the extra weight and pressure of a baby during pregnancy can also overstretch the pelvic floor muscles.
Prolapse symptoms may occur during pregnancy or following childbirth, but they are most common after menopause, when women's oestrogen levels — which help to keep the pelvic floor muscles well-toned — start to decline.Strengthening the pelvic floor
Without intervention, pelvic floor problems usually become worse over time.
While individual treatment will vary depending on the severity of the prolapse, there are a number of ways women can strengthen their pelvic floor muscles and improve their symptoms.
According to Women's Health Queensland: "Simple measures such as losing weight (if overweight), avoiding lifting heavy objects (including children) and treating conditions like chronic coughing and constipation may alleviate some symptoms".
Then there are pelvic floor exercises (sometimes known as Kegels), which are designed to strengthen pelvic floor muscles, reduce symptoms, and prevent disorder.
These exercises, which can be performed sitting down, standing up, or lying down, involve actively tightening and lifting the pelvic floor muscles at different intervals.
Over time, strengthening these muscles with regular exercise can help women to better control their bladder and bowel motions, and help reduce or stop leakage, said urogynecologist Jenny King.
"There's good evidence that if you start pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy and maintain it afterwards, you definitely reduce the number of problems," said Dr King, head of the Department of Urogynaecology at Westmead Hospital in Sydney.
While such exercises are crucial to the recovery of muscle function and bladder control (especially after birth), Sydney-based physiotherapist Angela James said all women — pregnant, post-birth or otherwise — should exercise these muscles regularly as a way to prevent pelvic floor weakness.
"The pelvic floor is so important for so many reasons. It controls bladder function, sexual function, bowel function, and it stabilises our pelvis, hips and back," she said.
"I'd love women to know the importance of these muscles, and to know exactly what they need to do to keep this area in good health for the long term."
She added because many women had difficulty locating the right muscles and practicing the correct technique, it may be helpful to develop an exercise program with a pelvic floor physiotherapist.More intensive treatment options
While most women will benefit from pelvic floor exercises and physiotherapy, others will require more intensive treatment, especially if they have symptoms of moderate to severe prolapse.
Dr King said the use of a pessary — a plastic or rubber device inserted into the vagina to support the uterus — can in many cases be an effective non-surgical option.
"Some women need to wear a pessary consistently because they have pelvic organ prolapse … but some only wear it while they are loading their bodies during activities like skipping, running or boot-camp," she said.
In more severe cases, where prolapse is significantly impacting a woman's quality of life, surgery may be required to repair and reconstruct the pelvic support structures.
There are a number of different surgical procedures available which can involve the use of supporting mesh, tissue graft or tape to support the bladder and urethra in place.
Vaginal mesh implants, however, were banned in Australia in January after they left hundreds of women with chronic, debilitating pain and recurring infections.
According to the Continence Foundation, even after surgery to mend prolapse, one in three women will prolapse again.'Don't be ashamed or embarrassed'
Madeleine, now several years on from her prolapse, has been able to manage her pelvic floor disorder with the help of ongoing physiotherapy and postnatal care.
"I have felt so demoralised and despairing at times, but there are treatments which improve things … and certainly make life a bit easier to manage," she said.
She said she wished women, as well as midwives and obstetricians, spoke more openly about the risks of pelvic floor problems, including how to mitigate those risks during pregnancy, birth, and during the postnatal period.
"I wish that other women had been more honest with me, and I wish that my health professionals had highlighted it as a potential risk early," she said.
"There is so much focus on getting your post baby body back in shape … but the focus should definitely be on making your insides fit."
Dr King said she was "still disheartened" by the number of women who were too embarrassed to talk about their symptoms or seek help.
"We can't magically fix everyone, but [we] can make a difference … and hugely impact on their quality of life," she said.
Madeleine added that although the word prolapse implied the body had "lapsed" or "made a mistake", women experiencing pelvic floor problems "haven't done anything wrong".
"I say to women: don't be ashamed or embarrassed about it … but do get support to get yourself better, because it is out there."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2018-07-07/why-we-need-to-talk-about-womens-pelvic-floor-health/9945920
-
Defending Against Anti-Corporate Sentiment, Shook Hardy's Hildy Sastre Talks Strategy
Jul 6, 2018 | Law.com
By Lidia Dinkova
In a world where public sentiment tends to favor the underdog, Hildy Sastre is one of the litigators defending that someone or something bigger.
She defends cigarette manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and medical device makers against individual claims that they were wronged by the corporate giants.
“We face that in every case. In the work that I do, I am always inevitably standing up on behalf of a very large company, and there’s almost always a single individual on the other side,” said Sastre, administrative managing partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Miami.
Plaintiffs attorneys are likely to portray a David-and-Goliath story at trial, she said.
How does Sastre overcome this?
It starts at jury selection.
“You have to make sure you are getting people that are willing to be fair to a corporation, that are willing to wait and listen to the evidence coming from both sides, not just the plaintiff. You need to make sure that you seat jurors that are not going to make decisions based upon emotion or any preconceived biases that they may have, including things like anti-corporate sentiment, which is … very much alive and well today,” she said.
Next, Sastre presents details that plaintiffs attorneys didn’t offer in a way that lets jurors know they weren’t getting the whole picture and adding an explanation for what happened, she said.
“Jurors are always looking for why. There’s got to be some explanation for what is happening and why it happened that is a road that does not lead to your client,” she said. “Obviously, you don’t have that in every single case but … you’ve got to provide some basis, some off-ramp where a juror who is willing to listen to both sides of the evidence is willing to put aside emotion and decide the case based upon either a lack of causation or that there is some alternative cause for what occurred.”
This worked for Sastre when Kalamazoo, Michigan-based medical technology company Stryker Corp. was sued following the death of William Cavanaugh during lung-removal surgery. Cavanaugh’s widow and son each asked for $20 million alleging the Stryker Neptune 2 surgical waste removal device used during the surgery caused Cavanaugh’s death.
Sastre, who together with Shook Hardy Miami managing partner William Geraghty led the defense, successfully argued in St. Lucie Circuit Court that Cavanaugh died because of a nurse’s error. The jury issued the verdict for the defense June 1.
There’s another strategy to defending big corporations. It depends on the dollar damages being sought — if it’s high, then it might work in favor of the defense, she said.
“Oftentimes what I find is that plaintiffs tend to be overreaching in their request for damages,” Sastre said. “I think that sometimes those numbers can actually offend some juries. … I think those are numbers that if you present a coherent meaningful defense, in light of that, …. juries tend to see the case is about money and that the lawyers are overreaching.”
What does this mean for attorneys filing $50 million or higher lawsuits against Sastre’s clients?
“Let them do it,” she said. “They become numbers that I think oftentimes work against plaintiffs’ own interests.”OTHER SUCCESS
Of all the cases Sastre has successfully tried, two others stood out in her mind during a recent interview.
In 2016, she was part of the team that successfully defended Marlborough, Massachusetts-based medical device maker Boston Scientific Corp. in a trial in Jackson County, Missouri.
Eve Sherrer sued Boston Scientific and Murray Hill, New Jersey-based medical device maker C.R. Bard, which was represented by Greenberg Traurig, seeking $28 million and alleging their transvaginal mesh were defective and caused her pain and other problems.
This is one of many pelvic mesh cases around the U.S. filed by women blaming the implants for pain, incontinence and painful intercourse, Sastre said.
“They are sensitive issues, and because of that sometimes juries can react in a way to those claims in a way that is emotional, so they have to be dealt with in a way that is appropriate and respectful and delicate,” Sastre said. “They can be difficult cases in some respects.”
Defense verdicts were delivered for both Boston Scientific and C.R. Bard.
Sastre was part of the team that successfully defended Philip Morris, the cigarette maker, when a widow sued the company for more than $50 million. She alleged wrongful death after her husband, who was a smoker, died following a lung cancer diagnosis.
Sastre and her team argued that because the man quit smoking following his cancer diagnosis, he could have quit smoking at any time before to avoid developing the disease.
Aside from these cases, Sastre also represents companies in the life science, biotechnology, food, beverage and agribusiness industries.LEADERSHIP ROLES
Sastre and Geraghty manage the Miami office of the firm based in Kansas City, Missouri.
Under the leadership of firm chair Madeleine McDonough, Shook Hardy has made an intentional push to professionally develop a diverse attorney workforce. To that end, more than half of the work done for several big clients is billed by Shook Hardy women attorneys, and more than 20 percent is billed by attorneys who are members of the LGBT community.
For her part, Sastre is a member of the firm’s executive committee. She also mentors young attorneys at the firm helping in succession planning.
“It’s incredibly important to me because you need to work with lawyers who have adequate experience. … The only way to get folks there is to candidly get them opportunities that push them outside of their comfort zone,” she said. “I am always looking for ways to get younger lawyers new opportunities, whether it’s arguing motions or depositions or trying cases or candidly just things as simple as talking with our clients on the phone.”
https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2018/07/06/defending-against-anti-corporate-sentiment-shook-hardys-hildy-sastre-talks-strategy/
Client Attorney Privileged/Attorney Work Product/At Request of Counsel
Online Sources
Add recipients
Suggested