Don Migliori featured in Law360 Plaintiffs Perspective Profile
Known for his ability to “navigate both the courtroom and the negotiating table,” Motley Rice member attorney Don Migliori gave Law360 his perspective on skills, strategy and his stance related to the most rewarding parts of being a plaintiff attorney in the legal news outlet’s “Plaintiffs Bar Perspective” series.
The feature article discusses what Don has taken from his years litigating a wide variety of cases at Motley Rice, including the historic "Big Tobacco” litigation that resulted in the $246 billion Master Settlement Agreement as well as lawsuits filed for families and survivors of 9/11.
Using his wide range of experience to mentor attorneys at the firm, Don offered Law360 his advice to young attorneys, saying, “Nothing makes a ‘seasoned’ trial lawyer like me happier than to have several young, ambitious and tireless attorneys working up a case. That energy and productivity always distinguishes the up-and-coming lawyers in the office and is infectious.”
In the profile Don also reflected on his own mentor, Motley Rice co-founding member Ron Motley. “My mentor and dear friend, Ron Motley, used to always brag, ‘I read everything!’ And he did. Sometimes more than 1,000 pages in a day,” Don said. “What made him such an amazing trial lawyer is that he knew every fact, every document, every study and every word of testimony in a case. … Know the facts. Know the science. Know the law. Never wing it: Judges hate it and juries don’t buy it.”
In his final thoughts given in the interview, Don expressed his belief in Motley Rice’s mantra that “We are in the business of Causes, Not Just Cases®.”
“Our cases cause manufacturers to redesign or remove dangerous products form the market; our cases cause start rates to decrease among teen smokers and quit rates to increase across all ages; and our cases cause corporations to reform how they govern themselves,” Don said.
Don holds several litigation leadership roles, including negotiating settlements on behalf of thousands of women allegedly harmed by pelvic mesh/sling products and serving as co-liaison counsel in the N.J. Bard pelvic mesh litigation. Don also serves on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for In re Bard IVC Filters Products Liability Litigation, as well as the Depuy® Orthopaedics, Inc. ASR™ and Pinnacle® Hip Implant MDLs. Don also serves as co-lead plaintiffs’ counsel and liaison counsel in the federal MDL, and as liaison counsel for the Composix® Kugel® Mesh lawsuits.
His experience also includes reaching settlements in more than 50 aviation liability cases filed for 9/11 victims and families who opted out of the Victim Compensation Fund, and serving as liaison counsel for all wrongful death and personal injury cases in the 9/11 aviation security litigation.