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Seeger Weiss proudly welcomes Benjamin R. Barnett as a new partner in its Philadelphia office. Formerly a litigation partner at Dechert LLP where he chaired multiple practice groups, Barnett brings extensive experience and a track record of success in complex civil and criminal cases.
During his career, Ben has held key strategic roles representing defendants in several notable litigations and criminal investigations, including In re: Takata Airbag Litigation, In re: Vioxx Products Liability Litigation, In re: Seroquel Litigation, and the global Airbus bribery and corruption investigation.
“During the years I faced off against Seeger Weiss in court, I always admired the firm’s tenacious advocacy, trial excellence, and first-rate professionalism,” said Barnett. “The transition to Seeger Weiss marks an exciting new chapter in my career where I can leverage my experience and expertise as a member of the defense bar towards plaintiff-focused work. I will always treasure my time at Dechert and my relationships with Dechert colleagues, but I feel energized by the opportunity to work with the team at Seeger Weiss to pursue justice for injured and aggrieved individuals and entities.”
Barnett is widely considered one of the nation’s leading experts in eDiscovery, pioneering many of the best practices now commonly deployed by corporations facing multidistrict litigation and government investigations across multiple jurisdictions. Alongside Seeger Weiss partner David Buchanan, Barnett has been recognized by Chambers USA and Chambers International annually for exceptional work on eDiscovery and information governance. A recipient of the 2020 North American Innovation Lawyer Award from the Financial Times for his work on the Airbus investigation, Barnett’s addition is expected to further strengthen the firm’s eDiscovery expertise and award-winning mass tort and class action practice.
“While Ben and I have litigated against each other for more than two decades, during this time I came to appreciate his incredible acumen as a lawyer as well as a person you could trust and take at his word,” said firm co-founder Christopher Seeger. “He represents the best of the bar, and we’re thrilled that he’s found a new home at Seeger Weiss where his advocacy will make an immediate impact on aiding the people we represent.”
“When someone of Ben’s caliber becomes available, we don’t hesitate to explore the possibility of them joining our firm, and in Ben’s case we couldn’t be more pleased for our clients and our firm by his arrival,” said firm co-founder Stephen Weiss. “Over the past 25 years, a number of attorneys from traditional BigLaw firms wanting to pursue nationally significant cases—and have a meaningful impact on society—have found a welcoming home at Seeger Weiss. It’s a tradition that’s formed the backbone of our firm.”
At Dechert, Barnett served as Chair of the Product Liability and Mass Tort Practice Group, Co-Chair of the Complex Commercial Litigation Team, and, most recently, as Co-Chair of Dechert’s Innovation Task Force. Prior to joining Dechert, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. Barnett also served on the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Board of Governors and as co-chair of the Bar Association’s Large Firm Management Committee for many years.
One of the nation’s preeminent plaintiffs’ law firms, Seeger Weiss is best known for its leadership in some of the most successful multidistrict mass torts and class actions of the last quarter century. With the resources and dedication to take on the world’s largest corporations, the firm has an impressive track record of victories against companies like Merck, Monsanto, and 3M—and a reputation for sticking with a case from beginning to end. From offices in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, the firm has represented over 20,000 individuals, companies, and governments across the United States who have been injured or defrauded on an individual or mass scale. Since its founding in 1999, it has led many of the most complex and high-profile cases in the country, including the National Prescription Opiate Litigation, which the Washington Post called “the largest federal court case in U.S. history”; the ongoing “Dieselgate” scandal; the sprawling multistate litigation on behalf of survivors of child sexual abuse; and the history-making National Football League Players’ Concussion Injury Litigation.