Jess Rydstrom litigates complex civil cases, with an emphasis on complex commercial litigation, products liability defense, and mass torts. Jess has tried cases in federal and state courts, in arbitration, and across a variety of industries. She has significant experience translating complicated scientific and technical issues for judges and juries.
Jess has represented corporations, professional firms, and individuals in a broad range of cases, at both the trial and appellate levels, in arbitration proceedings, and in regulatory and congressional investigations. She has experience in a range of substantive areas, including commercial disputes, products liability, intellectual property and licensing litigation, legal and accounting malpractice, and qui tam actions.
Jess is a member of the adjunct faculty at Georgetown University Law Center, where she teaches Trial Practice. She is a member of the firm’s Women’s Initiative and is the Chair of the Hiring Committee.
A native Californian, Jess graduated with honors from Duke Law, where she was Executive Editor of the Duke Law Journal and a member of the Moot Court Board. She joined the firm in 2009 after clerking for the Honorable Catherine C. Blake on the District of Maryland. Before law school, Jess worked as a legislative aide to Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren.
Representative Experience
- Ongoing: National counsel for Pfizer in federal and state litigation over the heartburn medication Zantac, including coordinated proceedings in California. In a three hundred-page opinion delivered after extensive Daubert proceedings, the federal MDL court granted complete summary judgment to defendants in what the Wall Street Journal described as “a debunking for the ages.” Jess is trial counsel in multiple trial-set Zantac cases and argued expert exclusion motions in both the federal MDL and state court proceedings.
- In October 2023, lead trial counsel for building security company in successful arbitration over termination of a license agreement.
- In 2023, counsel for an industrial supply company in state court coordinated proceedings in Texas involving allegations that a defective product caused a fatal explosion at a chemical plant outside of Houston. Jess was trial counsel in the first bellwether trial, which resolved shortly before jury selection.
- Additional trial experience: trial counsel for pharmaceutical company in patent litigation in the Northern District of California; trial counsel in Hatch-Waxman proceedings in Delaware and West Virginia; trial counsel in licensing disputes in Maryland and Illinois.
- Additional arbitration experience: in 2019 and 2020, hearing counsel in successful arbitrations on behalf of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies over the terms of license agreements; in 2018, hearing counsel for a major telecommunications company in a commercial arbitration with FCC licensees.
- Representation of a national accounting firm in the defense of multiple audit malpractice actions, including investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and state agencies.
- Representation of a specialty pharmacy in qui tam action involving allegations under the Anti-Kickback Statute.