Ellen Relkin

Top rated Products Liability attorney in Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Weitz & Luxenberg, PC
Ellen Relkin
Weitz & Luxenberg, PC

Practice Areas: Products Liability, Environmental Litigation; view more

Licensed in New Jersey since: 1985

Education: Rutgers School of Law - Newark

Selected to Super Lawyers: 2010 - 2021, 2024
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Weitz & Luxenberg, PC

220 Lake Drive East
Suite 210
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 Visit website

Details

Attorney Ellen Relkin primarily focuses on medical device and pharmaceutical product liability, alongside toxic tort matters. With over three decades of experience and currently working as a partner with Weitz & Luxenberg, out of its office in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, she has adeptly represented thousands of plaintiffs injured by defective medical products. 

Recently, Ms. Relkin was appointed as co-lead counsel in the multidistrict litigation In Re: Exactech Polyethylene Orthopedics Product Liability Litigation in the Eastern District of New York. She also serves as co-lead counsel in another prominent product liability litigation, where her efforts helped secure settlements exceeding $500 million for consumers and government entities affected by the vaping epidemic. Her significant roles extend to the In Re: DePuy ASR and In Re: Farxiga litigations, where she was instrumental in negotiating settlements totaling over $2.5 billion.

On the state court level, Ms. Relkin has been appointed lead and liaison counsel in several multicounty litigations in New Jersey. Her skills are recognized nationally, having been appointed by numerous federal and state judges to serve as leadership counsel in large, consolidated litigations. She laid her foundation in law at the Rutgers University Law School, where she completed her Juris Doctor in 1984. She also holds a B.A. degree in history from Cornell University. 

Ms. Relkin has been certified as a civil trial attorney by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute and The Summit Council and an invited member of the American Bar Foundation. She also contributes to the legal community as a member of the board of advisers for the RAND Kenneth R. Feinberg Center for Catastrophic Risk Management and Compensation. She actively participates in the American Association for Justice, among other professional organizations.

Her exceptional legal acumen has earned Ms. Relkin a peer-review rating of AV Preeminent* through Martindale-Hubbell and an “Excellent” rating on Avvo. Admitted to practice in multiple states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia, and before the highest court in the U.S., she continues to be a formidable advocate for justice in complex litigation matters.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.

Practice areas

Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff, Environmental Litigation

Focus areas

Medical Devices, Motor Vehicle Defects, Pharmaceutical

  • 80% Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff
  • 20% Environmental Litigation

First Admitted: 1985, New Jersey

Professional Webpage: https://www.weitzlux.com/our-attorneys/ellen-relkin/

Educational Background:
  • B.A., cum laude in history, with distinction, Cornell University, 1980
Pro bono/Community Service:
  • RAND Kenneth R. Feinberg Center for Catastrophic Risk Management and Compensation, Member of the board of advisers
Special Licenses/Certifications:
  • Certified as a civil trial attorney by the Supreme Court of New Jersey
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
  • Program co-chair at the Mass Tort Session New Jersey Association for Justice Boardwalk Seminar, 4/27/2023.
  • Presenter at the Mass Torts Judicial Forum in Philadelphia. Participated in a discussion on expert witness testimony and medical causation proofs in this one-day seminar that includes presentations from a number of leading mass-tort judges and attorneys, 6/28/10.  
  • 6/10: Speaker at Mass Torts Judicial Forum: Joins Tort Judges, Acclaimed Special Master at Conference 
  • Harrismartin’s MDL Conference: Current Issues in Multi District Litigation Practice – Loews Philadelphia Hotel, 9/26/11. 
  • HarrisMartin Mass Tort Litigation Conference with Judge Marina Corodemus (Ret.). See agenda, 3/11/13. 
  • Presented on Mass Tort Litigation in New Jersey along with esteemed jurists and practitioners. The program was sponsored by The N.J. Institute for Continuing Legal Education, a division of the N.J. State Bar Association, 1/28/14. 
  • DePuy Hip and Stryker Rejuvenate litigations at the New Jersey Association for Justice Boardwalk annual convention, 5/1/2014. 
  • Mass Tort Case Law Review at the New Jersey Association for Justice Boardwalk annual convention, 5/1/2014. 
  • HarrisMartin’s Mass Tort Litigation Conference session on Settlement v. Trial — Coordination, Conflicts & Committees in New York City, 4/2/2014.
  • Failure to Warn in Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Mass Tort Litigation: The PLA and Common Law at The New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (NJICLE) seminar on Multicounty (Mass Tort) Litigation in New Jersey, 2/18/2015. 
  • Xarelto Case Selection and Criteria at the HarrisMartin MDL Conference: Xarelto, Morcellators and Emerging Torts in San Diego. California, 3/25/2015. 
  • A Street Car Named Desire…Mass torts are like street cars, a new one comes every 10 minutes – the importance of (and factors to consider when) vetting a tort and your cases at Women En Mass in Aspen, Colorado, 9/28/2015. 
  • Featured speaker at American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Products Liability seminar panel discussion, 10/2/2015. 
  • “Mass Tort Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’ Perspectives” at Boardwalk Seminar 2016. Sponsored by the New Jersey Association for Justice, 4/7/2016. 
  • “ADR for Complex Claims: Choosing and Using the Most Effective Resolution Instruments.” LexisNexis Webinar on Medical Device ADR, 8/25/2016. 
  • “Emerging Torts.” 2017 Texas Trial Lawyers Association Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Seminar. The Westin Austin at The Domain, Austin, Texas, 2/10/2017.
  • “Personal Jurisdiction Issues in Mass Torts.” HB Litigation Conferences’ Mass Torts Judicial Forum, New York City, 4/3/2017. 
  • “Jurisprudential Legacy of the Honorable Carol Higbee” at Boardwalk Seminar 2017. Sponsored by the New Jersey Association for Justice. Atlantic City, New Jersey, 4/27/2017. 
  • New Jersey’s key MDL and MCL cases at Boardwalk Seminar 2018. Sponsored by the New Jersey Association for Justice. Atlantic City, New Jersey, 5/10/2018. 
  • “Inside the Opium (Legal) Wars.” Annual Meeting, New Jersey State Bar Association. Atlantic City, New Jersey, 5/16/2018. 
  • “New Jersey Law on Expert Evidence: What You Need to Know After the Accutane Decision” at 2018 Mass Torts Seminar. Sponsored by the New Jersey Association for Justice. East Rutherford, New Jersey, 11/16/2018. 
  • “Mastering Mass Tort Settlements” panel at American Bar Association Section of Litigation, New York, New York, 5/2/2019. 
  • “Mass Tort, From the Beginning to the End: New Jersey Mass Tort Update” at Boardwalk Seminar 2019. Sponsored by the New Jersey Association for Justice, Atlantic City, NJ, 5/9/2019. 
  • “Everything You Want To Know About Mass Torts (But Are Too Afraid To Ask)” at American Association for Justice seminar. San Diego, California, 7/26/2019. 
  • “Rethinking Multijurisdictional Coordination of Complex Mass Torts” panel discussion at Pound Civil Justice Institute Aggregate Litigation in State Courts: Preserving Vital Mechanisms forum. San Diego, California, 7/27/2019.
  • “JUUL and E-cigarettes” at Hot Topics in Mass Tort Litigation, American Association for Justice online seminar, 7/27/2020.
  • Program co-chair at the Mass Tort Session New Jersey Association for Justice Boardwalk Seminar 2020. Digital Experience, 8/6/2020. 
  • Program co-chair at the Mass Tort Session New Jersey Association for Justice Boardwalk Seminar 2021. Digital Experience, 6/30/2021.
  • “Nuts and Bolts of Mass Torts: Managing Large Case Dockets and SOL” panel at Mass Torts Made Perfect, Las Vegas, Nevada, 4/5/2022. 
  • Harris Martin’s Webinar Series: Update on Exactech Hip, Knee and Ankle Recall, 4/13/2022.
  • “General Discovery in Coordinated Mass Tort” panel at American Association for Justice, Seattle, Washington, 7/15/2022.
  • “Nuts and Bolts of Mass Torts: From Leadership Development Committee to MDL Leadership” panel at Mass Torts Made Perfect, Las Vegas, Nevada, 10/12/2022.
  • “Business of Law: From Leadership Development Committee to MDL Leadership” panel at Mass Torts Made Perfect, Las Vegas, Nevada, 10/12/2022.
  • “Tips and Developments in Product Liability Law” webinar for New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 3/8/2023.
  • “Mass Torts Projects: Exactech Hip, Knee, and Ankle Recall Litigation Update” panel at Mass Torts Made Perfect, Las Vegas, Nevada, 4/13/2023.
  • “Nuts and Bolts of Mass Torts: The Road to MDL Leadership and Why It Matters” panel at Mass Torts Made Perfect, Las Vegas, Nevada, 4/12/2023.
  • “Hot Topics in Mass Torts” at the Mass Tort Session New Jersey Association for Justice Boardwalk Seminar, 4/27/2023.
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
  • $13.5 Million (2006; W&L secures verdict in N.J. Vioxx trial)
  • $500 Million+ (2023; Global Settlement Reached in the JUUL Labs, Inc. Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, Co-Lead Counsel)
  • Multimillion Dollar (2018; Global Settlement Reached in the Stryker LFIT V40 Litigation; Settlement Negotiation Team)
  • $1.5 Billion (2014 and 2017; Global Resolution Reached in Lawsuits Over Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Failed Hips; Settlement Negotiation Team)
  • $2.5 Billion (2014; Global Resolution Negotiated in the DePuy ASR MDL; Settlement Negotiation Team)
Honors/Awards:
  • Grade of AV® Preeminent™ (She scored 5.0 out of a possible 5.0 total points when evaluated by Martindale Hubbell’s rigorous peer-review methodology).
  • “Excellent” rating on Avvo
  • American Association for Justice Marie Lampert given in recognition of exemplary leadership to the profession – 2019
  • New Jersey Association for Justice Gerald B. O’Connor Award for Professionalism – 2018
  • Super Lawyers Metro New York and New Jersey
Bar/Professional Activity:
  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • New York State, Toxic Torts Committee of Environmental Law Section, Co-Chair, 1988-1994 
  • New Jersey Trial Lawyers Association Board of Governors
  • New York State Trial Lawyers’ Association
  • American Law Institute, Elected Member
  • American Civil Justice Institute, Fellow
  • American Association for Justice, Toxic, Environmental and Pharmaceutical Torts Section, Former Chair
  • American Bar Association

Office location for Ellen Relkin

220 Lake Drive East
Suite 210
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

Phone: 866-390-0866

Selections

13 Years Super Lawyers
  • Super Lawyers: 2010 - 2021, 2024

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