Profile
Don Haviland began his career in class action and complex litigation following his graduation from the Villanova University School of Law in 1992. Before founding the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, firm of Haviland Hughes, LLC, he gained extensive experience as lead counsel in numerous class-action cases in state and federal courts, representing a variety of clients.
Mr. Haviland's more than 20 years of experience in complex commercial and class-action litigation has included mass tort and antitrust cases of national importance and consequence.
Over the years, Haviland Hughes, LLC, has won awards for clients in the multimillions and billions of dollars, including suits against the NASDAQ stock market, the National Football League, the airline industry, and manufacturers of prescription drugs, computers, asbestos, commercial explosives and fax paper.
Mr. Haviland's innovative work in handling complex commercial trials and class-action settlements is renowned. His legal counsel and representation has led to successful outcomes in state and federal courts, including multistate cases involving infant formula pricing, defective residential stucco and prescription drug marketing.
About Donald Haviland, Jr.
Law School: Villanova University School of Law
Admitted: 1992, Pennsylvania
Professional Webpage: www.havilandhughes.com/ourteam_donaldhaviland.htm
Honors and Awards:
- "The Best Attorneys in Pennsylvania", 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2011
- "The Best Attorneys in New Jersey", 2006
Bar/Professional Activity:
- United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- Supreme Court of New Jersey
- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Verdicts and Settlements:
- In 2010, Mr. Haviland had his most accomplished year, achieving the following record-setting settlements in a case on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:
$4 million (Dey Laboratories)
$4.7 million (Bayer Corporation)
$6.95 million (Abbott Laboratories)
$8 million (TAP Pharmaceuticals)
$10 million (AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals)
$10 million (Aventis Pharmaceuticals)
$18.25 million (Amgen, Baxter and Boehringer)
$20 million (Schering-Plough Corporation)
The bulk of these settlements came only after Mr. Haviland made a bold choice “to try a case against Bristol-Myers Squibb first because it was the most difficult case of all the cases pending against the pharmaceutical defendants.” That daring decision led to a record-setting verdict of $27.6 million against BMS—spurring headlines like “Judge: Pharma Company Overcharged State by $27.6 Million” (Sept. 22, 2010, law.com). This verdict was followed by an even greater verdict, $51.85 million, against Johnson & Johnson., 2010
- In early 2011, Mr. Haviland concluded the case on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania the matter by achieving the largest single settlement ever paid by a brand drug company in such a case: $35 million (Pfizer Corporation)., 2011
Representative Clients:
- Office of the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare; Pennsylvania Department of Aging; Pennsylvania Employee Benefits Trust Fund, 2009
Educational Background:
- Rutgers College, Rutgers University, B.A., magna cum laude, 1987
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