The firms
Schmidt & Clark represents injured people one case at a time, taking clients from every part of the U.S. Most of its work is mass torts: defective products, medical devices, dangerous drugs and toxic exposure.
Schmidt & Clark advertises hernia mesh, spinal cord stimulator, Philips CPAP, Bard PowerPort, IVC filter and Nexplanon cases. It is the only firm on this page that lists Nexplanon. It has no court-appointed device MDL role on record and does not publish device verdict amounts.
- Main office
- Washington, DC
- Year founded
- 2005
- Fee terms
- Free case review; phone line open 24/7
- Device cases it advertises
- hernia mesh, spinal cord stimulators, Philips CPAP, Bard PowerPort, IVC filters, Nexplanon
Awards and certifications
- The firm says Best Lawyers put it on the "Best Law Firms" list for 2026. Proof
- The Texas Board of Legal Specialization has board-certified partner C.L. Mike Schmidt in both Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Trial Law. The National Board of Trial Advocacy has certified him in Civil Trial. Proof
- The firm says it has made the Super Lawyers list for 19 straight years. Proof
Ask about this
- Its website lists no individual verdict or settlement figures. Ask what it has won in cases like yours.
- Mass tort cases are often passed to co-counsel. Ask if the firm will keep your case or refer it out.
Firm site: schmidtandclark.com
Levin Papantonio Rafferty is a mass-tort firm in Pensacola that opened in 1955. Firm lawyer Tim O'Brien holds a co-lead seat in each of the two federal hernia mesh MDLs, one for Bard and one for Covidien.
Tim O'Brien helped secure the $88 million Patterson v. Covidien verdict on August 4, 2026, according to his firm bio. The firm also holds steering committee seats in the Philips CPAP and Bard IVC filter MDLs.
- Main office
- Pensacola, Florida
- Year founded
- 1955
- Fee terms
- No fee unless the firm wins
- Device cases it advertises
- hernia mesh, Philips CPAP
Seats assigned by a court
- His firm bio says Timothy M. O'Brien became co-lead counsel in the Bard hernia mesh MDL (MDL 2846) in September 2018. Proof
- His firm bio also says O'Brien became co-lead counsel in the Covidien hernia mesh MDL (MDL 3029, D. Mass.) in September 2023. Proof
- A March 2022 order put Virginia M. Buchanan on the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee for the Philips CPAP MDL (MDL 3014). Proof
- A February 2019 order named Matthew Schultz to the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee for the Bard IVC filter MDL (MDL 2641). Proof
Results the firm or court published
- Patterson v. Covidien, the first Covidien hernia mesh bellwether, ended in an $88 million verdict on August 4, 2026. O'Brien's bio credits him with helping win it. Proof
- Aaron Stinson won $500,000 at a Bard PerFix Plug hernia mesh bellwether trial in MDL 2846. Proof
Ask about this
- Bard PowerPort, IVC filter, spinal cord stimulator and Nexplanon cases are missing from its list of device cases.
Firm site: levinlaw.com
Mark Lanier started The Lanier Law Firm in Houston in 1990. It is a trial firm, and its lawyers sit as co-lead counsel in two Bard MDLs: port catheters and hernia mesh.
Rebecca Phillips is one of three co-lead counsel in the Bard port catheter MDL 3081. Kelsey Stokes is co-lead counsel in the Bard hernia mesh MDL 2846.
- Main office
- Houston, Texas
- Year founded
- 1990
- Fee terms
- Contingency fee; nothing paid upfront
- Device cases it advertises
- Bard PowerPort, hernia mesh
Seats assigned by a court
- On September 19, 2023, the court named Rebecca Phillips as one of three plaintiffs' co-lead counsel for the Bard implanted port catheter MDL (MDL 3081, D. Ariz.). Proof
- Kelsey L. Stokes serves as plaintiffs' co-lead counsel in the Bard hernia mesh MDL (MDL 2846, S.D. Ohio). She joined the firm, and her appointment was updated by a February 23, 2026 order. Proof
Results the firm or court published
- In March 2016, a jury awarded five plaintiffs $502 million against J&J/DePuy over Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implants. Proof
- In December 2016, a second Pinnacle hip bellwether produced a $1.04 billion verdict for six plaintiffs, the firm says. Proof
Ask about this
- Appeals often cut or overturn big verdicts. Ask what finally happened in the firm's past device trials.
Firm site: lanierlawfirm.com
Seeger Weiss opened in New Jersey in 1999 and handles mass torts and class actions. A court appointed co-founder Christopher Seeger as a co-lead counsel for the Philips CPAP MDL.
Christopher Seeger is one of four co-lead counsel in Philips CPAP MDL 3014, where Philips agreed to a $1.075 billion personal-injury settlement.
- Main office
- Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
- Year founded
- 1999
- Fee terms
- Not listed on the page we reviewed
- Device cases it advertises
- Philips CPAP, Bard PowerPort, Atrium C-QUR hernia mesh
Seats assigned by a court
- A March 24, 2022 order made Christopher A. Seeger one of four plaintiffs' co-lead counsel for the Philips CPAP MDL (MDL 3014, W.D. Pa.). Proof
Results the firm or court published
- In 2024, Philips settled the CPAP personal-injury claims for $1.075 billion, with a separate $25 million settlement for medical monitoring. Proof
- The Philips CPAP economic-loss class settlement won final approval on April 25, 2024. The firm puts its value at over $500 million. Proof
Ask about this
- A settlement figure covers every claimant combined. No single person receives that amount.
Firm site: seegerweiss.com
Motley Rice is a plaintiffs' firm in South Carolina that opened in 2003. It holds lead roles in hernia mesh cases and won a Bard hernia mesh jury verdict in Rhode Island.
Jonathan Orent is lead counsel in the Atrium C-QUR hernia mesh MDL, according to his firm bio, and tried the $4.8 million Trevino v. Davol verdict in 2022.
- Main office
- Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Year founded
- 2003
- Fee terms
- Contingency on most cases
- Device cases it advertises
- hernia mesh (Bard, Covidien), IVC filters (Cook), spinal cord stimulators
Seats assigned by a court
- His firm bio says Jonathan D. Orent leads the Atrium C-QUR hernia mesh MDL (MDL 2753) as lead counsel. He is also co-lead in Rhode Island's coordinated state-court Bard hernia mesh cases. Proof
- A February 2019 order named Donald A. Migliori to the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee for the Bard IVC filter MDL (MDL 2641). Proof
Results the firm or court published
- In Trevino v. Davol (August 2022), a Rhode Island jury returned a $4.8 million verdict over a Bard Ventralex hernia patch. Proof
Ask about this
- Philips CPAP, Bard PowerPort and Nexplanon cases are missing from its device page.
Firm site: motleyrice.com
Wisner Baum is a trial firm in Los Angeles that went by Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman until January 2023. It tried the first Roundup cancer cases, and today it is a co-lead firm in the federal Boston Scientific spinal cord stimulator cases.
Behram Parekh was named one of three co-lead counsel in the Boston Scientific spinal cord stimulator MDL on August 13, 2026.
- Main office
- Los Angeles, California
- Fee terms
- Contingency ("No Fees Unless We Win")
- Device cases it advertises
- spinal cord stimulators (Abbott, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Nevro), Philips CPAP, IVC filters, port catheters incl. Bard PowerPort
Seats assigned by a court
- On August 13, 2026, Behram V. Parekh was named one of three co-lead counsel for the Boston Scientific spinal cord stimulator MDL (MDL 3181, C.D. Cal.). Proof
Ask about this
- Most results the firm publishes come from non-device cases. Ask how much device trial work it has done.
Firm site: wisnerbaum.com
TorHoerman Law opened in Illinois in 2009 and handles mass torts. It advertises five of the six device cases this site covers, and one of its lawyers sat on the Bard IVC filter MDL steering committee.
TorHoerman advertises hernia mesh, Philips CPAP, Bard PowerPort, IVC filter and spinal cord stimulator cases on a contingency fee basis.
- Main office
- Chicago and Edwardsville, Illinois
- Year founded
- 2009
- Fee terms
- Contingency
- Device cases it advertises
- hernia mesh, Philips CPAP, Bard PowerPort, IVC filters, spinal cord stimulators
Seats assigned by a court
- A February 2019 order named Eric M. Terry to the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee for the Bard IVC filter MDL (MDL 2641). Proof
Ask about this
- The verdicts the firm features come from non-device cases. Ask what it has won in device cases.
Firm site: torhoermanlaw.com
Morgan & Morgan is a nationwide personal-injury firm based in Orlando and founded in 1988. It says it has over 1,100 attorneys and roughly 140 offices.
Morgan & Morgan advertises IVC filter, hernia mesh and CPAP cases. Michael Ram of its Complex Litigation Group sits on the CPAP MDL steering committee.
- Main office
- Orlando, Florida
- Year founded
- 1988
- Fee terms
- Contingency ("The Fee Is Free Unless You Win")
- Device cases it advertises
- IVC filters, hernia mesh, Philips CPAP
Seats assigned by a court
- A March 2022 order named Michael F. Ram, of Morgan & Morgan's Complex Litigation Group, to the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee for the Philips CPAP MDL (MDL 3014). Proof
Ask about this
- The firm has around 140 offices. Ask which lawyer and which office would run your case each day.
Firm site: forthepeople.com
Every result shown comes from the firm's own published record or from court filings. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Who to call about a device injury
If a medical device hurt you or someone in your family, start with a firm that takes your exact device. Schmidt & Clark takes all six device cases covered here. It runs a free case review line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Partner C.L. Mike Schmidt is board-certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Trial Law in Texas, and in Civil Trial by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
If your device is the subject of a federal MDL, a firm with a court-appointed seat in that MDL is another option. Those seats are public. The table below shows which firm advertises which case. The full side-by-side comparison adds MDL roles, results and fees.
Which firm takes which device case
This table shows the device cases each firm advertised on its website as of October 2026. A check means the firm has a public page for that case. A blank does not mean the firm will turn you away. Ask.
| Firm |
Hernia mesh |
Spinal cord stimulator |
Philips CPAP |
Bard PowerPort |
IVC filter |
Nexplanon |
| Schmidt & Clark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Levin Papantonio Rafferty |
Yes |
|
Yes |
|
|
|
| The Lanier Law Firm |
Yes |
|
|
Yes |
|
|
| Seeger Weiss |
Atrium C-QUR only |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
| Motley Rice |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Yes (Cook) |
|
| Wisner Baum |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
| TorHoerman Law |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
| Morgan & Morgan |
Yes |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
|
Schmidt & Clark is the only firm here that lists Nexplanon. TorHoerman lists five of the six. For hernia mesh, see the hernia mesh lawsuit firms page. For spinal cord stimulators, see the spinal cord stimulator lawsuit firms page.
Our four checks on each firm
Schmidt & Clark’s entry states only facts you can check: the device cases it takes, its 24/7 case review line and its partner’s board certifications. It has no court-appointed device MDL role on record. It does not publish device verdict or settlement amounts.
The order of firms on this page is our editorial view of fit for device cases. For every firm we checked four public measures, so you can weigh them yourself:
- Court-appointed MDL roles. A federal judge picks lead counsel and steering committee members in each MDL. We counted co-lead seats first, then steering committee seats, in the device MDLs covered here. Court orders were the source where we found one. Where only a firm bio states a role, we say “according to the firm.”
- Device verdicts and settlements. We counted verdicts and settlements in device cases that the firm tried or led, from court records, news reports or the firm’s own pages.
- Device cases advertised. We counted how many of the six target device cases each firm lists on its website.
- Fee transparency. We checked whether the firm states its fee model on the device pages we reviewed.
Here is what we found for the other seven firms:
- Levin Papantonio Rafferty: His firm bio says lawyer Tim O’Brien holds a co-lead seat in each federal hernia mesh MDL. Two other lawyers sit on steering committees in the Philips CPAP and Bard IVC filter MDLs. It has two hernia mesh verdicts, including the $88 million Patterson v. Covidien verdict on August 4, 2026.
- The Lanier Law Firm: It has lawyers in two co-lead seats: Bard port catheter MDL 3081 and Bard hernia mesh MDL 2846. It won a $502 million metal-on-metal hip verdict in March 2016.
- Seeger Weiss: Christopher Seeger is one of four co-lead counsel in the Philips CPAP MDL. That MDL produced a $1.075 billion personal-injury settlement. The firm does not state its fee on the page we reviewed.
- Motley Rice: Jonathan Orent is lead counsel in the Atrium C-QUR hernia mesh MDL, according to his firm bio. Donald Migliori sat on the Bard IVC filter MDL steering committee. Orent was trial counsel for the $4.8 million Trevino v. Davol verdict over a hernia patch.
- Wisner Baum: Behram Parekh is one of three co-lead counsel in the Boston Scientific spinal cord stimulator MDL. We found no device verdicts on its site. It advertises four of the six device cases and states a contingency fee.
- TorHoerman Law: Eric Terry sat on the Bard IVC filter MDL steering committee. It advertises five of the six device cases and states a contingency fee. We found no published device results.
- Morgan & Morgan: Michael Ram sits on the Philips CPAP MDL steering committee. It advertises three of the six device cases. We found no verified device results.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Where the main device lawsuits stand
Federal device cases are grouped into multidistrict litigation, or MDL. One judge handles pretrial work, and a few “bellwether” trials test how juries see the evidence. These are the figures as of the dates shown.
| Device |
Federal case |
Status |
| Bard hernia mesh |
MDL 2846, S.D. Ohio |
23,324 pending (Oct. 1, 2026). Confidential global settlement in 2024. |
| Covidien hernia mesh |
MDL 3029, D. Mass. |
2,479 pending (Oct. 1, 2026). $88 million first bellwether verdict, Aug. 4, 2026. |
| Philips CPAP |
MDL 3014, W.D. Pa. |
623 pending (Oct. 1, 2026). $1.075 billion personal-injury settlement. |
| Bard PowerPort |
MDL 3081, D. Ariz. |
4,140 pending (Oct. 1, 2026). $40 million bellwether verdict, Sept. 4, 2026. |
| Cook IVC filter |
MDL 2570, S.D. Ind. |
6,470 pending (Oct. 1, 2026). |
| Spinal cord stimulators |
MDLs 3181, 3194, 3195 |
Boston Scientific MDL 3181 had 41 pending (Oct. 1, 2026). Abbott and Nevro MDLs created Oct. 2, 2026. |
| Nexplanon |
No MDL |
Organon reported one Nexplanon matter in California state court (June 30, 2026). |
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every state has a filing deadline. Ask a lawyer right away how long your state gives you to file.
What to ask before you sign
A free case review is a chance to interview the firm. Ask these questions:
- Will your firm keep my case, or refer it to another firm?
- Who will be my main contact, and how often will I hear from you?
- What percentage is your fee, and who pays case costs if we lose?
- Does your firm hold a court-appointed seat in the MDL for my device?
- What results has your firm had in cases like mine?
ABA Model Rule 1.5(c) requires a contingency fee agreement to be in writing and signed by the client. Ask for that agreement and read it before you sign. Our guide on how to choose a medical device lawyer covers referrals, fees and FDA preemption in more detail.
What to gather for your case review
You do not need every record before you call. These items help a firm check your claim faster:
- The device name, maker and model, from your implant card or operative report
- The date the device was implanted, and the date of any removal or revision surgery
- Records of the injury: hospital stays, imaging, and the doctors who treated you
- Any recall letter you received from the maker or your doctor
- Out-of-pocket costs and missed work tied to the injury
If a family member died after a device problem, the estate’s representative can ask about a claim. The deadline for wrongful death claims also varies by state.
Quick answers on device lawsuits
What does a medical device lawyer do?
A medical device lawyer looks at your records, confirms which device you received, and files a claim against the maker. Most device cases are filed into a federal MDL, where one judge handles pretrial work for thousands of cases. The lawyer gathers your medical proof and negotiates or tries your case.
How much does a defective medical device lawyer cost?
Most plaintiffs' firms take device cases on a contingency fee, so you pay nothing up front and the fee comes out of any recovery. ABA Model Rule 1.5(c) says a contingency agreement must be in writing and signed by the client. Ask for the percentage and how case costs are handled before you sign.
Do I need a firm that holds an MDL leadership seat?
No. Any licensed firm can file your case into an MDL. Court-appointed lead firms run discovery and bellwether trials for everyone in the MDL. A filing firm handles your own records, deadlines and settlement paperwork. Read how to choose a medical device lawyer.
Which device lawsuits are open in 2026?
Federal MDLs are active for Bard and Covidien hernia mesh, Philips CPAP, Bard implanted ports, Cook IVC filters, and Boston Scientific, Abbott and Nevro spinal cord stimulators. Nexplanon has no MDL. Before you decide, ask a lawyer about the filing deadline in your state.
Does Schmidt & Clark hold an MDL leadership seat?
No court-appointed device MDL role is on record for Schmidt & Clark. It takes all six device cases covered here and runs a 24/7 free case review line. Its site lists no verdict or settlement figures, so ask what it has won in cases like yours. Also ask whether your case would stay with the firm or go to co-counsel.