Biography: Life Sciences

Harvey Kaplan is a partner of Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP in Kansas City, Missouri. He chairs the firm's pharmaceutical and medical device litigation division and has served as a member of its executive committee. Mr Kaplan is well known nationally and internationally for defending pharmaceutical companies. He has tried and won high-profile pharma cases in many jurisdictions, including Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. In addition, he has argued cases in the appellate courts of Missouri, Michigan and in the Fifth, Eighth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal.

Mr Kaplan is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers, the American Bar Foundation and Litigation Counsel of America. He has served on the board of directors of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) and the Defense Research Institute (DRI). He was also director of the IADC's Defense Counsel Trial Academy; co-chair of the DRI Corporate Counsel Roundtable; and he has been at the forefront of launching DRI Europe.

In 2009, Mr Kaplan was named by Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers as Global Product Liability Lawyer of the Year for the second consecutive year; and he was also selected as the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyer for 2009 by The Legal Media Group Guide to the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers. He was also featured in The American Lawyer where SHB was selected as the 2008 Product Liability Litigation Department of the Year and as a finalist for the 2010 Product Liability Litigation Department of the Year; and he was also featured in a profile of SHB in the October 2008 ABA Journal.

He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business (nominated for 2007 Chambers Award for Excellence in Product Liability Litigation), The Legal 500 United States, Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers (recognised as one of the most highly regarded product liability lawyers globally), Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Product Liability Defence Lawyers (most highly nominated lawyer; described as 'incredibly skilled' and an 'industry leader'), Lawdragon: The 500 Leading Lawyers in America, Lawdragon: The 500 Leading Litigators in America, Benchmark Litigation (named as a National Star for Products Liability), The Legal Media Group Guide to the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers, Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Commercial Litigators, Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Life Sciences Lawyers, Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers (named to the Top Ten for four consecutive years), PLC Which lawyer? Yearbook, PLC Life Sciences Handbook, PLC Dispute Resolution Handbook and The Kansas City Business Journal 'Best of the Bar'.

Mr Kaplan is admitted to practise before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Circuits, the United States Tax Court, the Missouri Supreme Court and the federal courts of Missouri, Kansas, Arizona and Nebraska.

Biography: Commercial Litigation

Harvey Kaplan is a partner of Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP in Kansas City, Missouri. He chairs the firm's pharmaceutical and medical device litigation division and has served as a member of its executive committee. Mr Kaplan is well known nationally and internationally for defending pharmaceutical companies. He has tried and won high-profile pharma cases in many jurisdictions, including Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. In addition, he has argued cases in the appellate courts of Missouri, Michigan and in the fifth, eighth and ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal.

Mr Kaplan is a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers; the International Society of Barristers; the American Bar Foundation; and Litigation Counsel of America. He has served on the board of directors of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) and the Defense Research Institute (DRI). He has been director of the IADC's Defense Counsel Trial Academy; co-chair of the DRI corporate counsel roundtable; and he was also at the forefront of launching DRI Europe. In 2010, he received the Burton Award for Excellence in legal writing.

In 2011, Mr Kaplan was named by Who's Who Legal - The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers as Global Product Liability Lawyer of the Year for the fourth consecutive year. He was named the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyer in 2009 and 2010 by The Legal Media Group Guide to the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers. Law360 profiled Mr Kaplan in 2010 as one of the 10 most admired product liability lawyers. He was also featured in The American Lawyer articles about SHB's selection as Product Liability Litigation Department of the Year in 2008 and as a finalist in 2010. The ABA Journal referred to him as '...the godfather of product liability law' in an article featuring SHB as 'the firm many of the world's biggest companies turn to at the first hint of trouble with one of their products' (October 2008).

He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business (listed in Band 1 as one of the six leading lawyers in product liability and mass torts; nominated for 2007 Chambers Award for Excellence in Product Liability Litigation), The Legal 500 United States ('...praised for his 'outstanding trial and litigation skills''), Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers (Global Product Liability Lawyer of the Year 2008-2011), Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Product Liability Defence Lawyers (most highly nominated lawyer; described as 'incredibly skilled' and an 'industry leader'), Lawdragon: The 500 Leading Lawyers in America ('The nation's defense side choice for bet-the-company litigation related to pharmaceuticals and medical devices'), Lawdragon: The 500 Leading Litigators in America, Benchmark Litigation (a National Star for Products Liability), The Legal Media Group Guide to the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers (World's Leading Product Liability Lawyer 2009-2010), Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Commercial Litigators, Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Life Sciences Lawyers, Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers (named to the Top Ten for four consecutive years), PLC Which lawyer? Yearbook, PLC Life Sciences Handbook, PLC Dispute Resolution Handbook and The Kansas City Business Journal 'Best of the Bar'.

Mr Kaplan is admitted to practise before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth and tenth Circuits, the United States Tax Court, the Missouri Supreme Court and the federal courts of Missouri, Kansas, Arizona and Nebraska.

Biography: Product Liability Defence

Harvey Kaplan is a partner of Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP in Kansas City, Missouri. He is chair emeritus of the firm's pharmaceutical and medical device litigation division and has served as a member of its executive committee. Mr Kaplan is well known nationally and internationally for defending pharmaceutical companies. He has tried and won high-profile pharma cases in many jurisdictions, including Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. In addition, he has argued cases in the appellate courts of Missouri, Michigan and in the Fifth, Eighth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal.

Mr Kaplan is a Fellow of: the International Academy of Trial Lawyers; the International Society of Barristers; the American Bar Foundation; and Litigation Counsel of America. He has served on the board of directors of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) and the Defense Research Institute (DRI). He has been director of the IADC's Defense Counsel Trial Academy; co-chair of the DRI corporate counsel roundtable; and he was also at the forefront of launching DRI Europe. In 2010, he received the Burton Award for Excellence in Legal Writing.

In 2011, Mr Kaplan was named by Who's Who Legal - The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers as Product Liability Lawyer of the Year for the fourth consecutive year. He was named the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyer in 2009 and 2010 by The Legal Media Group Guide to the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers. Law360 profiled Mr Kaplan in 2010 as one of the ten most admired product liability lawyers. He was also featured in The American Lawyer articles about SHB's selection as Product Liability Litigation Department of the Year in 2008 and as a finalist in 2010. The ABA Journal referred to him as 'the godfather of product liability law' in an article featuring SHB as 'the firm many of the world's biggest companies turn to at the first hint of trouble with one of their products' (October 2008).

He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America (named 2012 Lawyer of the Year for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants for Kansas City); Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business (listed in Band 1 as one of the six leading lawyers in product liability and mass torts; nominated for 2007 Chambers Award for Excellence in Product Liability Litigation), The Legal 500 United States ('praised for his 'outstanding trial and litigation skills.''), Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers (Global Product Liability Lawyer of the Year 2008-2011), Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Product Liability Defence Lawyers (most highly nominated lawyer; described as 'incredibly skilled' and an 'industry leader'), Lawdragon: The 500 Leading Lawyers in America ('the nation's top' defense-side choice for bet-the-company litigation related to pharmaceuticals and medical devices.'), Lawdragon: The 500 Leading Litigators in America, Benchmark Litigation (a National Star for Products Liability), The Legal Media Group Guide to the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers (World's Leading Product Liability Lawyer 2009-2010), Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Commercial Litigators, Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Life Sciences Lawyers, Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers (named to the Top Ten for four consecutive years), PLC Which lawyer? Yearbook, PLC Life Sciences Handbook, PLC Dispute Resolution Handbook and The Kansas City Business Journal 'Best of the Bar'.

Mr Kaplan is admitted to practise before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Circuits, the United States Tax Court, the Missouri Supreme Court and the federal courts of Missouri, Kansas, Arizona and Nebraska.