Stephanie A. Scharf
Partner
Mrs. Scharf concentrates her practice on complex litigation. She has represented clients in federal and state courts in Illinois, as well as courts in New Jersey, California, Washington, Iowa, Michigan, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and New York. She has litigated or tried complex contract disputes, product liability and toxic tort lawsuits, insurance coverage disputes for corporate policyholders, employment disputes, mass torts and class actions, and disputes over collaboration, distribution and supply agreements, and indemnity agreements. She has represented clients in litigation and counseling concerning the development, manufacture and marketing of complex scientific products and is especially skilled at developing effective technical and scientific defenses. She has counseled on procedures for enterprise risk assessment, product liability risk management and compliance. Her roles include representing clients as lead counsel, national coordinating counsel, regional counsel, science counsel, and as a member of several “virtual firms” created to address specific client problems.
Mrs. Scharf was recognized by Diversity & the Bar as one of 21 U.S. “Women Litigators on the Rise” and she was named by Lawdragon as one of the 500 leading litigators in America. Mrs. Scharf is AV Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer recognition for ethical standards and legal ability, and has been elected by her peers as an Illinois Super Lawyer in the areas of class action/mass torts, civil litigation defense and personal injury defense: products.
Mrs. Scharf co-chaired the American Bar Association's Products Liability Committee (Section of Litigation) and has served as a member of the ABA's Special Committee on Bioethics and the Law. She is a Sustaining Member of the Product Liability Advisory Council and member of the PLAC Case Selection Committee. She is President of the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) Foundation, Past President of NAWL and founding Chair of the NAWL Committee for the Evaluation of Supreme Court Nominees. Mrs. Scharf has served as a Board Member of the Illinois Bar Foundation.
Mrs. Scharf received a Ph.D. (Behavioral Sciences/Psychology) and J.D. from the University of Chicago. In 2007 and 2008, she received advanced training in Clinical Trials Management.
Before practicing law, she was a University Harper Fellow and Senior Study Director, NORC, where she helped design and manage large-scale public health surveys commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She received a B.A. from Rutgers University and an M.A. in Communications from Stanford University. Mrs. Scharf has been active in a number of community organizations in the Chicago area, and is currently a Board Member of The Youth Campus.
Recent Publications
Author, "FDA Proposes Revised CBE Rules and Reiterates Preemptive Authority," FDLI's UPDATE, Issue 2, March/April 2008.
Author, “Punitive Damages in the Supreme Court: How Much is Too Much?,” FDLI's UPDATE, Issue 3, May/June 2007.
Co-Author, "Foreign Plaintiffs Battle to Keep Class Claims in U.S. Courts," FDLI's UPDATE, Issue 1, January/February 2007.
Author, "New Rulings in Drug Cases Highlight Debate Over Pre-emption," Law.com, October 2006.
Co-author, "FDA’s Comments Herald New Strength for Preemption Defense in Drug Product Litigation," FDLI's UPDATE, Issue 5, September/October 2006.
Co-Editor, The Use of Toxicology in Tort Litigation: A Survey of Federal and State Jurisdictions, American Bar Association, May 2005.
Author, “FDA Issues Final Guidances for Pharmaceutical Risk Assessment and Risk Management,” Jenner & Block Client Alert, March 28, 2005.
Author, “A Business Approach to Minimizing Product Liability Litigation,” Minimizing Product Liability Litigation (Aspatore Books), 2005.
Author, “Consumer Fraud Litigation: Law and Defenses in Illinois,” published by Product Liability Advisory Council, September 2004.
Author, “Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices,” paper presented at TechLaw Group, Inc. International CLE Session, April 30, 2004.
Co-Author, “The Evidentiary Impact of Regulatory Action on Product Litigation in the United States,” published by Product Liability Advisory Council, March 2004.
Editor, The Use of Epidemiology in Tort Litigation: A Survey of Federal and State Jurisdictions, American Bar Association, July 2003.
Co-Author, “Post-Sale Duties to Warn, Recall, and Retrofit Defective Products in Illinois,” Illinois Bar Journal, Vol. 91, June 2003.
Co-Author, “Secondary Evidence Need Not Recreate Language of Missing Insurance Policy, California Supreme Court Rules,” prepared for Jenner & Block Insurance Counselor Newsletter, Winter 2003.
“Post-Sale Duties to Warn, Recall and Retrofit: A Midwest Survey: Manufacturers Face Differing Duties in the Midwest,” prepared for American Bar Association, March 2002.
Author, “Marketing Pharmaceutical Products on the Internet: Managing Risks and Limiting Liabilities in the World of E-Commerce,” Products Liability, American Bar Association, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2001.
After Kumho Tire: The Court as the Gatekeeper of Expert Testimony. Invited speech to Deloitte & Touche National Consulting Conference, Chicago, Illinois, August 26, 1999.
Co-Author, “Communications Specialists Help With Damage Control,” U.S. Business Litigation Magazine, February 1997.
Author, “The Media and Products Litigation,” For The Defense Magazine, Defense Research Institute, October 1996.
Co-author: “Immigration Reform and the Federal Law of Employment Discrimination,” The New Simpson-Rodino Immigration Law of 1986 (S. Mailman, ed.), pp.202-223, Prentice Hall, New York, 1986.
Presentations and Lectures
Speaker, Impact of Attrition of Women in Large Firms on Judicial Diversity and Judicial Independence, National Association of Women Judges Mid West Regional Conference, (Chicago, August 28, 2008)
Speaker, Negotiating Your Compensation and Severance, Minority Corporate Council Association’s 7th Annual CLE Expo (March 27, 2008)
Panelist, Bridging the Gap: Disparity in Compensation and the Gender Equation, Young Lawyers Section of the Chicago Bar Association, (March 14, 2008)
Speaker, Best Practices for Managing the Risks of Nanotech Medical Products, Food and Drug Law Institute's First Annual Conference on Nanotechnology Law, Regulation and Policy (February 28, 2008)
Speaker, 2007 National Survey on Retention and Promotion of Women in Law Firms, National Conference of Women's Bar Associations,Webinar (February 19, 2008)
Speaker, Risk Management Strategies for Prescription Medical Products, Central Business Intelligence, Webinar (December 4, 2007)
Speaker, Post Sale Duty to Warn, Recall, and Retrofit: Prescription Devices and Pharmaceuticals, American Bar Association, San Francisco, CA (August 10, 2007)
Moderator, Appellate Advocacy in Illinois: Best Practices for Written and Oral Argument, National Association of Women Lawyers, Chicago, IL (July 19, 2007)
Speaker, Developing the Next Generation of Firm Leaders: Creating Leadership Opportunities, American Conference Institute, New York, NY (May 22, 2007)
Speaker, Drug/Device Co-Development: Litigation Risk Management Strategies, 50th Annual FDLI and FDA Conference, Bethesda, MD (April 13, 2007)
Speaker, Networking and Client Development 101: It’s Easier Than You Think, ABA Section of International Law Fall Meeting, Miami, FL (November 7, 2006)
Speaker, Hone Your Skills: Negotiate!, University of Chicago Women’s Business Group, Chicago, IL (October 17, 2006)
Speaker, Post-Marketing Event Reports and Clinical Trial Data: Potential Uses and Abuses in Litigation, American Conference Institute, Chicago, IL (June 30, 2006)
Speaker, Psychology of Expert Testimony, Product Liability Advisory Council, Savannah, GA (April 6, 2006)
Speaker, Stepping Up – Rising to the Lead Lawyer, American Bar Association, Chicago, IL (March 31, 2006)
Speaker, Assess the Current Regulatory Environment for Risk/Benefit Communication, The Center for Business Intelligence, Philadelphia, PA (November 17, 2005)
Speaker, Damage Control: Corporate Counsel’s Role in Containing and Resolving Corporate Crises, Lexis/Nexis Counsel to Counsel Seminar, New York, NY (May 11, 2005)
Speaker, Litigation Management Roundtable: Litigating as a Team with Inside Counsel, ABA Section of Litigation Annual Conference, New York, NY (April 22, 2005)
Speaker, The National Institute for Women Corporate Counsel, North Star Conferences, Dallas, TX (April 13, 2005)
Speaker, Risk Assessment and Risk Management Before the Product Launch, Food and Drug Law Institute, Washington, D.C. (January 27, 2005)
Speaker, Consumer Fraud Litigation in Illinois, Product Liability Advisory Council, Williamsburg, VA (October 28, 2004)
Speaker, The Status of Women in the Profession and Next Steps, National Association of Women Lawyers Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA (August 4, 2004)
Speaker, Risk Analysis and Resource Allocation: the Art of Managing Costs, Corporate Legal Times SuperConference, Chicago, IL (June 22, 2004)
Speaker, Post Sale Responsibilities: Impact of Agency Activities on Product Litigation, Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC), Montreal, Canada (April 22, 2004).
Speaker, Women in Law Leadership Academy, American Bar Association — Commission on Women in the Profession, Chicago, IL (April 16, 2004).
Speaker, Career Development Tools for Women Lawyers and their Firms, Chicago Bar Association, Chicago, IL (March 23, 2004).
Co-Chair, Taking Charge of Your Career: Best Practices for Women Lawyers & Their Firms, National Association of Women Lawyers, Washington, D.C. (March 12, 2004).
Chair, Our Federalism: Court Problems and Potential Solutions in Multi-District Litigation, Class Actions and Consolidated Mass Tort Litigation, American Bar Association Joint Seminar of the Environmental Products Liability & Mass Torts Litigation Committees, Orlando, Florida (March 2004).
Co-Chair, Mealey’s Fundamentals of Insurance Coverage Law Conference, Chicago, Illinois (October 20, 2003).
Co-Chair, Mealey’s Trial Preparation Skills for Paralegals, Chicago, IL (April 14, 2003).
Speaker, Evolving Asbestos Coverage Issues In An Era Of Exponential Growth In The Number Of Defendants, Mealey’s Advanced Insurance Coverage Conference: Top 10 Issues For Practitioners, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (January 16, 2003).
Speaker, Class Action Defense, Chicago Bar Association Class Litigation Committee, Chicago, Illinois (October 23, 2002).
Speaker, Use of Foreign Experts and Foreign Studies, American Bar Association Products Liability Committee Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida (March 22, 2002).
Speaker, Becoming a Leader In Your Firm, Your Business and the Bar, American Bar Association, Women In Products Liability, Regional Institute, Chicago, Illinois (December 7, 2001).
Co-Chair, Marketing Products on the Internet: Managing Risks, Limiting Liabilities and Litigating Disputes, American Bar Association National Institute, Chicago, Illinois (September 22, 2000).
Moderator, Perceptions of Women Trial Lawyers, American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Women in Products Liability Regional Meetings, New York, NY (September 18, 2000).
Identifying and Managing Risks of Product Liability Litigation from Internet Sales, Presentation in program, Hackers-Spammers-Cyber Squatters-Business Torts on the Electronic Frontier, American Bar Association, Annual Meeting, New York, New York (July 2000).
Co-Chair, Product Liability.com—New Issues and New Solutions, American Bar Association Section of Litigation/Products Liability Committee Midyear Meeting (February 3-5, 2000).
Speaker, After Kumho Tire: The Court as the Gatekeeper of Expert Testimony, Deloitte & Touche Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois (September 1999).
Chair, Presentation: The Court as the Gatekeeper of Expert Evidence, American Bar Association Regional Institute, Chicago, Illinois (May 21, 1999).
Speaker, Crisis Management, Joint ACCA/Chicago Bar Association Seminar, Chicago, Illinois (April 6, 1999).
Bar and Community Service
American Bar Association - Products Liability Committee (Co-Chair, 2005-2007; Co-Chair, Subcommittee on Experts, 1997-2004; Co-Chair, 2000 Mid-Year Meeting; Co-Chair, National Institute on E-Commerce, Fall 2000; Co-Chair, Regional Institute on Preparing the Expert Case, May, 1999; Co-Editor, Product Liability National Newsletter, 1997-2000; Co-Chair, Women in Products Liability Regional Institute, Fall 2000, Fall 2001; Mass Torts Committee (Editor, Mass Torts Newsletter, 2001); Special Committee on Bioethics and the Law, Member, 2005-Present)
National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) (Member, Board of Directors, 2000-Present; President, 2004-2005; Chair, Committee for Evaluation of Supreme Court Nominees, 2005-2006; Chair, Survey of Retention and Promotion of Women in Lawfirms, 2006-2007)
The Youth Campus (Member, Board of Directors, 2000-Present)
The Economic Club of Chicago (Member, 2006-Present)
International Association of Defense Counsel (Member, 2006-Present)
Illinois Bar Foundation (Member, Board of Directors, 2005-Present)
Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC) (Sustaining Member; Member, PLAC Case Selection Committee, 2005-Present)
Litigation Council of America (Fellow)
National Association of Professional Women (Member)
Chicago YWCA - Leadership Circle (Board Member, 2001)
University of Chicago Women's Business Group (Member, 2004-Present)
Museum of Science and Industry (Member, President's Council, 2001-2005)
Chicago Senior Businesswomen's Forum (Chair, Steering Committee, 1996-2000)
National Institute for Trial Advocacy (Faculty Instructor, 1992-1995)
Circuit Court of Cook County (Chief Judge's Public Guardian Committee, 1997-2000; Chair, Best Interest of the Child Sub-Committee, 1995-1996)
Special Skills
Expert in statistical analysis, data display and communication of complex information to lay audiences.
Fluent with language: French.
