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Gregory S. (Greg) Chernack has more than 20 years of practice focused on trial and appellate litigation involving complex legal issues with extensive experience handling pharmaceutical and mass tort litigation in state and federal courts throughout the country, including in California, Missouri, New Jersey, and New York. This work has resulted in numerous victories before, at, and following trial. He has also worked on a number of international matters in Ecuador and Mexico.

Greg’s work has concentrated on developing successful defenses to lawsuits around the country by, among other things, working with expert and company witnesses in preparation for trial and engaging in complex motions practice. This work has included the representation of pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturers in defending products liability lawsuits.

Notably, Greg represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation at numerous trials, including successfully arguing a motion for a directed verdict at the close of one, and has won a case on its behalf before the Sixth Circuit. Greg also represented DynCorp International in a lawsuit brought against it by more than a thousand Ecuadoreans alleging personal injuries and property damage in connection with a counternarcotics aerial herbicide spraying operations in Colombia. That case ultimately went to trial in federal court in the District of Columbia with six test plaintiffs and resulted in a complete defense verdict.

In addition to his work involving product liability cases, Greg has experience before the U.S. Supreme Court involving issues ranging from patent law to immigration regulations and other complex civil litigation matters. Greg also represented pro bono the first person to be released from prison pursuant to D.C.’s Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act. 

Greg previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Ralph K. Winter, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and to the Honorable Jack B. Weinstein, Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He was an Articles Editor of the Yale Law Journal and has been repeatedly invited to serve as a judge for the semifinals of the George Washington University Law School’s Van Vleck Moot Court Competition. Greg received his JD from Yale Law School.

Full Bio

Credentials

M.A., Oxford University, UK

J.D., Yale Law School

B.A., Oxford University, UK, with honors

A.B., Harvard University, Magna Cum Laude

Arkansas

District of Columbia

New Jersey

New York

Supreme Court of the United States

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Law Clerk, Honorable Jack B. Weinstein, Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Law Clerk, Honorable Ralph K. Winter, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Chair, Town Council of Section 5 of the Village of Chevy Chase, Maryland

Former Chair, D.C. Public Library Foundation

Professorial Lecturer in Law, George Washington University Law School

News

In the News · Source: Law360, Bloomberg Law, Attorney at Law Magazine and Global Legal Chronicle

February 6, 2024
Product liability trial partner Greg Chernack joins the firm in Washington, D.C.

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Matters

Obtained summary judgment on behalf of Monsanto in a case alleging that Roundup exposure caused the development of skin cancer in federal court in Louisiana.  After initially obtaining summary judgment on most of plaintiffs’ claims based upon the statute of limitations, his deposition of plaintiffs’ causation expert resulted in the exclusion of that expert and the entry of summary judgment on the entirety of the case.

Successfully represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in a Tegretol Innovator Liability case in the Fifth Circuit, affirming Novartis’ summary judgment victory in Johnson v. Novartis Pharm. Corp. in the Western District of Texas.

Obtained favorable outcomes for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in numerous product liability trials regarding the medications Aredia and Zometa in multiple states, including North Carolina, New Jersey, Kentucky, and Missouri. 

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Matters

Obtained summary judgment on behalf of Monsanto in a case alleging that Roundup exposure caused the development of skin cancer in federal court in Louisiana.  After initially obtaining summary judgment on most of plaintiffs’ claims based upon the statute of limitations, his deposition of plaintiffs’ causation expert resulted in the exclusion of that expert and the entry of summary judgment on the entirety of the case.

Successfully represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in a Tegretol Innovator Liability case in the Fifth Circuit, affirming Novartis’ summary judgment victory in Johnson v. Novartis Pharm. Corp. in the Western District of Texas.

Obtained favorable outcomes for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in numerous product liability trials regarding the medications Aredia and Zometa in multiple states, including North Carolina, New Jersey, Kentucky, and Missouri. 

Obtained a directed verdict at the end of a three week trial involving Zometa in the Eastern District of California representing Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in Hill v. Novartis Pharm Corp. before the Honorable Jed Rakoff (visiting from S.D.N.Y.). 

Represented DynCorp International in a lawsuit brought against it by more than a thousand Ecuadoreans alleging personal injuries and property damage in connection with a counternarcotics aerial herbicide spraying operations in Colombia. As many of the plaintiffs and witnesses were unable to travel to the US, he obtained their testimony in Ecuador. The case went to trial with six test plaintiffs and resulted in a complete defense verdict.

Represented pro bono the first person to be released from prison pursuant to D.C.’s Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act.

News

In the News · Source: Law360, Bloomberg Law, Attorney at Law Magazine and Global Legal Chronicle

February 6, 2024
Product liability trial partner Greg Chernack joins the firm in Washington, D.C.

View all

Matters

Obtained summary judgment on behalf of Monsanto in a case alleging that Roundup exposure caused the development of skin cancer in federal court in Louisiana.  After initially obtaining summary judgment on most of plaintiffs’ claims based upon the statute of limitations, his deposition of plaintiffs’ causation expert resulted in the exclusion of that expert and the entry of summary judgment on the entirety of the case.

Successfully represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in a Tegretol Innovator Liability case in the Fifth Circuit, affirming Novartis’ summary judgment victory in Johnson v. Novartis Pharm. Corp. in the Western District of Texas.

Obtained favorable outcomes for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in numerous product liability trials regarding the medications Aredia and Zometa in multiple states, including North Carolina, New Jersey, Kentucky, and Missouri. 

See more

Close

Matters

Obtained summary judgment on behalf of Monsanto in a case alleging that Roundup exposure caused the development of skin cancer in federal court in Louisiana.  After initially obtaining summary judgment on most of plaintiffs’ claims based upon the statute of limitations, his deposition of plaintiffs’ causation expert resulted in the exclusion of that expert and the entry of summary judgment on the entirety of the case.

Successfully represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in a Tegretol Innovator Liability case in the Fifth Circuit, affirming Novartis’ summary judgment victory in Johnson v. Novartis Pharm. Corp. in the Western District of Texas.

Obtained favorable outcomes for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in numerous product liability trials regarding the medications Aredia and Zometa in multiple states, including North Carolina, New Jersey, Kentucky, and Missouri. 

Obtained a directed verdict at the end of a three week trial involving Zometa in the Eastern District of California representing Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in Hill v. Novartis Pharm Corp. before the Honorable Jed Rakoff (visiting from S.D.N.Y.). 

Represented DynCorp International in a lawsuit brought against it by more than a thousand Ecuadoreans alleging personal injuries and property damage in connection with a counternarcotics aerial herbicide spraying operations in Colombia. As many of the plaintiffs and witnesses were unable to travel to the US, he obtained their testimony in Ecuador. The case went to trial with six test plaintiffs and resulted in a complete defense verdict.

Represented pro bono the first person to be released from prison pursuant to D.C.’s Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act.

News

In the News · Source: Law360, Bloomberg Law, Attorney at Law Magazine and Global Legal Chronicle

February 6, 2024
Product liability trial partner Greg Chernack joins the firm in Washington, D.C.

View all

Credentials

M.A., Oxford University, UK

J.D., Yale Law School

B.A., Oxford University, UK, with honors

A.B., Harvard University, Magna Cum Laude

Arkansas

District of Columbia

New Jersey

New York

Supreme Court of the United States

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Law Clerk, Honorable Jack B. Weinstein, Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Law Clerk, Honorable Ralph K. Winter, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Chair, Town Council of Section 5 of the Village of Chevy Chase, Maryland

Former Chair, D.C. Public Library Foundation

Professorial Lecturer in Law, George Washington University Law School