Annesley H. DeGaris

General background:

Annesley H. DeGaris is the founding partner of the Birmingham, Alabama law firm DeGaris & Rogers, LLC. He is recognized nationally for mass tort litigation involving defective medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Mr. DeGaris also has an extensive practice in individual personal injury and wrongful death cases in a variety of circumstances, including motor vehicle collisions, tractor trailer collisions, and toxic exposures. He has litigated cases against major trucking companies, insurance companies, chemical manufacturers responsible for toxic spills, aircraft manufacturers, and major pharmaceutical companies.

Multidistrict Litigation Leadership:

Current: Mr. DeGaris was recently appointed to serve on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for In Re: Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2768, pending in Boston, Massachusetts federal court. Additionally, he currently serves on the Plaintiffs' Lead Counsel Committee for In Re: Stryker Rejuvenate and ABGII Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2441 and was appointed to the Settlement Oversight Committee. This litigation is pending in Minneapolis Minnesota federal court. He also was appointed to the State Liaison Committee for In Re: Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation, MDL 2406 pending in Birmingham, Alabama federal court and serves on the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee for In Re: Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2666 pending in Minneapolis, Minnesota federal court.

Past: Mr. DeGaris served on the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee as Co-Chair for the Science Committee and as a member of the Administrative Committee for In Re: Fosamax Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1789. He served on the Science Committee for In Re: DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., ASR Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2197 and the Science Committee for In Re: Hydroxycut Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, MDL 2087. He served on the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee for In Re: Aredia and Zometa Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1760.

Publications, Speaking Engagements, and TV Appearances:

Mr. DeGaris has written extensively on innovative legal topics, including the role of judges in the settlement process, politics and its influence on the judicial system, and various dangerous pharmaceuticals and medical devices. His legal writings have been published nationally and internationally in diverse publications ranging from the University of Tasmania Law Review to West's Federal Rules Decisions (F.R.D.), Voir Dire, the Cumberland Law Review, the Australian Dispute Resolution Journal, The Trial Lawyer, The Alabama Lawyer, The Alabama Association for Justice Journal and most recently, in TRIAL magazine. In addition to his publications, he is also a frequent lecturer nationally on a variety of marketing and litigation topics, including defective pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Recent speaking engagements have focused on educating lawyers and paralegals on the fundamentals of multidistrict litigation, specifically how the multidistrict litigation process works. Mr. DeGaris has appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox affiliates around the country.

Education, Rotary Foundation Scholarship, Teaching Positions, and Government Service:

Mr. DeGaris graduated magna cum laude from Samford University and earned his Juris Doctor at Cumberland School of Law where he graduated magna cum laude in 1988. While at Cumberland he was Casenote Editor of the Cumberland Law Review. After graduating from law school, Mr. DeGaris served as a law clerk to the Honorable E. B. Haltom, Jr., United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. While working for the federal district court, Rotary International awarded Mr. DeGaris a full tuition scholarship, the Rotary Foundation Scholarship for International Understanding. As a Rotary Scholar, Mr. DeGaris attended the University of Melbourne School of Law in Australia, ranked as one of the top 10 law schools in the world. Additionally, he was accepted in residence at Trinity College. During his time at the University of Melbourne he concentrated his legal studies in international law. His thesis was an international survey of the role of judges in the resolution of disputes. Following the completion and acceptance of his thesis, he received an LL.M. On his return to the United States, Mr. DeGaris served as a Staff Attorney for the Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta, Georgia, and taught legal research and writing as an adjunct professor at Emory University School of Law. Later he returned to Birmingham where he taught courses at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, taught as a professor of Constitutional Law at the Birmingham School of Law, and most recently taught a course in comparative civil litigation at the Cumberland School of Law. Honors and awards: In 2013 and again in 2016, Best Lawyers selected Mr. DeGaris as Lawyer of the Year for Plaintiff Mass Tort Litigation and Class Actions in Birmingham, Alabama. He has been recognized in Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Rue Ratings, and was named one of Alabama's Top 50 Attorneys in a peer review survey in 2011, 2012, and 2014. Mr. DeGaris is certified as a Life Member of both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He is listed in "Who's Who in American Law," "Who's Who in America," and "Who's Who of Professionals." Mr. DeGaris is AV Peer Review rated by Martindale-Hubbell. His firm, DeGaris & Rogers, has been recognized in the 2017 and 2018 editions of U.S. News “Best Law Firms.”