We are proud to announce that Law360 has named Lieff Cabraser partner Kevin Budner a Rising Star in Class Action Law for 2021 (subscription). Law360’s Rising Stars are attorneys “under 40 whose legal accomplishments transcend their age.” After reviewing more than 1,400 submissions, a team of editors selected 180 honorees; Kevin is one of only four class action law practitioners in the U.S. to make the list.
Law360’s profile of Kevin Budner highlights his involvement in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation, which he says “has been billed the most complex piece of civil litigation in American history.” For more than a year, Kevin has run the day-to-day work for Lieff Cabraser’s representation of the city of San Francisco in its litigation against opioid manufacturers, distributors and chain pharmacies for their role in creating and perpetuating the ongoing crisis of opioid addiction here and nationwide.
“It’s been such a big part of my life the last year — it’s kind of hard to ignore it,” noted Kevin. “It is a massive case, both in terms of the complexity of it, the scope of the defendants, the conduct at issue, the years at issue and the size of the problem. Opioids and their relationship to illicit opioids like heroin and fentanyl are obviously a huge problem in this country and in San Francisco. So it feels righteous, it feels important, but it’s a complex case.”
Kevin continues to lead the city’s many briefing efforts, arguing motions in court on a nearly monthly basis, and orchestrating complex, multiparty discovery. Due in large part to his work, San Francisco survived the defendants’ motions to dismiss, and the case is scheduled to begin trial this year.
Read Kevin’s full profile on Law360’s website.
Congratulations Kevin on this prestigious recognition!
About Kevin Budner
A partner in Lieff Cabraser’s San Francisco office, Kevin Budner specializes in consumer protection and personal injury law. His successes at the firm include representing vehicle owners in the Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” multidistrict litigation, in which plaintiffs allege that Volkswagen intentionally and systematically cheated its customers, lied to the government, and misled the public about the emissions of its diesel engine vehicles. The Court granted final approval to a partial class settlement worth $10.03 billion in 2016, and a second partial class settlement valued at between $1.2 billion and $4.1 billion in 2017. The team won the California Daily Journal’s “California Lawyer of the Year” award, was honored as finalists by the Consumer Attorneys of California for their prestigious Consumer Attorney of the Year award, and continues to prosecute claims under the Lanham Act on behalf of competitor dealerships that allege they lost sales as a result of Volkswagen’s fraud.
Kevin also helped secure settlements for dozens of personal injury and wrongful death victims related to the General Motors Ignition Switch Defect and the Medtronic Infuse litigation.
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