Patricia Hennessy, former GC of Synthes USA, joins Conrad O'Brien

The Philadelphia law firm Conrad O’Brien recently announced that it has

brought aboard attorney Patricia A. Hennessy as a partner who will be working out of its West Chester, Pa. office.

Hennessy is a former assistant general counsel of Synthes USA who oversaw its highly successful in-house claims process and defended the Synthes Spine Company against products liability complaints that were brought throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, according to her biography.

During her time in that role, Hennessy worked closely with biomedical engineers, bio-metallurgists, orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons in the defense of the company’s products.

Synthes is an international manufacturer and distributor of orthopedic implant devices.

Her bio says that Hennessy coordinated the company’s successful national defense in the Orthopedic Bone Screw Multidistrict Litigation, in which class certification was denied, resulting in the “systematic defeat” of the resulting stand-alone claims, either through summary judgment or defense verdicts.

Her biography goes on to state that as one of the lead lawyers for a New Jersey manufacturing defendant, Hennessy once successfully defeated class certification in a high profile mass tort class action litigation involving injury and medical monitoring claims for Camden, N.J. residents who consumed that city’s drinking water during a 25-year period.

In her position with Conrad O’Brien, Hennessy will continue to defend medical device manufacturers and other companies in multi-million dollar class action cases.

In addition to her work with class actions and commercial litigation, Hennessy will also focus on education law.

Hennessy, her bio states, is considered to be one of the top education lawyers in the nation, with clients including charter schools, traditional public schools, private schools, and institutions of higher education.

At Conrad O’Brien, Hennessy will serve as co-chair of the firm’s Education Law Group.

Hennessy also serves on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools and is a member of the Alliance of Public Charter School Attorneys.

She regularly acts as outside solicitor to public and charter school boards throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Hennessy, a native of Northeast Philadelphia, went to Temple University in Philadelphia for both undergraduate studies and for her law degree.

She is a member of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey bars as well as the Pennsylvania and Chester County (Pa.) Bar Associations.