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Meet the Prescription Drug Recall Experts
Gancedo & Nieves is a law firm dedicated to helping people injured by a prescription drug recall redress the wrongs committed against them. Over and over people come to Gancedo & Nieves to seek first rate, cutting edge representation in the field of pharmaceutical litigation. Gancedo & Nieves has established a reputation nationwide for excellence and results against the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. If you have been harmed by Vioxx®, Baycol®, or any other medication, contact a recall lawyer at Gancedo & Nieves today!
Our firm is the informed choice of many law firms and private practitioners in pursuing class actions and in representing their plaintiffs' interests - nationally, regionally and locally. Attorneys refer certain cases to us because they believe we can handle them more effectively due to our specialized knowledge or at a lower cost because of our established resources.
Gancedo & Nieves is at the forefront of the current nationwide Vioxx® litigation, which was part of a recent prescription drug recall. Vioxx® is a drug for arthritis and acute pain which was withdrawn from the market in October 2004 after reports of heart attacks and strokes were associated with the drug. Our firm has taken a leadership role in filing many of the first Vioxx® cases dating back to June 2002. Our leadership and expertise is further demonstrated by having three attorneys on the Vioxx® Plaintiff's Executive Committee responsible for managing the litigation. Nationwide, our Vioxx® clients benefit from our proficiency in pharmaceutical litigation, and experience first-hand unsurpassed personal care and responsiveness.
Gancedo & Nieves has also taken a significant leadership role in the representing individuals injured by Prempro™ and Zyprexa®. Prempro® is a hormone replacement therapy used by women to treat menopause. In January 2003, the FDA warned physicians Prempro™ may increase the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, invasive breast cancer, and venous thromboembolism. Zyprexa® is prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar mania. In March 2004, the FDA warned physicians that Zyprexa® has been linked to diabetes mellitus and hyperglycemia. Gancedo & Nieves is fighting for its clients injured by these and other drugs such as Baycol®. Every recall lawyer at Gancedo & Nieves takes pride in focusing attention to client needs first; it is the hallmark of our success.
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Why Choose Us?
- • Experience, experience, experience.
- • Impressive track record of success in obtaining substantial settlements, including cases against some of the world's largest manufacturers and marketers of dangerous drugs.
- • The flexibility, high efficiency and personal responsiveness of a boutique firm, yet with the high-profile heft equal to that of larger firms.
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Our Attorneys:
Hector G. Gancedo
Tina B. Nieves
James M. Kenna
Melanie Savarese
Amy M. Boomhouwer
Gancedo & Nieves attorneys are committed to providing the highest quality professional service to individual clients and to referring law firms and their clients. Our principals have significant and substantive experience in prescription drug recall litigation, class action litigation, mass tort litigation and personal injury. Clients appreciate the firm's personal attention to detail and our thorough case analysis using state-of-the-art information management systems. Gancedo & Nieves regularly handles even the most complex cases involving millions of documents and millions of dollars.
To complete this loop in litigation, we maintain close connections with a network of expert witnesses and consultants for developing cogent testimony in key evidentiary fields and on special issues, as needed. We are consummate strategists with resources throughout the U.S.
The partners and associates of Gancedo & Nieves meet the highest professional standards. All are seasoned litigators with significant experience as advocates of client rights.
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Hector G. Gancedo
hgancedo@gancedonieves.com
HECTOR G. GANCEDO, founding and managing partner, is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1980 and a Masters of Science degree in Economics in 1982. Mr. Gancedo received his law degree for the University of Southern California where he awarded the Merit Scholar Award.
After graduation from law school Mr. Gancedo was associated with the firm of Nouskajian &Cranert, P.C. as a trial lawyer, where he specialized in personal injury and product liability defense litigation. In 1995 Mr. Gancedo established his own litigation firm where he concentrated in matters of medical malpractice, product liability, personal injury and toxic torts. Since founding Gancedo & Nieves, Mr. Gancedo has specialized in mass tort and class action litigation to include prescription drug recall litigation involving Baycol®, Vioxx®, and others. As a drug recall lawyer, Mr. Gancedo has had great success in aiding families in need of quality litigation. In mass tort litigation, Mr. Gancedo has represented hundreds of individuals in product liability and medical malpractice actions involving injuries resulting from defective medical products and ingestion of pharmaceutical products including Fen-Phen, Redux®, Rezulin®, Baycol®, PPA, Sulzer Hips, and Vioxx®. A talented recall lawyer, he has also represented hundreds of individuals for cancer and other serious illnesses resulting from toxic waste. In addition to representation of individual clients in mass tort litigation, he has provided substantial common benefit work for executive, discovery, expert and/or class committees in numerous mass tort litigations on a state and national level.
In class action litigation, Mr. Gancedo specializes in consumer fraud and unfair competition litigation with a sub specialty in labor wage and hour litigation. Areas of Mr. Gancedo's representation in class actions include labor, antitrust, environmental, securities, banking, insurance, consumer and other class actions. He has acted as lead counsel or class counsel in numerous class actions including Babinski v. Pilot Catastrophe Adjusters (wage and hour), Smiley v. CSAA (wage and hour), Mazzarella v. Bank of America (consumer), Taylor v. PalmOne, Inc. (consumer), In Re Woodlawn Cemetery (mishandling cemetery remains), and O'Connor v. Boeing (environmental), and has served as local counsel in many other cases.
Mr. Gancedo is admitted to practice in the State of California and before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit as well as the United States District Court for the Central, Eastern and Northern Districts of California.
Mr. Gancedo has served on the Board of Directors of OBA of OBA, Inc. dba Outward Bound Adventures, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing outdoor environmental experiences and education to "at-risk" urban youth, and of Tigers Soccer Club, a non-profit organization. He is fluent in Spanish.
Practice Areas
- Catastrophic Personal Injury
- Consumer Fraud
- Environmental Litigation
- Product Liability
- Antitrust Litigation
- Securities Litigation
Education
- USC Law Center (J.D., 1985)
- Merit Scholar Award Recipient
- University of California, Santa Cruz (M.S. Economics 1982, B.A. Economics, 1980)
Admitted to Practice
- State of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Professional Activities
- Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, State Bar of California
- Member, Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles
- Member, American Trial Lawyers Association
- Member, Board of Directors of OBA, Inc. dba Outward Bound Adventure
Languages
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Tina B. Nieves
tnieves@gancedonieves.com
TINA B. NIEVES, founding partner, is admitted to practice in the State of California and before the United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit as well as the United States District Court for the Central, Northern and Eastern Districts of California. Ms. Nieves is a 1983 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Rhetoric. She is a 1987 graduate of the University of California, Davis School of Law. Prior to forming the firm, Ms. Nieves was an associate in the Los Angeles office of Greenfield &Chimicles, a prominent national class action law firm where she prosecuted complex litigation, antitrust, environmental, product liability, consumer and securities fraud suits.
Since 1990, Ms. Nieves has been actively involved in the prosecution of a number of class and derivative actions on behalf of investors and consumers. She was a member of the plaintiffs' trial team in In Re: American Continental Corporation/Lincoln Savings &Loan Securities Litigation, MDL 834, which resulted in a substantial verdict for plaintiffs. Some of the cases in which Ms. Nieves has served as lead and/or class counsel include Youngberg v. Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association, Civil Action No. BC 105027 (banking sweep fee class action), In Re: Toys "R" Us Antitrust Litigation, Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding No. 3270 (Alameda Co.) (antitrust class action), Babinski v. Pilot Catastrophe Adjusters, Inc., Civil Action No. CV- 988459 JSL (wage and hour overtime class action), O'Connor v. Boeing North American, Inc., Civil Action No. 97-1554 ABC(Rcx), In Re: Burbank Environmental Litigation, Civil Action No. 96-5584 MRP (ANX) (environmental class actions), In Re: Woodlawn Memorial Park Litigation, BC227267 (L.A.S.C., CCW) (funeral mishandling class action), In Re: Compact Disc Minimum Advertised Price Antitrust Litigation, MDL 1361, and Kathleen Pietras v. Johnson &Johnson Co., Civil Action No. MIDL-4042-00MT (Propulsid false advertising class action).
Ms. Nieves has played a significant role in the national prosecution of pharmaceutical products liability cases. In addition to providing substantial common benefit work for various national committees in pharmaceutical MDL's, she is court appointed federal/state liaison counsel in In Re: Propulsid Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1355 and in In Re: Rezulin Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1348. She serves on the National Discovery Committee in In Re: Rezulin Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1348 and formerly served on the National Discovery Committee in In Re: Diet Drug Litigation, MDL No. 1203. She is a court appointed member of the class action committee in In Re: Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1407. Ms. Nieves served as member of the California Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in In Re: Diet Drug Litigation, JCCP 4032 and presently serves in that capacity in In Re Rezulin Litigation, JCCP No. 4122 and In Re: Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) Products Liability Litigation, JCCP 4166.
Currently, Ms. Nieves' represents many heart attack and stroke victims in Vioxx® Product Liability Litigation, JCCP No. 4247 (California), involving the withdrawn arthritis medication, Prempro™ Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1507, involving the hormone replacement drug, Zyprexa® Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1596, involving the schizophrenia and bipolar disorder drug, In Re: Baycol® Cases Litigation, JCCP Nos. 4217 (California) and 4223 (California), involving the cholesterol drug, and Rezulin Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1348 and JCCP 4122. Ms. Nieves, a venerated recall lawyer, also represents consumers in numerous unfair competition class action cases against national companies such as Sprint, Nextel and PalmOne. Additionally, she maintains an active personal injury practice representing individuals who have suffered catastrophic injury due to negligence.
Ms. Nieves has lectured on the topics of Class Actions and Complex Litigation before Public Counsel, a Los Angeles based public interest law firm. She has also lectured on topics related to the Diet Drug Litigation, on consumer rights generally, on the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, and on presenting evidence at trial before various legal and professional organizations. Ms. Nieves recently served on the Editorial Board of Forum Magazine for Consumer Attorneys of California. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Consumer Attorneys of California, Western Trial Lawyers Association and Public Counsel.
Ms Nieves has received numerous commendations and most recently was named one of Southern California's Super Lawyers by Los Angeles Magazine.
Practice Areas
- Catastrophic Personal Injury
- Consumer Fraud
- Environmental Litigation
- Product Liability
- Antitrust Litigation
- Securities Litigation
Education
- University of California, Davis School of Law (J.D., 1987)
- University of California, Berkeley (B.A., Rhetoric, 1983)
Admitted to Practice
- State of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Central, Northern, and Eastern Districts of California
Prior Associations
- Associate, Hawkins Schnabel &Lindahl, 1987-1990
- Associate, Greenfield &Chimicles, 1990-1997
Professional Activities
- Member, Board of Directors, Consumer Attorneys of California
- Member, Board of Directors, Western Trial Lawyers Association
- Member, Editorial Board of Forum Magazine for Consumer Attorneys of California (1999)
- Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, State Bar of California
Speaker/Lecturer
- ATLA Diet Drug Trial Symposium
- CAOC Diet Drug Litigation Panelist
- CALA Annual Convention Evidence Panelist
- CALA Employment Wage and Overtime Litigation Forum
- WTLA Seminar on California Consumer Laws
- Public Counsel Seminar on Litigating Class Actions
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James M. Kenna
jkenna@gancedonieves.com
JAMES M. KENNA, an associate, is admitted to practice in the State of California and before the United States District Court for the Central District of California. He graduated summa cum laude from California State University of Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He received his law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles, where he was a Distinguished Advocate in the Moot Court Program. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Kenna served seven years at the Second Appellate District Court of Appeals in Los Angeles, and thereafter practiced at the Los Angeles office of Girardi and Keese where he litigated toxic tort, medical malpractice, and personal injury cases.
At Gancedo & Nieves LLP Mr. Kenna specializes in personal injury, mass tort pharmaceutical product liability, and consumer fraud. Mr. Kenna has represented individuals in product liability and medical malpractice actions involving Rezulin®, Baycol®, PPA®, Vioxx® and Sulzer Hips. As well as acting as a drug recall lawyer, he has also represented numerous individuals for injuries resulting from toxic waste. Mr. Kenna has provided substantial common benefit work for class committees in Rezulin Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1348 and JCCP 4122 (California), In Re: Propulsid Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1355 and Case code 247 (New Jersey), and In Re: Compact Disc Minimum Advertised Price Antitrust Litigation, MDL 1361.
Currently, Mr. Kenna serves on the Plaintiff's Executive Committee in Vioxx Product Liability Litigation, JCCP No. 4247 (California), and represents hundreds of individuals who have suffered heart attacks and strokes while on the withdrawn drug. Other cases in which he currently represents plaintiffs include: In Re: Baycol Cases I and II, JCCP 4217 (California) and 4223 (California); In Re: Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1407 and JCCP 4166 (California); In Re: Woodlawn Memorial Park Litigation, Civil Action No. BC 227267 (L.A.S.C., CCW) (funeral mishandling class action); and Wallace v. U.S. Bank N.A., Civil Action No. BC302421 (L.A.S.C.) (banking class action).
In 2004, Los Angeles Magazine designated Mr. Kenna a "Rising Star" in the plaintiff's bar.
Practice Areas
- Catastrophic Personal Injury
- Consumer Fraud
- Environmental Litigation
- Product Liability
Education
- University of California, Los Angeles (J.D. 2000)
- Distinguished Advocate Award, Moot Court
- California State University, Los Angeles (B.A. 1997)
Admitted to Practice
- State of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Professional Activities
- Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, State Bar of California
- Member, Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles
- Member, American Trial Lawyers Association
- Member, Irish-American Bar Association
Languages
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Melanie Savarese
MELANIE R. SAVARESE, an associate, is admitted to practice in the State of California before the United States District Court for the Central and Southern Districts of California, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a graduate cum laude from Villanova University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Philosophy and Sociology. She received her law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles in 2001. Prior to joining Gancedo & Nieves LLP, Ms. Savarese practiced for the firm of Girardi &Keese in Los Angeles where she focused on product liability, professional negligence, personal injury and toxic tort litigation.
Ms. Savarese specializes in the area of products liability and personal injury. She is involved in common benefit work in various pharmaceutical litigations on the state and national level and currently serves on the Plaintiff's Executive Committee in Vioxx Product Liability Litigation, JCCP No. 4247 (California). Her practice also includes Prempro Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1507, involving the hormone replacement drug Prempo, Zyprexa Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1596, involving the schizophrenia and bipolar disorder drug Zyprexa, In Re: Baycol Cases Litigation, JCCP Nos. 4217 (California) and 4223 (California), involving the cholesterol drug Baycol, and Rezulin Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1348 and JCCP 4122 (California), involving the diabetes drug Rezulin. Additionally, Ms. Savarese handles a vast array of single plaintiff personal injury cases including actions involving medical negligence, catastrophically injured infants, motor vehicle negligence, and general negligence.
Ms. Savarese is a member in good standing of the State Bar of California, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Consumer Attorneys of California, and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles.
Practice Areas
- Catastrophic Personal Injury
- Consumer Fraud
- Environmental Litigation
- Product Liability
Education
- Loyola Law School (J.D., 2001)
- Villanova University (B.A., Philosophy and Sociology, 1998)
Admitted to Practice
- State of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Professional Activities
- Member, State Bar of California
- Member, Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles
- Member, American Trial Lawyers Association
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Amy M. Boomhouwer
AMY M. BOOMHOUWER, an associate, is admitted to practice in the State of California before the United States District Court for the Central and Eastern Districts of California, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a graduate from University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and Society. She received her law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles in 2002 where she received distinction as a finalist for the Byrne Trial Advocacy Team.
Ms. Boomhouwer specializes in the areas of products liability and unfair competition actions. She is involved in pharmaceutical actions on the state and national level including Rezulin Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1348 and JCCP 412 (California) and In re Baycol Cases litigation, JCCP Nos. 4217 (California) and 4223 (California). Ms. Boomhouwer's unfair competition practice includes actions against Sprint Spectrum, L.P., Civil Action No. BC301075 (L.A.S.C.), Nextel Communications, Inc., Civil Action No. BC 295601 (L.A.S.C.), and Jiffy Lube International, Inc., Civil Action No. CIV 438376 (S.M.S.C.). Ms. Boomhouwer is also involved in state and national breach of fiduciary duty actions against Bank of America, Civil Action No. BC 313431 (L.A.S.C.), on behalf of trust beneficiaries. Ms. Boomhouwer also maintains an active practice in the areas of personal injury, including medical negligence, motor vehicle negligence and general negligence, as well as civil writs and appeals.
Ms. Boomhouwer worked for the firm Girardi and Keese in Los Angeles prior to joining Gancedo & Nieves LLP. There, Ms. Boomhouwer practiced in the areas of product liability, professional negligence, personal injury, toxic tort litigation, business litigation, unfair competition and civil writs and appeals.
Ms. Boomhouwer is a member of the State Bar of California, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, and the Consumer Attorneys of California.
Practice Areas
- Catastrophic Personal Injury
- Consumer Fraud
- Product Liability
Education
- Loyola Law School (J.D., 2002)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A. Law and Society, 1999)
Admitted to Practice
- State of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
Professional Activities
- Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Member, State Bar of California
- Member, Consumer Attorneys of Association Los Angeles
- Member, Consumer Attorneys Association of California
- Member, Association of Trial Lawyers of America
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