SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Leading class action and complex litigation boutique firm Girard Sharp LLP today announced that founder and managing partner Daniel C. Girard will become senior advisor and of counsel to the firm, as named partner Dena C. Sharp transitions to the role of managing partner.
Since Girard founded the firm in 1995, it has successfully represented plaintiffs across the United States in class actions, mass tort cases, and arbitrations, recovering billions of dollars in settlements and judgments. Sharp joined the firm in 2006 as an associate and became a named partner in 2018. She recently served as co-lead counsel in the In re Juul Labs Inc. Multidistrict Litigation, which resulted in recoveries of nearly $2 billion for individual consumers, school districts, municipalities, and Native American tribes. The last of the Juul settlements—$235 million with Altria (formerly Philip Morris)—was reached after Sharp and her co-lead trial counsel rested the plaintiff’s case in a bellwether jury trial against the tobacco giant.
“Passing the reins to Dena—as exceptional a partner and colleague as she is a lawyer—is the natural evolution of our firm,” said Girard. “She will oversee our talented and collaborative team, and she has the vision and leadership skills to build on our work and commitment to serving our clients and the courts.”
In addition to Juul, Sharp led the Lidoderm antitrust MDL, achieving a record-setting $104 million indirect purchaser recovery and paving the way for her current leadership in multiple antitrust cases. In 2021, Sharp secured a first-of-its-kind jury verdict of $15 million for clients whose eggs and embryos were damaged by a freezer tank failure at a fertility clinic. She currently serves as co-lead counsel in In re Xyrem Antitrust Litigation and In re Google Digital Advertising Antitrust Litigation, as well as in leadership positions in various life sciences and statutory damage matters.
Throughout his career, Girard has been appointed by federal courts to lead class actions in areas such as securities, corporate governance, telecommunications, unfair competition, federal statutory rights, predatory lending, sexual abuse, product liability, and constitutional law. Girard has also served the federal court system through his appointment to the United States Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Civil Rules and the Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure. He will remain as a senior advisor and of counsel to the firm, in addition to continuing his work on the Council of the American Law Institute and the American Bar Association.
“The firm, thanks to Dan’s efforts over the last 30 years, has a sterling foundation and reputation,” said Sharp. “Our success and growth are a testament to his skills, judgment, and leadership, and we are fortunate that we can continue to draw upon his insights and experience.”
Outside the courtroom, Sharp is active in the legal community, chairing the board of the Impact Fund, sitting on the board of advisors of the Center for Litigation and the Courts at the UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and serving on the executive committee of the local chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Sharp recently received the prestigious California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) award, has three times been named to the National Law Journal’s Elite Women of the Plaintiffs’ Bar, and was selected as a “Titan of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” by Law360 in 2023.
Girard Sharp LLP is consistently recognized by courts for its experience, creativity, and commitment to excellence. It has received honors for outstanding work in class actions, antitrust, consumer protection, pharmaceutical, privacy, and products liability, and the firm’s lawyers have also been recognized for excellence in trial skills and leadership.
