Jonathan B. Skidmore
Global Co-Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
Related services and key industries
Biography
Jon Skidmore began his law career in the Houston office with a heavy emphasis on tort work. In 1985, he moved to the Dallas office joining 11 other attorneys and helped launch the Dallas litigation group. A partner since 1992, Jon has led the Dallas office litigation team, has served on the Partnership Committee as well as Partner In Charge of the Dallas Office. Jon presently serves as the Global Co-Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare.
Jon's practice concentrates on matters involving Life Sciences with an emphasis on pharmaceutical products, medical products and devices liability, with considerable experience in mass torts. He has successfully tried pharmaceutical and device cases to verdict with trials in Texas and outside the state. Jon has served on national teams in numerous pharmaceutical and device mass torts handling trials along with discovery and strategy issues including science, sales, marketing and drug safety. In addition to trial counsel, Jon has also participated in the development of resolution strategies and risk assessment models. Throughout his career, Jon's practice includes close collaboration with talented counsel at other law firms focused on collectively meeting the short and long-term goals of clients in major litigation.
In addition to Life Sciences matters, Jon has handled litigation concerning product liability, insurance coverage, legal and accounting malpractice, commercial torts, IP litigation and general commercial litigation. He has represented major Fortune 100 companies in various venues across the state of Texas and other states. Jon has tried a number of cases in state and federal courts including jury and bench trials in many of the most difficult Texas jurisdictions. Two of his most recent trials, and defense verdicts, were in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division.
Professional experience
Collapse allJD, with honors, The University of Texas School of Law, 1983
BA, Accounting, The University of Texas, 1980
Jon was admitted to practice law in Texas in 1983 and has been admitted to practice in all four districts of Texas.
- Texas State Bar
Some of his trial and representative experience includes the following:
- Represented a major medical device company in a product liability jury trial in the Eastern District of Texas resulting in a defense verdict.
- Defended a subsidiary of a major US corporation in patent infringement litigation in the Eastern District of Texas. The jury found no infringement with a complete defense verdict.
- Represented a leading pharmaceutical company in mass tort litigation arising from allegations that the company's diabetes drug causes cancer. After a month-long trial in state court in West Virginia, the jury returned a defense verdict on all product liability and negligence issues.
- Defended a major medical device company in a jury trial in Texas state court involving severe injuries alleged to have occurred due to device failure. The jury returned a defense verdict.
- Served on national teams for discovery and trial preparation of several major pharmaceutical companies' products with each docket involving thousands of claimants throughout the country.
- Served as co-counsel, in defending an international pharmaceutical company in mass tort pharmaceutical litigation in Texas involving thousands of plaintiffs. Jon assisted with the coordination of the team handling lawsuits throughout the state of Texas. He also assisted the client and a national team with the development of a unique and successful mass tort resolution program.
- Assisted major medical device company with comprehensive litigation risk assessment of acquisition target that had emerging product liability issues based upon new scientific evidence. This included analysis of science, causation, defense theories and potential cost of litigation and resolution strategies to assist client's legal and business team in making acquisition decisions.
- Served as co-counsel, along with a national team, in defending one the world's largest medical device companies in a precedent-setting class action suit. The team was able to overturn the judge's class certification on appeal, which defeated the class action, protected the client from large economic damages and affected other such class actions in other states.
- Served as co-counsel in defending a major healthcare company in medical products litigation throughout a multi-state region. Jon served as co-lead counsel in two separate Texas trials involving this medical product that was the subject of mass tort litigation across the United States. In one case, after a lengthy trial, the team was able to win a directed verdict from the judge before the case went to the jury. In the second venue, the legal team took the case through jury verdict with a post-verdict resolution favorable to the client.
- Represented a national moving and storage company in a case involving claims of poor vehicle maintenance with multi-million dollar damages at stake. The legal team secured a jury verdict favorable to the client.
- Chambers USA, Nationwide: Product Liability & Mass Torts, Chambers & Partners, 2006, 2008 – 2024
- Legal 500 US, Recommended Lawyer, Healthcare: Life Sciences, The Legal 500, 2021 – 2023
- Legal 500 US, Recommended Lawyer, Product liability, mass tort and class action – defense: Pharmaceuticals and medical devices, The Legal 500, 2023 – 2024
- Legal 500 US, Recommended Lawyer, Dispute resolution - Product Liability and Mass Tort Defense: Pharmaceuticals / Medical Devices - defense, The Legal 500, 2015 – 2019, 2021
- Legal 500 USA, Recommended Lawyer, Intellectual Property: Patent Litigation: Full Coverage, The Legal 500, 2017
- Texas Top Rated Lawyer, LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell, 2013 – 2014
- The Best Lawyers in America, Dallas/Fort Worth: Lawyer of the Year, Litigation – Health Care, Best Lawyers, 2025
- The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation – Health Care, Best Lawyers, 2020-2025
- The Best Lawyers in America, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Best Lawyers, 2010-2025
- The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, Best Lawyers, 2006-2025
- The Best Lawyers in America, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, Best Lawyers, 2011-2025
- Texas Super Lawyer, Class actions/mass torts, Thomson Reuters, 2003 – 2012, 2014 – 2020, 2022
- American Bar Association
- State Bar of Texas
- Dallas Bar Association