David Byrne

David Byrne is a principal and trial attorney in the firm’s Mass Torts Section, handling claims against pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

David works on federal litigation related to defective hip replacement devices and state court cases involving contaminated baby food products.

He earned his undergraduate degree from The Citadel in 1989 and his law degree from the Cumberland School of Law in 1992.

After graduating, he worked as a Deputy Alabama Attorney General and a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Robert Varner and Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals Judge John M. Patterson. He then joined private practice with another Montgomery, Alabama, law firm before joining Beasley Allen in February 2001.

Licenses

• Alabama (1992)

Admissions

• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama (1994)
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama (1995)
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Alabama (2000)
• U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit (2002)
• U.S. Supreme Court (2007)
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit (2011)

Education

• Samford University, Cumberland School of Law (J.D., 1992)
• The Citadel (B.S., B.A., 1989)

Notable Cases

Since joining the firm’s Mass Torts Section, David has been actively involved in litigation related to hormone replacement therapy medication, transvaginal mesh devices, hip replacement devices, Xarelto blood-thinning medication, baby food heavy metal contamination and benzene-contaminated sunscreen products. 

He previously served as a trial attorney in the firm’s Toxic Torts Section, handling numerous complex environmental cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States. During that time, he handled cases involving drinking water contamination, toxic air emissions, contaminated wastewater discharges, toxic exposure, improper landfill activities, petroleum spills, medical monitoring claims and soil and groundwater contamination.

California Hormone Replacement Therapy Class Action

David served as co-lead class counsel in a California federal court case involving Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and its hormone replacement therapy medications Premarin, Prempro, and Premphase. In September 2020, the court approved a $200 million class settlement that substantially relieved affected consumers throughout California.

J&J Sunscreen Class Action (MDL 3015)

Davis was appointed as class co-counsel in the Johnson & Johnson Aerosol Sunscreen Multidistrict Litigation Proceeding (MDL No. 3015). This case was related to the sale of benzene-contaminated sunscreen sprays under Johnson & Johnson’s Neutrogena and Aveeno product lines. In February 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida (which was handling the MDL) finally approved a nationwide class action settlement agreement. The settlement compensated consumers for their affected product purchases and imposed testing restrictions on Johnson & Johnson to help prevent future benzene contamination issues.

BP Oil Spill

David provided litigation assistance to the State of Alabama, as well as numerous counties and cities in Alabama and northwest Florida that were affected by the BP oil spill.

Tennessee Valley Authority Coal Ash Spill

David played a key role as co-lead counsel during the federal trial against the Tennessee Valley Authority. The trial was about the catastrophic release of over 1 billion gallons of coal ash sludge from an impoundment at its Kingston Fossil Plant. The case’s verdict was in favor of the plaintiffs, providing significant financial relief to hundreds of residents in the area. Since Beasley Allen filed its original lawsuit, more than $1 billion has been spent on clean-up costs at the site.

New Jersey Water PFOA Contamination

David served as co-lead class counsel in a New Jersey federal court case involving PFOA contamination of public and private drinking water supplies near the DuPont Chambers Works facility in Deepwater, NJ. In 2011, the Court approved a class settlement that provided water filtration systems and other relief to over 15,000 residents.

Carbon Black Pollution in Alabama and Oklahoma

David also served as co-lead trial counsel in cases involving carbon black pollution in Alabama and Oklahoma, resulting in a $20 million-plus verdict and other significant settlements for several municipalities, businesses and residents.

Anniston Alabama PCB Contamination

In 2003, David was involved in the landmark $700-million toxic tort settlement with Solutia, Monsanto and Pharmacia over PCB contamination in Anniston, Alabama — the most significant environmental settlement in the country at the time.

Other Cases

David has assisted clients in obtaining multi-million-dollar settlements or verdicts in other types of cases involving food-product franchises, the Federal Tort Claims Act, accounting malpractice, motor vehicle franchise disputes, consumer fraud, the funeral services industry, premises liability, and insurance agent contract disputes.