Brenda S. Fulmer is a Partner, Shareholder, and member of Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley. She joined the firm in September of 2008 and helped to expand the firm’s dedicated Mass Tort Unit, which provides representation to clients in state and federal courts for various product liability, pharmaceutical, and medical device claims as well as working with other members of the law firm on personal injury, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases. Current and past mass torts projects include lawsuits involving 3M Combat Arms Earplugs; Abilify; Actos; AMO and Bausch & Lomb Contact Lens Solution; Avandia; Baycol; Bextra; Biomet Metal on Metal Hip Implants; Breast Implants; CardioGen PET scans; Cialis; DePuy ASR and Pinnacle Metal on Metal Hip Implants; DePuy Attune Knee Implants; Digitek; Drospirenone Birth Control Pills (Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella, Gianvi, Beyaz, Safyral, and Loryna); Fen-Phen Diet Drugs; Fosamax and other bisphosphonates; Gadolinium; Gulf Coast Oil Spill; Guidant and Medtronic Pacemakers and Defibrillators Heparin; Hormone Replacement Therapy; Hernia Mesh; Invokana; IVC Filters; Levaquin; Mirena; NuvaRing; Ortho Evra; Pain Pumps; PPA; Power Morcellator devices; Pradaxa; Propulsid; Proton Pump Inhibitors; Reglan; Smith & Nephew Birmingham and R3 Hip Implants; SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Cases; Stockert 3T heating/cooling devices; Stryker Rejuvenate, ABG II, Accolade, and LFIT V40 Modular Hip Implants; Sulzer Hip and Knee Implants; tobacco; Transvaginal Mesh and Bladder Slings (including products sold by Bard, Caldera, Coloplast, Johnson & Johnson/Ethicon, Mentor, Boston Scientific, Cook Medical, Neomedic, Covidien, AMS, ARIS, Sofradim, and ProteGen); Trasylol, Viagra; Vioxx; Wright Medical Metal on Metal Hip Implants; Xarelto; Zimmer-Biomet Reverse Shoulder Implants; Zimmer Durom Cup Hip Implants; Zimmer M/L Taper Hip Implants; Zimmer NexGen Knee Implants; and Zofran
Past Experience:
Alley, Clark, Greiwe & Fulmer (formerly Alley & Ingram), Tampa Shareholder and Managing Partner (April 2000 to August 2008) Associate (April 1994 to April 2000) Legal Assistant (January 1989 to April 1991) Successful representation of more than 5,000 Plaintiffs in various complex personal injury and mass tort cases, including claims involving tobacco, Vioxx, Bextra, Guidant, and Medtronic defibrillators, Sulzer hip, and knee implants, Medtronic Sprint Fidelis leads, ProteGen bladder slings, Ortho-Evra, hormone replacement therapy, Redux and Fen-Phen diet drugs, PPA, Propulsid, Baycol, and breast implants.
Akerman, Senterfitt & Eidson, Tampa
Law Clerk (January 1993 to October 1993)
Fowler, White, Gillen, Boggs, Villareal, and Banker, St. Petersburg
Law Clerk (March 1992 to January 1993)
Prior to entering law school, she worked full-time while supporting her husband and herself as they completed their undergraduate studies. During these seven years, she was employed as a Legal Secretary and Legal Assistant with law firms in Cape Coral and Tampa and as a Commercial Real Estate Closing Agent for a title insurance underwriter in Tampa.
Speaking Engagements
October 2009 – Workers Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG) Meeting – “Addressing Mass
Torts Cases in Your Work Comp Practice”
June 2010 –Florida Justice Association Convention – “Mass Torts Marketing”
September 2010 – Florida Alliance Meeting –“Consumer Drug and Medical Device Safety”
October 2010 – Mid Florida UAW Retirees FLARA Members Meeting – “Consumer Drug and
Medical Device Safety”
December 2010 – Knights of Columbus, United Retired Carpenters and UAW Central Florida
Meeting – “Consumer Drug and Medical Device Safety”
February 2011 – Florida Justice Association Workhorse Seminar – “Mass Torts of Mention”
October 2011 – Mass Torts Made Perfect - “Competing with the High Rollers on a Penny Slot
Budget”
October 2011 – WILG Convention – “Leveraging Client Databases, Marketing, Resources &
Intake to Identify Mass Tort Cases”
December 2011 – Florida Alliance Meeting - “Consumer Drug and Medical Device Safety”
December 2011 – Martin County Paralegal Association – “Basics of Mass Tort Litigation”
January 2012 – Martin County Bar Association – “What is a Mass Tort?”
April 2012 – American Association for Justice – Pradaxa Litigation Group - “Screening the Case
and Representing the Elderly”
July 2012 – American Association for Justice Summer Convention – “Leveraging Your Workers’
Compensation Practice into Mass Torts”
July 2012 – American Association for Justice Summer Convention – Co-Moderator for “Toxic,
Environmental, and Pharmaceutical Torts (STEP)”
August 2012 – American Association for Justice – Stryker Hip Implant Rejuvenate Stem Failure
Teleseminar – “Metallosis with No Metal on Metal Articulation – “FDA Adverse Reaction
Reports”
August 2012 – Manasota Justice Association – “Mass Tort Litigation Basics”
December 2012 – American Association for Justice – “Nuts and Bolts of Stryker Rejuvenate and
ABG II Hip Implant Litigation”
January 2013 – Trial Lawyer’s Summit – “Witness Preparation: Old School No Longer Works
with Both Fact and Expert Witnesses”
February 2013 – American Association for Justice Winter Convention – ”Pradaxa Litigation
Overview”
February 2013 – Florida Justice Association – “Women and Pharmaceutical and Medical Device
Cases”
March 2013 – Southeast Unit of Teachers Retired in Florida – “An Informed Patient is a Safe
Patient – Protecting Yourself from Dangerous Drugs and Defective Medical Devices”
July 2013 – American Association for Justice Summer Convention – Chair and Moderator of the
Pradaxa Litigation Group CLE program
July 2013 – American Association for Justice Summer Convention– “Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella
Litigation”
December 2013 – American Association for Justice – Moderator of Plaintiffs-Only Drug and
Medical Device Conference
February 2014 – American Association for Justice Winter Convention – Moderator of “Holding
Corporations and the Insurance Industry Accountable”
April 2014 - Harris Martin – 5th Annual Mass Tort Conference with Judge Maria Corodemus –
“Adverse Events”
July 2014 – American Association for Justice Summer Convention – Moderator for Actos CLE
Program
July 2014 – American Association for Justice Summer Convention – “Professional Conduct Rules
on Advertising: What You Need to Know About What Is On Your Web Site and What You are
Blogging”
September 2014 - 360 Advocacy Institute: Annual Women’s Legal Conference ”Case
Management – Brining in New Cases, Screening, and Initial Client Contact”
October 2014 – Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group – “Searching for Mass Tort Cases Hiding
in Your File Cabinet”
December 2014 - American Association for Justice - Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Implant
Settlement Seminar – “Enhanced Benefits Program and Future Enhanced Benefits Program”
December 2014 – The Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, Inc. -Quarterly Board Meeting -
“Drug and Medical Device Safety for Consumers”
April 2015 – SEAK, Inc. - 24th Annual National Expert Witness Conference - “How to Survive
and Thrive at Your Deposition”
September 2015 – The Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, Inc. and United Auto Workers of
Pinellas County – “Drug and Medical Device Safety for Consumers”
October 2015 – 360 Advocacy- Trial Skills from the Woman’s Perspective Lean In - “Managing
Your Law Practice”
January 2016 – Inner Circle of Advocates Mid-Winter Meeting - “Managing the People in Your
Practice
April 2016 - Harris Martin – Annual Mass Tort Conference with Judge Maria Corodemus - “Off
Label Use Warnings”
May 2016 – Ohio Association for Justice – “Views from Leadership: How to Utilize Lead Counsel
in a Mass Tort Case”
June 2016 – 360 Advocacy – “Hard Firm Management Decisions You Need to Make for Larger
Verdicts and Settlements”
July 2016 – American Association for Justice Summer Convention – “Metal-on-Metal (MoM)
Litigation Update – Biomet”
July 2016 – American Association for Justice Summer Convention – “Marketing and Obtaining
Litigation Leads Ethically”
February 2017 – Palm Beach County Bar Association – “Ethics in Advertising – How to Ethically
Cast the Net”
February 2017 – Radio Interview on Legal News & Review on iHeart Radio Network – “Mass
Tort Cases for Consumers”
March 2017 – Florida Justice Association Workhorse Conference – “Identifying and Handling
Defective Drug Cases”
April 2017 – HB Litigation Conferences – Mass Torts Judicial Forum – “The Media and Mass
Torts”
May 2017 – American Association for Justice – “Follow My Lead? Are Online “Leads” for all
types of cases”
June 2017 – Florida Justice Association Convention – “Effectively Dealing with Difficult
Witnesses and Clients”
July 2017 – American Association for Justice Summer Convention - Mass Tort Best Practices
Seminar – “The End Game: How to Wrap Up Your Cases”
January 2018 – MDL Leadership Conference at Emory University – “Plaintiff’s Breakout: The
Appointment Process”
February 2018 – American Association for Justice Winter Convention – “Getting Your First
Leadership Role: What You Need to Know To Be Successful”
March 2018 – Florida Justice Association Workhorse Conference – “The Daubert Report of
Plaintiff’s Expert Witness in Federal Court Litigation”
March 2018 Florida Justice Association Workhorse Conference – “Successfully Litigating
Defective Drug Cases”
March 2018 Florida Justice Association Workhorse Conference – “Successfully Litigating
Medical Device Cases”
April 2018 – Mass Torts Made Perfect – “Nuts and Bolts on Settlement”
April 2018 – Mass Torts Judicial Forum with Judge Marina Corodemus and JAMS – “PostSettlement Considerations: The Devil is in the Details”
January 2019 – The Personal Injury/Wrongful Death Committee of the Palm Beach County Bar
Association – “Mass Torts”
January 2019 – HarrisMartin’s MDL Conference: The Significance of Proposed Rule Changes in
MDL Procedures – “2018 Rule Changes and Recent Impact”
February 2019 – Masters of Mass Tort – “Marketing for Mass Torts and the Associated Ethical
Issues” and “Zimmer Taper Hips”
April 2019 – Mass Torts Made Perfect – “Nuts and Bolts of Mass Torts Litigation”
June 2019 – Broward County Trial Lawyers Association – “Hot Topics in Mass Tort Litigation”
July 2019 – Harris Martin’s Litigating in a Post-Fosamax World – “Litigating MDLs from A to
Z”
July 2019 - American Association for Justice Annual Convention - Mass Tort Best Practices
Seminar – “The End Game: How to Wrap Up Your Cases”
Professional Activities and Awards
Admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States and all United States District
Courts in Florida
Full admission or pro hac vice permission to appear in the following state and federal courts:
USDC for Northern District of Alabama
USDC for Eastern and Western District of Arkansas
USDC for Arizona
USDC for Northern District of California
USDC of Colorado
USDC for Middle and Northern District of Georgia
USDC for Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana,
USDC for Southern District of Illinois
USDC for Northern District of Indiana
USDC for Western District of Kentucky
USDC for Eastern District of Louisiana
USDC of Massachusetts
USDC for the District of Maryland
USDC for Eastern District of Michigan
USDC for District of Minnesota
USDC for the District of New Jersey
USDC for Southern District of New York
USDC for Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts of Ohio
USDC for Eastern District of Pennsylvania
USDC for the District of Rhode Island
USDC for Southern District of West Virginia
USDC for Western District of Wisconsin
USDC for Western District of Virginia
Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division for Bergen and Atlantic Counties
Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel, In Re: Breast Implant Litigation, Hillsborough County Circuit Court
Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel, In Re: Diet Drug Litigation, Hillsborough County Circuit Court (and
involved in the establishment of coordinated proceedings statewide)
Discovery Committee Member, In Re: Diet Drugs, MDL No.1203; Philadelphia
Discovery Committee Member, In Re ProteGen Sling and Vesica System Products Liability
Litigation, MDL No. 1387, Baltimore
Governing Committee Member, In Re: Hormone Replacement Therapy Litigation, MDL No.
1507, Little Rock
Discovery Committee Member, In Re: Vioxx, MDL No. 1657, New Orleans
Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel, Post-Engle Progeny Tobacco Cases, Hillsborough County Circuit
Court (and involved in the establishment of coordinated proceedings statewide)
Discovery Committee Member, In Re: Mentor Corp. ObTape Transobturator Sling Products
Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2004, Columbus, Georgia
Discovery Committee Member, In Re: Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices
and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2100, East St. Louis
Environmental Damages Committee Member, In Re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig “Deepwater
Horizon”, MDL No. 2179, New Orleans
Discovery Committee Member, In Re: DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. ASR Hip Implant Products
Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2197, Toledo
Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, In Re: Pradaxa (Dabigatran Etexilate) Products Liability
Litigation, MDL No. 2385, East St. Louis
Discovery Committee Member, In Re: Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Implant Litigation,
Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Bergen County
Co-Lead Counsel for PSC #2 and Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee Member for PSC #1, In Re:
Biomet M2A Magnum Hip Implant Litigation, MDL No. 2391, South Bend, Indiana
Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, In Re: Zimmer M/L Taper Hip Prosthesis with Kinectiv
Technology and Versys Femoral Head Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2859, New York
City
Co-Lead of the American Association for Justice’s Pradaxa Litigation Group
Co-Lead of the American Association for Justice’s Biomet Hip Implant Litigation Group
Member, AAJ Litigation Groups for Digitek, Heparin, Bausch & Lomb Contact Lens Solution, PPA, Cox 2 Inhibitors, Baycol, Diet Drugs, Breast Implants, Kugel Hernia Mesh, Heart Devices, Hydroxycut, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Rezulin, Sulzer Hip and Knee Implants, Ortho Evra, AMO Contact Lens Solution, Propulsid, Pain Pumps — Chondrolysis, Fosamax, Fentanyl, Pain Patches, Oral Sodium Phosphate, Denture Cream, Gadolinium, Nuvaring Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella, Levaquin, Trasylol (Aprotinin), Chantix, Heparin, Reglan (metoclopramide), transvaginal mesh, Stockert 3T Heater-Cooler, Wright Medical hip implants, Biomet hip implants, DePuy hip implants, Pradaxa, and Stryker Rejuvenate, ABG II and Accolade hip implants, Zimmer M/L Taper Hip Prosthesis or M/L Taper Hip Prosthesis with Kinectiv Technology and Versys Femoral Head.
EAGLE Member, Florida Justice Association (formerly AFTL)
Sustaining Member, American Justice Association (formerly ATLA)
Member, Mass Tort Trial Lawyers Association
Member, The National Trial Lawyers Association
Member, American Bar Association
Executive Committee, The National Trial Lawyers: National Women Trial Lawyers Association
Top 10
State Executive Committee, The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100
Member, Palm Beach County Justice Association
Member, Palm Beach County Bar Association
Member, Florida Justice Association Nominating Committee
Member, Supreme Court Historical Society
Board of Governors, Florida Justice Association (FJA)
Board Member, FJA Women’s Caucus
Member, FJA Stalwart’s Committee
Member, Executive Committee, American Association for Justice
Board of Governors, American Association for Justice (AAJ)
Board Member, Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG)
Subcommittee Co-Chair, AAJ Women Trial Lawyers’ Caucus
Member, AAJ’s Leaders Forum
Member, AAJ’s Preemption Task Force
Member, AAJ’s Convention Planning Committee (2017-2019)
Member, AAJ’s Trial Lawyers Care Committee (2001 – 2020)
Member, AAJ’s Marketing & Practice Development Committee (2014 – 2019)
Chair (2017-2019), Vice-Chair (2015-2017), and Member, AAJ’s Membership Oversight
Committee (2019-2020)
Member, AAJ’s Political Action Committee (2012 – 2014)
Member, AAJ’s Compliance Committee (2015-2017)
Chair (2017-2018) and Member, AAJ’s Exchange Advisory Committee
Member, AAJ’s Evergreen Advisory Board (2016 – 2020)
Member, Palm Beach County Bar Association, Wrongful Death/PI Committee
Member, Public Justice Foundation
Member, Public Justice Foundation Communications & Marketing Committee
Member, Roscoe Pound Institute
Member, AAJ’s Law Schools Committee (2019-2020)
Volunteer, Trial Lawyers Care (through AAJ) – donated more than 400 hours representing two
families who lost loved ones on 9/11 and those impacted by natural disasters
Volunteer, Bay Area Legal Services
Volunteer, Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers – providing assistance to victims of
domestic violence
Volunteer, Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL)
Nominated for Super Lawyers (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019) for plaintiffs’
class action and mass tort litigation
Named in The Best Lawyers in America (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018) and
awarded Lawyer of the Year for Plaintiffs’ Mass Tort Lawyers (2013) by U.S. News and World
Report
Listed in Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite (July 2014)
Listed in Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite (February 2018)
Awarded FJA Shoe Leather Award (June 2012) for work as a lobbyist in 2012 in Florida
The legislature, FJA Bronze Eagle Award (June 2012), and Membership Cornerstone Award (June
2014)
Awarded President’s Award by American Association for Justice (July 2014) for membership
recruitment efforts
Committee Member, Continuing Legal Education Committee of the Florida Bar (2014-2017)
Committee Member, Selection Committee for American Association for Justice Leadership
Academy
Trial Lawyer Honorary Society Fellow (2014)
Martindale-Hubbell Rating: AV Preeminent
Marie Lambert Award from the American Association for Justice Women Trial Lawyers Caucus
– given in recognition of exemplary leadership to the profession, to her community, to AAJ, and
to the Women Trial Lawyers Caucus (July 2016)
JD Supra Top Author for Medical Device and Product Liability topics (2017, 2018, and 2019)
Top Lawyer in Class Actions/Mass Torts, Palm Beach Illustrated (2019)
Education
Stetson College of Law, J.D., cum laude (Graduated December 1993)
Graduated 7th in Class with 3.408 GPA
Dean's List & Honor Roll
Assistant Editor, Stetson Law Review
Award for Outstanding Law Review Member
Best Oralist Runner-Up, Freshman Moot Court
Florida Bar Foundation Public Service Fellow
Federal Judicial Intern for Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich Executive Committee,
Stetson Association of Public Interest Law Legal Intern, Civil Poverty Law Clinic –
Gulfcoast Legal Services Research Assistant, Professor Jayma Meyer
Recipient of Law I, II and III Academic Scholarships
University of South Florida, B.S. in Finance (Graduated December 1990)
Personal
Born December 4, 1966, in Beech Grove, Indiana
Married to Robert J. Fulmer since June of 1985; mother of Molly Louise who is currently a student
at the University of Florida
Troop Leader and Service Team Volunteer, Girl Scouts of Suncoast Council, Tampa
Volunteer, Buddy Break at St. James United Methodist Church, Tampa, providing respite care for
autistic and physically-challenged children and their families
Volunteer, Carrollwood Day School and Pride Elementary, Tampa and Dwyer High School, Palm
Beach Gardens
Volunteer, Seagull Industries, Riviera Beach
Volunteer, Special Olympics of Palm Beach
Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity, Palm Beach County
Volunteer, Autism Speaks, Palm Beach County
Volunteer, Love Doctor’s Toy Drive, Palm Beach County
Volunteer, Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), Palm Beach County
Volunteer and Foster Parent, Coastal Boxer Rescue
Volunteer, Feed the Hungry, Palm Beach County
Volunteer and Mentor, Take Stock in Children, Palm Beach County
Foster Parent and International Exchange Student Host Parent, Palm Beach County
Board Member, Supporters of the Pre-Law Magnet, Inc. at Palm Beach Lakes High School
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