Paul J. Sampson is Of Counsel in the Salt Lake City office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he deals with all aspects of high-stakes litigation, including trial.
Paul works with clients in a variety of industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, consumer products, interstate shipping, energy, and financial services. He has represented clients in antitrust and consumer class actions, shareholder derivative actions, defamation lawsuits, trade secret misappropriation and breach of fiduciary duty claims, and government investigation and enforcement actions involving the U.S. Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, and the City of New York. He has also represented a special litigation committee of a large pharmaceutical distributor’s board of directors in shareholder derivative litigation involving opioid distribution and executive compensation issues.
In addition, Paul has successfully represented clients in matters in federal and state appellate courts throughout the country. He has briefed dozens of appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, several federal circuit courts, and several state supreme courts. He recently prevailed following briefing and oral argument to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in a matter involving federal employee benefits.
Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Paul was a litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis. Before that, he split a decade in Washington, D.C., at Wilkinson Stekloff and Sidley Austin.
Throughout his career, Paul has maintained an active pro bono practice. Fluent in Spanish, he successfully represented an unaccompanied minor in a petition for asylum, and he secured full custody of three children for an El Salvadoran immigrant following a multi-day evidentiary hearing. He recently prevailed following briefing and oral argument to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in a matter seeking reversal of a federal agency order denying the employment compensation claims of a pro se petitioner.
At the beginning of his legal career, Paul served two judicial clerkships—for the Honorable Justice Thomas R. Lee of the Utah Supreme Court and for the Honorable Kent A. Jordan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Paul J. Sampson is Of Counsel in the Salt Lake City office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he deals with all aspects of high-stakes litigation, including trial.
Paul works with clients in a variety of industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, consumer products, interstate shipping, energy, and financial services. He has represented clients in antitrust and consumer class actions, shareholder derivative actions, defamation lawsuits, trade secret misappropriation and breach of fiduciary duty claims, and government investigation and enforcement actions involving the U.S. Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, and the City of New York. He has also represented a special litigation committee of a large pharmaceutical distributor’s board of directors in shareholder derivative litigation involving opioid distribution and executive compensation issues.
In addition, Paul has successfully represented clients in matters in federal and state appellate courts throughout the country. He has briefed dozens of appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, several federal circuit courts, and several state supreme courts. He recently prevailed following briefing and oral argument to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in a matter involving federal employee benefits.
Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Paul was a litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis. Before that, he split a decade in Washington, D.C., at Wilkinson Stekloff and Sidley Austin.
Throughout his career, Paul has maintained an active pro bono practice. Fluent in Spanish, he successfully represented an unaccompanied minor in a petition for asylum, and he secured full custody of three children for an El Salvadoran immigrant following a multi-day evidentiary hearing. He recently prevailed following briefing and oral argument to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in a matter seeking reversal of a federal agency order denying the employment compensation claims of a pro se petitioner.
At the beginning of his legal career, Paul served two judicial clerkships—for the Honorable Justice Thomas R. Lee of the Utah Supreme Court and for the Honorable Kent A. Jordan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
- J.D., J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 2010
Magna Cum Laude; Executive Editor, BYU Law Review
- B.A., History, Brigham Young University, 2006
- State Bar of Utah
- J.D., J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 2010
Magna Cum Laude; Executive Editor, BYU Law Review
- B.A., History, Brigham Young University, 2006
- State Bar of Utah
Select Representations
- Staton Techiya, LLC and Synergy IP Corporation v. Samsung Electronics Co. and Samsung Electronics America, Inc.: Trial counsel for Samsung in two-day bench trial over Samsung's equitable defenses and counterclaims based in trade secret misappropriation to $500 million patent infringement claims. Obtained complete defense victory and dismissal of the patent infringement claims.*
- In re Paraquat Products Litigation: Counsel for herbicide manufacturer in multidistrict litigation involving thousands of lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions alleging neurological injuries from exposure to the product. Obtained summary judgment in client's favor as to all bellwether plaintiffs after successful Daubert challenge to plaintiffs' expert.*
- In re 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation: Trial counsel for two bellwether trials in the largest multidistrict litigation ever filed, with over 230,000 plaintiffs asserting personal injury claims. Obtained complete defense verdicts in both trials.*
- Larsen v. Philip Morris USA Inc.: Member of trial team that secured a complete defense verdict for Altria in state court on a $1.5 billion fraud claim following a six-week trial.*
- City & State of New York v. FedEx Ground Package Sys., Inc.: Represented FedEx Ground in a $600 million lawsuit brought by the State and City of New York alleging that FedEx Ground improperly shipped untaxed cigarettes. Conducted multiple depositions, including the deposition of plaintiffs' public health expert, and defended depositions of key company witnesses and trial experts. Prevailed in excluding plaintiffs' public health expert from testifying at trial. Drafted summary judgment briefing that resulted in a dramatic reduction in potential damages and led to a favorable settlement shortly before trial.*
- Infuse (Medtronic) Prod. Cases: Conducted numerous depositions of treating physicians and plaintiffs' experts in products liability bellwether cases involving a spine fusion product that settled on favorable terms before trial.*
- Essure (Bayer) Prod. Cases: Represented Bayer in bellwether litigation addressing suits filed by users of a birth control product. Defended depositions of two critical company witnesses before cases settled on favorable terms.*
- In re McKesson Corp. Derivative Litig.: Represented special litigation committee of the McKesson board of directors in shareholder derivative litigation involving opioid distribution and executive compensation issues. Helped negotiate a favorable settlement.*
* Denotes matters prior to joining Wilson Sonsini.
Select Representations
- Staton Techiya, LLC and Synergy IP Corporation v. Samsung Electronics Co. and Samsung Electronics America, Inc.: Trial counsel for Samsung in two-day bench trial over Samsung's equitable defenses and counterclaims based in trade secret misappropriation to $500 million patent infringement claims. Obtained complete defense victory and dismissal of the patent infringement claims.*
- In re Paraquat Products Litigation: Counsel for herbicide manufacturer in multidistrict litigation involving thousands of lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions alleging neurological injuries from exposure to the product. Obtained summary judgment in client's favor as to all bellwether plaintiffs after successful Daubert challenge to plaintiffs' expert.*
- In re 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation: Trial counsel for two bellwether trials in the largest multidistrict litigation ever filed, with over 230,000 plaintiffs asserting personal injury claims. Obtained complete defense verdicts in both trials.*
- Larsen v. Philip Morris USA Inc.: Member of trial team that secured a complete defense verdict for Altria in state court on a $1.5 billion fraud claim following a six-week trial.*
- City & State of New York v. FedEx Ground Package Sys., Inc.: Represented FedEx Ground in a $600 million lawsuit brought by the State and City of New York alleging that FedEx Ground improperly shipped untaxed cigarettes. Conducted multiple depositions, including the deposition of plaintiffs' public health expert, and defended depositions of key company witnesses and trial experts. Prevailed in excluding plaintiffs' public health expert from testifying at trial. Drafted summary judgment briefing that resulted in a dramatic reduction in potential damages and led to a favorable settlement shortly before trial.*
- Infuse (Medtronic) Prod. Cases: Conducted numerous depositions of treating physicians and plaintiffs' experts in products liability bellwether cases involving a spine fusion product that settled on favorable terms before trial.*
- Essure (Bayer) Prod. Cases: Represented Bayer in bellwether litigation addressing suits filed by users of a birth control product. Defended depositions of two critical company witnesses before cases settled on favorable terms.*
- In re McKesson Corp. Derivative Litig.: Represented special litigation committee of the McKesson board of directors in shareholder derivative litigation involving opioid distribution and executive compensation issues. Helped negotiate a favorable settlement.*
* Denotes matters prior to joining Wilson Sonsini.
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