Rayna E. Kessler

Rayna E. Kessler is a partner in the New York office of Robins Kaplan LLP. Her practice focuses on complex civil and multivenue litigation in a range of matters that span products liability, mass tort, medical malpractice, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and child sex abuse involving large institutions. She is admitted to practice in federal and state courts in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

After earning her J.D. from Temple University School of Law, Rayna clerked for the Honorable Carol E. Higbee, J.A.D. and worked on several high-profile pharmaceutical and medical device matters, including In re: Pelvic Mesh Litigation, In re: Accutane Litigation, and In re: Vioxx Litigation. Since her clerkship, Rayna has dedicated her career to holding corporations and institutions accountable for the harm that they have caused her clients.

Rayna is known for trailblazing new litigation, often being among the first to file in emerging mass tort litigations. Underpinning her work with cutting-edge investigations, Rayna collaborates with a wide network of well-established experts across the country, as well as other plaintiffs’ lawyers, to develop creative and successful litigation strategies for her clients.

An experienced complex civil litigator, Rayna has served in court-appointed lead liaison counsel roles in several New Jersey Multicounty Litigations, including In re: Benicar (Olmesartan Medoxomil) New Jersey Multicounty Litigation, Case No. 299; In re: Abilify, Case No. 626; and In re: Taxotere Litigation, Case No. 628. On the MDL front, Rayna served as the State/Federal Coordination Chairperson for the Plaintiff Steering Committee in the In re: Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2606. In addition, Rayna served as the State/Federal Coordination Chairperson for the Plaintiff Steering Committee in the In re: Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2606.

When the law changed in New Jersey and New York to allow survivors to bring claims that were previously time barred, Rayna was honored to begin representing survivors of child sex abuse against large institutions, including the Catholic Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Boy Scouts of America. Rayna is no stranger to how powerful interests have dissuaded those who are most injured from coming forward, and how courageous our clients are to seek to protect others. Rayna is trained in trauma-informed advocacy to ensure that her representation provides transparency, predictability, client empowerment, reliability, and proactive support for all her clients.

For her achievements in representing individuals, Rayna has been recognized both as a New Leader of the Bar and as a Top Woman in Law by the New Jersey Law Journal, and she was named a New York Metro Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2021 and 2022.

Rayna is also committed to preserving access to justice through active involvement with nonprofit advocacy organizations. Currently, Rayna serves as an Executive Committee Board Member and Chair of the Case Development/Special Projects Committee for Public Justice, the country’s leading national nonprofit consumer legal advocacy organization. Rayna is also actively involved with American Association for Justice (AAJ) as a Section & Litigation Group Coordination Committee and Membership Oversight Committee Member. Rayna also volunteers her time as a Founding Board and Executive Committee Member for the anti-human trafficking nonprofit, Collective Liberty.

Understanding the importance of collaboration and collegiality among our bar, Rayna hosts plaintiff attorney networking events in New York City that invite plaintiff lawyers to learn about each other’s practices and foster a referral network.

Education

• Temple University Beasley School of Law, J.D. (2010)
• Ohio Wesleyan University, B.A., magna cum laude, and with University Honors and Distinction (2005)

Representative Matters

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (2024-2025 editions)
• Named to "Notable Women in Law List," Crain's New York Business (2023)
• Listed in "500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers" List, Lawdragon (2023-2024)
• Named a "New York Rising Star," Super Lawyers (2021-2024)
• Named to "Top Women Faculty" List, Lawline (2019)
• Named in New Jersey Law Journal's "New Leaders of the Bar" (2018)
• Named one of New Jersey Law Journal's "Top Women in Law" (2016)

Professional

• Public Justice, Executive Board Member and Chair of Case Development/Special Projects Committee
• American Association for Justice, Section & Litigation Group Coordination Committee and Membership Oversight Committee Member
• New Jersey Association for Justice
• Law360 New Jersey Editorial Advisory Board (2024)
• Law360 Product Liability Editorial Advisory Board (2020 and 2021)
• National Crime Victims Bar Association, Member
• Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey, Member
• Collective Liberty, Executive Committee Member and Board Member

Speeches

• Hot Torts: A Forward Look at the Top Current and Emerging Opportunities
  LF Dealmakers: Mass Torts Edition, New York, NY (September 17, 2024)
• Sex Abuse Litigation
  HarrisMartin Mass Tort Settlements Conference, Buffalo, NY (June 27, 2024)
• Mass Tort Status Part 1: Evaluating the Litigation Landscape… Knowing When to Hold, Fold or Double Down
  Mass Torts Puerto Rico 2024, San Juan Puerto Rico (May 1, 2024)
• Exactech Hip, Knee, and Ankle Recall Litigation Update
  Mass Torts Made Perfect Spring 2024 Seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada (April 5, 2024)
• MCL v MDL: Core Differences and Similarities
  New Jersey Association for Justice Meadowlands Seminar 2023: Mass Tort, East Rutherford, New Jersey (November 15, 2023)
• Exactech Hip, Knee, and Ankle Recall Litigation Update
  Mass Torts Made Perfect Fall 2023 Seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada (October 12, 2023)
• Over-Designation Litigation Group CLE Program
  American Association for Justice 2023 Annual Convention, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (July 17, 2023)
• Fighting Court Secrecy
  Class of Our Own Women's Summit (May 7, 2023)
• Exactech Hip, Knee, and Ankle Recall Litigation Update
  Mass Torts Made Perfect Spring 2023 Seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada (April 13, 2023)
• Litigating Child Sex Abuse Against Large Institutions
  Fishman Haygood’s Coalition of Civil Advocates Conference (November 11, 2022)
• Exactech Hip, Knee, and Ankle Recall Litigation Update
  Mass Torts Made Perfect Seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada (October 13, 2022)
• Exactech Hip, Knee, and Ankle Recall Litigation Update
  Mass Torts Made Perfect Seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada (April 6, 2022)
• Case Law Update
  New Jersey Association for Justice Meadowlands Seminar, New Jersey (December 8, 2021)
• Domesticating Out of State Judgments in the State of Florida
  Moderator, Haber Law, Webinar (August 24, 2021)
• Key Decisions Affecting Drug and Device Litigation in the Last Year
  Co-Presenter, American Bar Association, Webinar (February 26, 2021)
• A Clear View of Elmiron Litigation Webinar
  American Association for Justice (February 23, 2021)
• Mass Torts Case Selection: Which Projects to Choose, Which Projects to Pass On
  Mass Torts Made Perfect, Webinar (August 18, 2020) 
• Deposition Strategies & Techniques: Honing Your Skill and Finding Your Style
  Lawline, Webinar (June 5, 2020)
• Using Proven Strategies to Prepare for Depositions
  Clear Law Institute, Webinar (April 24, 2020)
• Can I Litigate a Mass Tort in State Court?
  American Association for Justice Seminar, San Diego, California (July 26, 2019)
• Deposition Strategies and Techniques Honing Your Skills and Finding Your Style
  New York City Bar, New York, New York (June 19, 2019)
• Forum Defendant Removal in the Era of Electronic Filing
  New Jersey Association for Justice Boardwalk Seminar (May 9, 2018)
• NJ Standard for Admissibility of Expert Testimony After In re Accutane
  New Jersey Association for Justice Winter Seminar, Somerset, New Jersey (February 28, 2019)
• Rebuttal Summation Overcoming the Obstacles
  Trial Lawyers Summit 2019, Miami, Florida (January 20, 2019)
• Update on the New Jersey MDL's
  New Jersey Association for Justice, Atlantic City, New Jersey (April 27, 2017)
• Intake Criteria for Mass Tort Cases Presented by Judge Higbee’s Alumni
  New Jersey Association for Justice, Atlantic City, New Jersey (April 27, 2017)
• Demanding Justice Stories and Advice from Trial Lawyers
  American Association for Justice, New York, New York (April 12, 2017)
• Doctors Panel Drugs Devices and Practices
  Mass Tort Med School & Class Actions, HB Litigation Conferences, Orlando, Florida (March 14, 2017)
• Science Update Benicar
  Mass Tort Med School, San Juan, Puerto Rico (May 4, 2016)
• Emerging Torts Abilify
  Mass Tort Med School, San Juan, Puerto Rico (May 4, 2016)
• New Jersey Litigation Update
  New Jersey Association For Justice Boardwalk Seminar, Atlantic City, New Jersey (April 30, 2016)
• Drug and Medical Device Conference
  American Association For Justice, Boca Raton, Florida (February 27, 2016)
• Benicar Litigation MDL Atlantic County
  New Jersey Association For Justice, East Rutherford, New Jersey (November 20, 2015)
• Plaintiff Only Hot Topics and Trends in Litigation
  American Association For Justice, New York, New York (September 30, 2015)
• Benicar Litigation Update
  American Association For Justice, Montreal, Canada (July 12, 2015)
• Benicar Litigation
  Mass Torts Made Perfect, Las Vegas, Nevada (April 17, 2015)
• New Jersey Litigation Update
  American Association For Justice, Desert Springs, California (February 24, 2015)
• Benicar Litigation
  Mass Torts Made Perfect, Las Vegas, Nevada (October 20, 2014)
• Benicar Litigation
  Mass Torts Made Perfect, Webinar (August 7, 2014)
• Litigation Update
  HarrisMartin, New Orleans, Louisiana (June 20, 2014)

Media Mentions

• "Law360 Names Attys Who Moved Up The Firm Ranks In Q1," Law360 (May 8, 2019)
• “Lawyers Seek Mass Tort Status in Taxotere Cancer Drug Litigation,” New Jersey Law Journal (April 20, 2018)
• “Hundreds Seek To Centralize NJ Taxotere Hair Loss Suits,” Law360 (April 18, 2018)
• “Bristol-Myers, Consumers Look to Centralize NJ Abilify Suits,” Law360 (January 2, 2018)
• “MCL Designation Sought for New Jersey Cases Linking Abilify to Gambling,” New Jersey Law Journal (December 29, 2017)
• “Top Women in The Law—Rayna Kessler,” New Jersey Law Journal (November 14, 2016)
• “First Trials in Benicar MDL Pushed Back to 2017,” New Jersey Law Journal (July 12, 2016)
• “NJ Suits Alleging Abilify-Gambling Link Consolidated Pretrial,” New Jersey Law Journal (March 23, 2016)
• “Daiichi Sankyo Looks To Fuse NJ Benicar Suits,” Law360 (May 28, 2015)
• “NJ Benicar Side-Effect Suits Combined In Atlantic County,” Law360 (September 9, 2015)