WASHINGTON, DC, April 15, 2024: Morgan Lewis bolsters its leading consumer class action and product liability practice with three partners—April Nelson Ross, Rachel Raphael, and Mohamed Awan—from Crowell & Moring. April and Rachel are located in the firm’s Washington, DC office and Mohamed is resident in Chicago. The trio will continue their consumer class action, mass tort, and product risk management representations with a particular focus on the transportation industry. They follow the recent addition of prominent transportation and logistics regulatory partner R. Latane Montague in Washington, DC, who now co-leads Morgan Lewis’s global automotive and mobility practice.
“Our new colleagues’ experience in defending a full range of class action and MDL matters aligns with our strengths and the advocacy we provide to clients in controversy-related matters,” said Firm Chair Jami McKeon. “April, Rachel, and Mohamed also are a natural fit with the related work we’re doing across the board in the transportation and logistics industry for auto manufacturers, rail, trucking, and aviation such as navigating electric vehicle–related regulations and advising on government enforcement actions involving the National Highway Transportation Safety Act, the Railway Safety Act, and the Consumer Product Safety Act.”
“Each brings deep courtroom experience involving an array of complex litigation issues, including both class and MDL actions—defending against allegations of supposed product defects, beaches of warranties, asserted fraud, and other tort claims,” said J. Gordon Cooney Jr., leader of the firm’s global litigation practice. “We are excited to combine this team of talented partners with our deep bench of class and mass action litigators.”
About the Team
April Nelson Ross
April has served as national coordinating counsel in numerous MDL proceedings and has led more than 50 class action matters, including defending certified class actions through bench and jury trials and on appeal before federal and state courts. She represents clients in a range of industries, with a particular focus on automotive, transportation, healthcare, chemicals, and consumer products. Prior to attending law school, April worked as a molecular biologist for a biotechnology company, focusing on drug development research for neurobiological diseases.
Rachel Raphael
Rachel focuses her practice on defending clients in complex product liability and consumer class action litigation, and advising clients on a variety of consumer protection issues with a particular focus on product safety and regulatory compliance. Rachel also navigates inquiries from, and enforcement actions by, State Attorneys General, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and other regulators around the world. Her clients span a wide range of industries, from automotive manufacturing to personal care products and cosmetics.
Mohamed Awan
Mohamed litigates class actions in federal courts across the United States, including multiple warranty claim class actions for one of the leading automobile manufacturers in the country. He represents clients in high-stakes financial services, M&A, class action, and complex commercial disputes, including those arising from M&A and sophisticated financial transactions. Mohamed also serves as national counsel to a leading technology innovator, advising the company on statutory issues arising under the Communications Decency Act (CDA). Beyond this work, Mohamed has an additional focus on advising investment fund sponsors on fund formation strategy and dispute prevention.