Conlee S. Whiteley

Conlee is the managing member of Kanner & Whiteley and has been with the firm since 1994. She practices primarily on behalf of plaintiffs in the areas of pharmaceutical, consumer fraud, antitrust, and insurance litigation. She has been appointed as Co-Lead Counsel in In re Valsartan NDMA Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2875, and serves on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in In re: Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2924, and has been appointed as class counsel in many of the firm’s class actions with an active role in the litigation, certification, trial and settlement of cases against financial institutions, insurance companies, and drug and other product manufacturers, including: Barba v. Shire (Consolidated Multistate class settlement on behalf of Adderall XR purchasers); In re Intuniv Antitrust Litigation (Antitrust Multistate class action on behalf of Intuniv purchasers); Medical Mutual of Ohio v. Purdue Pharma, MDL No. 2804. (Economic Damages Opioid action on behalf of TPP; and other Opioid damages litigation on behalf of several public entities in NJ, PA and LA). She has also served in leadership roles in In re: Budeprion XL Marketing and Products Litigation MDL No. 2107; Shaffer v. Continental Casualty Co., et al.; Waxler v. Trinity Marine Co., et al.; Bonilla v. Trebol Motors and Volvo Car Corporation, et al. and RenDan Farms v. Monsanto, Co., et al.

Conlee has represented the State of Louisiana as co-lead counsel in various pharmaceutical cases, including: State of Louisiana v. GlaxoSmithKline, LLC, et al. (involving fraudulent marketing of Avandia and resulting in the largest single defendant pharmaceutical settlement in Louisiana history); State of Louisiana v. GlaxoSmithKline, LLC, et al. (GSK Multi-Drug); State of Louisiana v. Abbott Laboratories, et al. (Depakote); State of Louisiana v. Endo Pharmaceuticals (Lidoderm); and State of Louisiana v. Shire Pharmaceuticals, et al. (Adderall XR).

She also provides commercial litigation representation for both plaintiffs and defendants. Such clients include Nucor, IMTT, IMTT-Geismar, Columbus Properties, Crescent Crown Distributing, Co., Republic National Distributing Co., Goldring Gulf Distributing Co. of Mobile, First Bank & Trust, U.S. Filter Corp., and Waste Management, Inc.

Conlee is a member of the State Bar of Louisiana, is licensed to practice law in the Louisiana State Courts, the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana, District of Puerto Rico, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, District of North Dakota, and the United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Third, Fifth and Ninth Circuits. She has also been admitted to practice pro hac vice in various federal and state courts throughout the country.

Conlee is on the Louisiana Association for Justice Board of Governors (2020-2021). She is also the immediate past President and former Treasurer (2009-2013) on the Board of Directors of Alexander Milne Developmental Services (2008-2021), a non-profit founded in 1843 devoted to the support, care and increasing independence for intellectually disabled persons in a community environment.

Conlee also recently served on the Board of Directors of Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans which promotes the preservation, restoration, and revitalization of New Orleans’ historic architecture and neighborhoods (2015-2021) and she served on the Trinity Episcopal School, Board of Trustees (2013-2019), served as its Vice-Chair (2017-2018), served on the Trinity Diversity and Inclusion Task Force (2015-2016), and been a member of the Paul M. Hebert Law Center Dean’s Council since 2002.

Martindale-Hubbel Peer Review Rated - Conlee Schell WhiteleyLawdragon 2019CityBusiness 2016 Leadership in Law

2014 Women of the Year - Conlee Whiteley


Recent Activities & Honors

  • 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2017-2024)
  • 2023 Martindale-Hubbell® & ALM, Top Rated Litigator
  • 2023 Martindale-Hubbell® & ALM, Elite Lawyer of the South
  • 2022 Martindale-Hubbell® & ALM, Top Rated Litigator
  • 2021 Martindale-Hubbell® & ALM, Elite Lawyer of the South
  • 2019 Finalist, Elite Trial Lawyers, National Law Journal (Pharmaceutical Litigation)
  • 2016 Finalist, Elite Trial Lawyers, National Law Journal (Pharmaceutical Litigation)
  • 2016 Top Rated Litigator, The American Lawyer
  • Leadership In Law Award, CityBusiness 2016
  • New Orleans CityBusiness Women of the Year, 2014
  • “AV” Martindale-Hubble rating since 1981 through 2022

Articles

  • After the Storm, 54 Trial 26 (April 2018)
  • Lessons Learned From Katrina, Gustav and Ike, Vol. 32, Issue 3 RSA Reporter (p.12) (March 2013)
  • Building Owners May Be Overlooking Potential Wind Damage Insurance Recoveries, AIM (Published by the New Jersey Apartment Association), (September 2013)

Presentations

  • Valsartan and Losartan Recall Litigation Conference, Harris Martin, April 16, 2019, Philadelphia, PA
  • Lessons Learned from Katrina, Gustav and Ike, RSA Seminar, February 13, 2013, New York, NY
  • Disaster Recovery After Natural Disasters, New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants Seminar, October 1, 2013, Edison, NJ
  • Are we “Stronger Than the Storm?”, Annual EisnerAmper Closely Held Business Summit, October 29, 2013, Metlife Stadium

Associations & Memberships

  • American Association for Justice, (Leaders Forum)
  • Louisiana Association for Justice, Board of Governors
  • Louisiana Bar Association
  • New Orleans Bar Association
  • Paul M. Hebert (LSU) Law Center, Chancellor’s Council, 2003-present