Hagens Berman Promotes Three Attorneys to Partner in 2026
SEATTLE — Hagens Berman, a nationally recognized plaintiffs’ law firm, is proud to announce the promotion of three associate attorneys to partner across its U.S. offices, marking the start of the new year. The recognition highlights their unwavering commitment to the firm’s mission of combating allegations of fraud and harmful behavior through class-action litigation. The promoted attorneys have played pivotal roles in advancing cases in consumer protection, investor fraud, pharmaceutical fraud and sexual abuse and harassment.
- Rachel Downey practices in Hagens Berman’s Boston office and is a key member of the firm’s pharmaceutical litigation team, where she helps lead cases against some of the nation’s largest and most powerful pharmaceutical companies. She is currently leading the team prosecuting In re Copaxone Antitrust Litigation on behalf of direct purchasers who were allegedly overcharged for the drug Copaxone as a result of Teva’s alleged unlawful scheme to suppress generic competition. She also served as a core member of the litigation team in In re Zetia (Ezetimibe), an antitrust action alleging that defendants Merck and Glenmark unlawfully agreed to delay access to the generic ezetimibe for years, resulting in billions in overcharges to purchasers. Downey was also instrumental in securing a $483.85 million settlement for the direct purchaser class in In re Glumetza Antitrust Litigation, the largest U.S. antitrust settlement in 2022.
- Peter A. Shaeffer practices in Hagens Berman’s Chicago office and is a key member of the firm’s investor fraud, consumer protection and product liability litigation teams. He is currently litigating securities fraud actions on behalf of investors of The Beauty Health Company, Avaya Holding Corp. and Paragon 28 Inc. In 2025, he helped secure an $8 million settlement for investors in the firm’s case against Redwire Corporation. Previously, Mr. Shaeffer played a key role in obtaining settlements on behalf of investors of Blink Charging Company ($3.75 million) and Zuora, Inc. ($75.5 million), as well as a $6 million settlement for consumers who purchased BMW’s X5 Diesel and 335d vehicles based on representations regarding the vehicles’ diesel emissions performance.
- Whitney Siehl, based in Hagens Berman’s Chicago office, co-leads the firm’s data breach, privacy and cybersecurity practice and contributes to the firm’s antitrust and consumer protection work. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Siehl has represented hundreds of thousands of university students, resulting in more than $28 million in settlements to date, pending court approval. As a member of the firm’s sexual abuse and harassment litigation team, she has helped secured justice for survivors in landmark cases, including a $17.1 million settlement fund involving Harvey Weinstein and a $215 million fund for survivors of USC’s Dr. George Tyndall. Whitney served as president of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois in 2023-2024 and was named one of Chicago Law Bulletin Media’s 2024 Top Women in Law.
Find out more about Hagens Berman’s legal victories and class-action settlements.
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About Hagens Berman
Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs’ rights complex litigation law firm with a tenacious drive for achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. Since its founding in 1993, the firm’s determination has earned it numerous national accolades, awards and titles of “Most Feared Plaintiff’s Firm,” MVPs and Trailblazers of class-action law. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.
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