The Daily Business Review selected Shook, Hardy & Bacon Partner Hildy Sastre as a "Most Effective Lawyer," Complex Business Litigation. Sastre is among an elite group of trial lawyers with significant first-chair courtroom experience in highly watched bellwether cases. She arduously defends global brands in multidistrict litigation and mass tort claims which often involve in excess of tens of thousands of plaintiffs.
The DBR noted in its coverage of Sastre that a recent bellwether Taxotere defense verdict played an important role in her selection of the honor.
"Thanks to the DBR for recognizing the trial strengths of Shook and the kinds of complex and often contentious cases that we work on for clients," said Sastre. "I'm humbled by the acknowledgment and appreciative of the many opportunities that Shook has provided me."
Sastre is known for taking the heat out of a plaintiff's case, so that juries have a clear-eyed view of the evidence.
"Lawyers are storytellers. We help juries understand all sides to a complex issue, which can be difficult to hear because the cases we try are highly emotional by nature," said Sastre. "Our goal is to win the credibility battle in the courtroom. If they like and trust you, juries are going to listen to the evidence."
Her trial experience includes leading highly complex cases steeped in scientific and medical data.
"I enter into a trial with a big picture strategy, which includes developing several straightforward case winning themes," stated Sastre. "Because the topics are complex, you need to make your themes memorable and repeatable so defense jurors can go back into deliberations and fight for you. You need to get through to a few jurors, so they are focused on only this plaintiff and this claim, and have them questioning if what the plaintiff's counsel is claiming makes sense."
Sastre co-manages the growing Miami office of Shook and is on Shook's Executive Committee. She is committed to the development of women trial lawyers and her leadership is resulting in more opportunities for diverse lawyers.