Adam L.
Hoeflich

A partner in the Litigation Department, Adam Hoeflich is a nationally recognized courtroom lawyer and strategic advisor to public and private companies and prominent individuals facing complex challenges. Adam regularly serves as lead counsel in major commercial litigation, multidistrict litigation, and appeals across a broad range of industries and subject areas. These matters often combine novel legal issues, significant financial exposure, and reputational risk. He also regularly advises clients on sensitive matters they seek to resolve discreetly and, when possible, outside of litigation.

Adam’s representations include:

Multidistrict Litigation

• Bayer AG’s Board of Management concerning Roundup^® and PCB litigation.
• A leading biopharma company in the resolution of more than 80,000 cases alleging that an over-the-counter heartburn medicine caused cancer.
• A leading market‑making firm as lead counsel in multidistrict litigation arising from January 2021 trading restrictions involving “meme stocks,” achieving dismissal and handling the appeal in the Eleventh Circuit.
• A prominent financial firm in litigation alleging manipulation of markets tied to the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), resulting in dismissal from the multidistrict litigation.
• DuPont as national counsel in the Imprelis® herbicide products liability multidistrict litigation and related class actions, alleging damage to more than 35,000 properties, which were resolved through settlement.
• DuPont in a consumer products liability multidistrict litigation involving 23 purported class actions alleging purchases of cookware coated with Teflon® and other non‑stick coatings, in which class certification was denied in all matters and the cases were dismissed with prejudice following the rejection of plaintiffs’ appeal by the Eighth Circuit.
• Bayer in a product liability multidistrict litigation involving eleven purported class actions relating to aspirin combination products, which was resolved through settlement.
• Merck as national counsel in the multidistrict litigation arising from the withdrawal of Vioxx®, serving as one of four lawyers principally responsible for creating and negotiating the settlement of personal injury claims.
• Bayer as national counsel in nationwide litigation and multidistrict proceedings arising from the withdrawal of Baycol®.
• Bayer as national counsel in nationwide litigation alleging that plaintiffs suffered strokes after ingesting Alka‑Seltzer Plus® products containing PPA, in which the firm achieved a defense verdict in every case tried.
• DuPont as co‑lead counsel in antitrust and unfair‑trade‑practices class actions concerning the marketing of Coumadin®, which were resolved through settlement.
• Alpha in nationwide wrongful death and personal injury litigation alleging that hemophiliac plaintiffs contracted HIV through the use of blood‑clotting products, serving as trial and strategic counsel and co‑trying cases to defense verdicts in Houston, Texas and St. Louis, Missouri.

Commercial Disputes

• One of the world’s leading internet financial companies in its dispute concerning its termination of its former investment banker.
• A confidential claimant in a commercial arbitration concerning an investment in semiconductor patent rights, securing emergency relief and prevailing on all claims after a three‑week arbitration, with an award exceeding $75 million.
• The Nielsen Company as lead counsel in a contract dispute brought by CF Entertainment, a collection of cable networks, pending in the Northern District of Illinois.
• A prominent venture capital firm in fraud, rescission and unjust enrichment litigation relating to Outcome Health in New York and Delaware, resulting in a settlement that included freezing founder‑held funds and a restructuring.
• A leading U.S. company in confidential insurance recovery arbitrations under the Bermuda Form, obtaining recoveries exceeding $500 million.
• Seakeeper in the settlement of litigation challenging the performance of gyroscopic boat stabilizers in the Central District of California.
• Bayer in qui tam litigation relating to Baycol, including multidistrict proceedings in the District of Minnesota and two appeals to the Eighth Circuit, resulting in repeated dismissals and ultimate settlement.
• Bandag, Inc. in litigation against Michelin alleging inducement of franchise breaches, including defense of antitrust and Lanham Act counterclaims; the case settled during trial.
• An international hotel and resort company in the resolution, without litigation, of a contractual dispute with a nationally known real estate developer.
• A pharmaceutical company in mediation involving antitrust, fraud, breach‑of‑contract and tortious‑interference claims, resolved through a favorable supply agreement.
• DuPont in antitrust litigation brought by Barr Laboratories alleging monopolization of the market for a blood‑thinning medication, which settled following partial dismissal.

Class Actions

• Scientific Games Corp. in a putative class action challenging social games as illegal gambling, pending in the Western District of Washington.
• A prominent investment firm in advising on its rights as an absent class member in a class action alleging anticompetitive conduct in the stock lending business, pending in the Southern District of New York.
• Trinity Industries as national counsel in individual and class action litigation in federal and state courts challenging the safety of the ET Plus guardrail system, including serving as lead trial counsel in cases alleging serious personal injury or wrongful death and obtaining dismissal with prejudice of a class action during class certification briefing in the Southern District of Illinois.
• Northwestern Mutual in purported class actions alleging breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty relating to annuity dividend determinations, including securing appellate review in the Seventh Circuit and reversal of a remand order, preserving federal jurisdiction; the matter subsequently settled.
• Georgia‑Pacific Gypsum LLC in a putative class action alleging that building products caused damage to consumers’ homes, which was dismissed.
• Deloitte & Touche in a purported class action brought by retired Arthur Andersen partners, which was dismissed.

Financial Services Litigation

• Prominent investment firms in litigation alleging market manipulation brought against unnamed defendants, in which all cases were dismissed.
• A prominent investment firm in non‑compete litigation in the Northern District of Illinois, serving as lead counsel and obtaining a temporary restraining order in the client’s favor.
• A whistleblower investment firm in a CFTC enforcement action alleging market manipulation through spoofing against a trading firm and its founder, which was resolved through settlement between the CFTC and the trading firm.
• Financial firms and senior executives in a variety of confidential domestic and international regulatory matters.
• Financial firms in sensitive employment matters, including confidential arbitrations.

Chambers USA has described Adam as a “force in multidistrict litigation” with experience handling sophisticated litigation matters across diverse areas such as securities, insurance and product liability. Sources quoted by Chambers have called him a “phenomenal strategist” and a “go‑to legal mind on complicated litigation.” He is consistently ranked by Chambers USA as one of the leading litigators in Illinois (2005–2025) and as a leading national products liability lawyer (2007–2025). He has also been recognized by Benchmark Litigation as a national Litigation Star (2009–2026), by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Litigators in America (2023–2026), and by LMG Life Sciences as “Highly Recommended” (2012–2021).

Adam's practice benefits from his deep understanding of complex litigation and legal ethics. He is a Professor of Practice at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and previously was a Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School (2010–2015). He is an elected member of the American Law Institute (ALI).

Active in the civic community, Adam is a trustee of Northwestern University, where he serves on the executive committee; a board member of Northwestern Medicine, where he sits on Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s quality committee; and a member of both the Commercial Club and the Economic Club. He is past chair of the Civic Federation Board of Trustees (2019–2023).