Anand Agneshwar is a nationally recognized Chambers Band 1 practitioner who has led or co-led Arnold & Porter’s Product Liability Litigation practice for 15 years. He represents leading pharmaceutical and consumer product companies as national, strategic, trial, and appellate counsel in high-stakes product liability, state attorney general, consumer fraud, and class action related litigation.
Anand brings extensive courtroom experience, including bench and jury trials, evidentiary hearings, and hundreds of significant arguments in state and federal courts nationwide. He is frequently appointed to multidistrict litigation (MDL) steering committees, has served as a court-appointed special master, and is a member of the Advisory Board of Trial Lawyers of Mass Torts, working alongside judges and leading counsel on both sides of the bar.
Widely regarded for his courtroom presence and strategic insight, Anand was the architect of the personal jurisdiction theory that ultimately prevailed in Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Superior Court of California, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision. He advises clients on litigation risk, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory issues, and the compliance and litigation implications of emerging legislation. A frequent author, he writes on product liability and FDA-related topics.
In addition to his commercial practice, Anand maintains an active pro bono docket focused on protecting civil liberties, particularly religious freedom. He also co-chairs the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Anand received his J.D., magna cum laude, from New York University School of Law in 1992. While at NYU, he was elected to the Order of the Coif, served as Developments Editor of the NYU Law Review, and authored a note titled “Rediscovering God in the Constitution.”
Experience
- Represents Sanofi as co-lead national counsel and member of the MDL Defense Steering Committee in In re: Zantac Litigation and related state court proceedings, as well as in multiple product liability matters involving other prescription drugs.
- Represents Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi as lead national counsel in consumer fraud and product liability litigation involving Plavix.
- Represents Bristol-Myers Squibb as national counsel and MDL Steering Committee member in federal and state litigation involving Abilify.
- Represents Galderma in class action litigation involving dermatological products.
- Advises major food companies on litigation risks related to ultra-processed foods.
- Counsels international pharmaceutical companies on risks arising from potentially contaminated products.
Perspectives
Recognition
"National Practice Area Star" Product Liability and Recall (2024-2026)
Credentials
Education
- J.D., New York University School of Law, 1992, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif
- B.A., University of Rochester
Admissions
- New York
- New Jersey
Clerkships
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, The Honorable Harold A. Ackerman
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, The Honorable Morton I. Greenberg