In a career that has spanned half a century, Sheila Birnbaum has defended pharmaceutical, insurance and automobile giants against potentially crippling product liability claims. Her work on bet-the-company cases as a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and now at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has earned her the nickname “Queen of Toxic Torts” and saved clients such as Dow Corning Corp., Pfizer Inc. and State Farm multiple millions.
But Birnbaum, 76, is just as eager to talk about her role as special master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, setting up a claims process to distribute $2.8 billion to rescue workers and residents who experienced health problems after the terrorist attack that brought down the World Trade Center.
