Susanna Moldoveanu

Partner Litigation

New York +1 212 341 7760

Overview

Susanna Moldoveanu is a litigation partner in Kirkland’s New York office, focusing on high-stakes complex litigation, in particular mass torts, product liability and healthcare litigation.

Susanna has served as legal issues counsel in some of the largest multidistrict litigations in history, achieving significant success at both the trial and appellate level. Susanna has successfully defended clients in the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeal, as well as numerous district courts and state courts. She has also served as appellate trial counsel in multiple jury trials, all defense verdicts.

Susanna was selected as a “Rising Star – Life Sciences” by Law360 and has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America and The Legal 500. She frequently writes and speaks on mass tort litigation and has served in leadership roles in various organizations.

Prior to joining Kirkland, Susanna was involved in the following representative matters:

  • Led motions team in Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson’s pelvic mesh products liability litigation, including In re: Ethicon, Inc. Pelvic Repair Sys. Prods. Liab. Litig., MDL No. 2327 and New Jersey multicounty litigation.
  • Led motions team in Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson's hernia mesh products liability litigation, including In re: Physiomesh Flexible Composite Hernia Mesh Prods. Liab. Litig., MDL No. 2782 and New Jersey multicounty litigation.
  • Motions coordinating counsel for multinational manufacturing company in multidistrict litigation concerning sale of allegedly defective earplugs.
  • Crowe v. Johnson & Johnson, 2025 WL 1261932 (11th Cir. 2025) — Obtained ruling affirming summary judgment in pelvic mesh case under New Jersey statute of limitations.
  • Hudspeth v. Ethicon, Inc. et al. (M.D. Fla. 2023) — Appellate trial counsel; defense verdict.
  • Dandy v. Ethicon, Inc. et al. (D.N.J. 2023) - Appellate trial counsel; defense verdict.
  • Cates v. Zeltiq Aesthetics, Inc., 73 F.4th 1342 (11th Cir. 2023) — Obtained ruling affirming summary judgment on failure to warn and design defect in CoolSculpting® case under Florida law.
  • Donalds v. Ethicon, et al., 2023 WL 2446703 (4th Cir. Mar. 20, 2023) — Obtained ruling affirming summary judgment in pelvic mesh case for insufficient proof of causation.
  • Bond v. Johnson & Johnson, et al., 2022 WL 4594185 (3d Cir. Sept. 30, 2022) — Obtained ruling affirming summary judgment in hernia mesh case under North Carolina statute of repose.
  • McBroom v. Ethicon (D. Ariz. 2022) — Appellate trial counsel; defense verdict.
  • Jarrett v. Ethicon (E.D. Ark. 2022) — Appellate trial counsel; defense verdict.
  • Perciballi v. Ethicon, Inc., 2022 WL 3147781 (2d Cir. Aug. 8, 2022) — Obtained ruling affirming summary judgment in pelvic mesh case under New York statute of limitations.
  • Donaldson v. Johnson & Johnson, 37 F.4th 400 (7th Cir. 2022) — Obtained ruling affirming summary judgment in pelvic mesh case for insufficient proof of causation.
  • Salinero v. Johnson & Johnson, 995 F.3d 959 (11th Cir. 2021) — Obtained ruling affirming summary judgment on failure to warn claim and rejecting exception to learned intermediary doctrine under Florida law in pelvic mesh case.
  • Kelly v. Ethicon, Inc., 2021 WL 4998930 (8th Cir. 2021) — Obtained ruling affirming summary judgment on statue of repose under Iowa law.
  • Clabo v. Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Systems, Inc. et al., 982 F.3d 989 (6th Cir. 2020) — Obtained ruling affirming summary judgment on statute of repose under Tennessee law.
  • Nwatulegwu v. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharms., Inc., 2016 WL 4443600 (7th Cir. Aug. 22, 2016) — Obtained ruling affirming dismissal for failure to comply with discovery order.
  • Weer v. Ethicon, Inc., 2016 WL 1359129 (4th Cir. Apr. 6, 2016) — Obtained ruling affirming dismissal for failure to effect service.
  • Flores v. Ethicon, Inc., 563 F. App’x 266 (4th Cir. 2014) — Obtained ruling affirming dismissal for failure to comply with pretrial orders and denial of motion to remand.
  • Huston v. Ethicon, Inc., 585 F. App’x 165 (4th Cir. 2014) — Obtained ruling affirming dismissal for failure to comply with pretrial orders.
  • Bryant v. Wyeth, Inc., 487 F. App’x 207 (5th Cir. 2012) — Obtained ruling affirming summary judgment under Mississippi statute of limitations.

Judicial ClerkHonorable Leslie H. SouthwickUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit2009–2010

More

Thought Leadership

Publications

Co-Author, “Time on Your Side: Bifurcated Trials on the Statute of Limitations,” Mass Torts Litigation, American Bar Association, 2023

Co-Author, “The Wearable Witness: Utilizing Apple Watch Data in Civil Litigation,” DRI For the Defense, 2022

Co-Author, “Personal Jurisdiction Post-Daimler – As Plaintiffs Test Exceptions to Daimler's Narrow Path, All Eyes on Appellate Courts,” Defense Counsel Journal, vol. 84, 2017

Co-Author, “Chapter 7: Management of Mass Torts by the Judiciary,” Mass Torts in the United States, American Bar Association

Contributor, Drug & Device Law Blog

Speaking Engagements

Speaker, “Expanding Product Liability Law? Gilead Science and the Duty to Innovate,” PLAC Spring Conference, 2024

Speaker, “Drug & Medical Device Litigator Think-Tank: What I Wish Was Done Differently During the Regulatory Approval Process,” American Conference Institute Drug & Medical Device Litigation Seminar, 2022

Speaker, “Personal Jurisdiction Post-Daimler: State of Law and Strategy,” International Association of Defense Counsel, 2018

Recognition

Recognized in The Legal 500 for Dispute Resolution: Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices – Defense, 2023

Named “Rising Star - Life Sciences” in Law360, 2022

Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, 2021

Adjunct Professor, Mississippi College School of Law, 2009–2010

Memberships & Affiliations

Defense Research Institute

Products Liability Advisory Council (PLAC)

American Bar Association

Mississippi Bar Association

Tennessee Bar Association 

New York State Bar Association

Louisiana State Bar Association

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 2010New York
  • 2022Arkansas
  • 2011Louisiana
  • 2011Mississippi
  • 2011Tennessee

Courts

  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
  • United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee

Education

  • University of Mississippi School of LawJ.D.2009
    Editor-in-Chief, Mississippi Law Journal
  • Yale UniversityB.A., English2006