Amy M. Pepke

Partner Litigation

Houston +1 713 836 3780

Overview

Amy Pepke is a litigation partner in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Amy represents clients in high-stakes class and mass-action disputes, particularly in product liability and healthcare litigation. Additionally, she has extensive experience defending national and international corporations and individuals in matters ranging from pharmaceutical and medical device liability to toxic torts to intellectual property violations.

Amy has extensive experience in legal strategy, appellate work and trial counsel, particularly in high-stakes litigation. She has served as appellate trial counsel for Johnson & Johnson in pelvic mesh litigation, securing defense wins in all jury trials over the past two years and achieving numerous summary judgements.

Prior to joining Kirkland, notable successes include obtaining affirmations from the Eleventh and Fourth Circuits in the CoolSculpting® and pelvic mesh cases. Amy has also led significant litigation teams, represented major corporations in high-profile cases and held leadership roles in various organizations.

She is recognized by Best Lawyers in America® and Mid-South Super Lawyers® and she serves on several prestigious legal committees. Amy holds a J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School and a B.A. from Spring Hill College. She is admitted to practice in Tennessee, multiple U.S. circuit courts and the U.S. Supreme Court.

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

  • Doomey v. Johnson & Johnson, et al. (Cal. Sup. Ct. 2025): Talc product liability case; after a 5-week trial in Los Angeles, a jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of Johnson & Johnson on all liability questions.
  • Snowden v. Ethicon (Dallas, TX): Pelvic mesh product liability case; defense verdict, 2022, selected as a CVN top 10 defense verdict in 2022.
  • Shostrom v. Ethicon, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson; Case No. 1:20-cv-01933-WJM-STV, U.S.D.C. (D. Colo.): Pelvic mesh product liability case; defense verdict, 2022. “Johnson and Johnson Wins Third Ethicon Pelvic Mesh Trial This Year,” Law.com, July 6, 2022.
  • Shears v. Ethicon, Inc., Case No. 1:20-cv-00264, U.S.D.C. (N.D. W.Va.): Pelvic mesh product liability case; defense verdict, 2022.
  • Pelvic Mesh Product Liability Litigation, including In re: Ethicon, Inc., Pelvic Repair Systems Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2327, United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia: Lead motion practice team, expert motions; appellate trial counsel.
  • Cates v. Zeltiq Aesthetics, Inc., — F.4th —, 2023 WL 467128 (11th Cir. 2023): Obtained a ruling affirming summary judgment granted in the CoolSculpting® litigation.
  • Donalds v. Ethicon, Inc., 37 F.4th 400, 2023 WL 2446703 (4th Cir. 2023): Obtained a ruling affirming summary judgment in a pelvic mesh case for insufficient proof of causation.
  • Donaldson v. Johnson & Johnson, — F.4th —, 2022 WL 2145276 (7th Cir. 2022): Obtained a ruling affirming summary judgment in a pelvic mesh case for insufficient proof of causation.
  • Clabo v. Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc. et al., 982 F.3d 989, 2020 WL 7331496 (6th Cir. 2020): Obtained a ruling affirming summary judgment in a pelvic mesh suit on the basis of statute of repose.
  • Obtained favorable resolution of multimillion dollar verdict in a pharmacy liability case for one of the nation’s largest pharmacies: Appellate counsel.
  • Herrera-Nevarez v. Ethicon Inc., Case No. 17 C 3930 (N.D. Ill.): Pelvic mesh product liability case; defense verdict on design defect, failure to warn and negligence claims, 2017.
  • Tylenol Product Liability Litigation, including In re: Tylenol (Acetaminophen) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2436, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania: Motion team.
  • Prosecution and defense of commercial cases involving claims for patent infringement, antitrust and Lanham Act violations.

Law ClerkHonorable Judge J. Julia S. GibbonsUnited States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee

Partner, King & Spalding LLP

More

Recognition

Named “Key Lawyer,” The Legal 500 United States, 2024

Named “Best Lawyers in America,” Best Lawyers in America®, 2012–2024

Named “Mid-South Super Lawyer” for Civil Litigation: Defense, Super Lawyers®, 2012–2021, 2024

Named “Lawyer of the Year,” Best Lawyers in America®, 2022

Named “Top 50 Women,” Super Lawyers®, 2013–2014

Adjunct Professor, University of Memphis School of Law, 2001–2009

Professor, “Comparative Criminal Justice,” British Studies Program, 1999–2000

Memberships & Affiliations

Fellow, American Bar Foundation

Fellow, Tennessee Bar Foundation

Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America

Fellow, Memphis Bar Association

Member, Federal Bar Association

Member, Association of Women Attorneys

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • Not admitted to practice in Texas
  • Tennessee

Courts

  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth 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 Ninth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
  • United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee

Education

  • Vanderbilt Law SchoolJ.D.

    Order of the Coif

    Managing Editor, Vanderbilt Law Review

  • Spring Hill CollegeB.A., International Business & International Relationswith Honors