Best Lawyers logo
  • Lawyers
  • Methodology
  • NEW! Ones to Watch
  • Partnerships
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Log In
  • Lawyers
    • Advanced Search
    • COVID-19 Assistance
    • Featured Ones to Watch
    • Lawyer of the Year
    • Highlighted Lawyers
    • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Methodology
    • Overview
    • Ones to Watch
    • Editorial Timelines
    • Practice Areas
    • Publicizing Guidelines
    • FAQ
  • Publications
    • Connecticut
    • Injury & Malpractice
    • Pennsylvania
    • Georgia
    • Colorado
    • Family Law
    • New York Area
    • Canada
    • South Florida
    • Southern California
    • Northern California
    • Tampa
    • Midwest
  • Legal Insights
    • Featured Articles
    • In the News
    • Advisory Board
    • Meet the Board
    • Press & Events
  • About
    • Global Presence
    • Company History
    • Leadership
  • Ones to Watch
  • Partnerships
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Log In Log In
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Log In

Lawyer Profile

Image of Annika Martin

Annika Martin

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
  • Recognized Since:
    2021
  • Recognized in:
    Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Website:
    http://www.lieffcabraser.com
  • Locations:
    250 Hudson Street, Eighth Floor
    New York, NY 10013
  • 275 Battery Street, 29th Floor
    San Francisco, CA 94111

Annika K. Martin is a partner in the firm’s New York office and has represented plaintiffs since 2005 in environmental, mass tort, consumer protection, and sexual abuse cases.

In May 2020, Annika was appointed Interim Class Counsel for the plaintiffs in the University of Michigan / Dr. Robert E. Anderson sexual abuse litigation pending before Judge Victoria A. Roberts in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Annika also serves as court-appointed Co-Lead Class Counsel representing women who were sexually abused by gynecologist George Tyndall, M.D., in a class action against Tyndall and the University of Southern California. Plaintiffs and class members are women who saw Tyndall at the USC Student Health Clinic during his tenure there. From 1989 through 2016, Tyndall was the only full-time gynecologist on staff at USC’s Student Health Clinic. The lawsuit alleges Tyndall used this position of trust and authority to repeatedly sexually abuse the Plaintiffs and potentially thousands of other class members, and that despite that USC received numerous complaints of Tyndall’s sexually abusive behavior, dating back to at least the year 2000, USC actively and deliberately concealed Tyndall’s sexual abuse for years, continuing to grant Tyndall unfettered sexual access to the female USC students in his care.

This case is of particular importance to Annika because she herself is an alumnus of USC’s law school. On behalf of Tyndall’s victims, Annika helped negotiate a $215 million settlement with USC and Dr. Tyndall; the settlement also requires USC to make sweeping institutional changes to ensure something like this never happens again on campus. The settlement received final approval from the court in February 2020. See https://www.usctyndallsettlement.com/.

Annika represents clients in a federal sexual assault class action lawsuit in Denver against Frontier Inc. alleging the airline failed to have and follow policies to prevent, report, and respond to sexual assaults of passengers on its flights. Similarly, Annika represents women who were sexually assaulted and harassed by obstetrician/gynecologist Patrick Sutton, M.D., in a class action against Sutton and Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasedena, California.

Annika also represents two former students in their lawsuits against The Hotchkiss School. John Doe’s suit alleges that, during his two years at the Hotchkiss School in the 1980s, John Doe was subjected to ritual hazing of a sexual nature by older student-proctors and was raped by a male teacher who was known to the School as a pedophile who had abused numerous other male students at the School. Richard Roe’s suit alleges that, during Roe’s time as a student at the School in the 1990s, that same male teacher groomed and sexually assaulted Roe in much the same way as he had Doe.

Annika represents consumers in class action lawsuits filed in federal courts in California and Georgia against Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler AG over allegations that defects in the vehicle HVAC systems lead to the growth of noxious mold that spews extremely unpleasant odors throughout the vehicles during use. The lawsuit seeks an effective permanent fix for the problem, as well as monetary damages for affected Mercedes-Benz owners and lessees. Watch a report from WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia on the Mercedes-Benz AC Mold litigation.

Annika serves as court-appointed Co-Lead counsel in In re General Motors Corp. Air Conditioning Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, MDL 2818, representing owners and lessees of certain GM trucks with allegedly defective air conditioning systems that repeatedly fail and cost thousands of dollars to repair each time.

Annika’s previous successes include the class action litigation against BP, Transocean, Halliburton, and the other companies responsible for the Deepwater Horizon oil rig blowout in the Gulf of Mexico and the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Among other significant roles, Annika was a key member of the small team that negotiated settlements that have paid out over $11.6 billion so far to compensate individuals and businesses across the Gulf Coast harmed by the Spill.

Annika also served as court-appointed Pro Se Liaison counsel in In re New England Compounding Pharmacy Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2419, the Multidistrict Litigation arising out of the 2012 meningitis outbreak caused by contaminated medication manufactured by New England Compounding Pharmacy (NECC). Annika’s work helped result in settlements totaling $227.8 million with NECC and the hospitals and clinics that unlawfully purchased and administered contaminated medication to the victims.

Annika’s published works include “Stick a Toothbrush Down Your Throat: An Analysis of the Potential Liability of Pro-Eating Disorder Websites,” Texas Journal of Women & the Law, Volume 14 Issue 2, Spring 2005 and “How to Stop Worrying and Love Predictive Coding,” Trial Magazine, January 2016.An active member of the legal community, Annika is the immediate past Chair of the Class Action Litigation Group within the American Association for Justice. Annika serves on the Leadership Council for the Sedona Conference’s Working Group 1 (Electronic Discovery Retention and Production), and co-founded the Complex Litigation E-Discovery Forum, an annual e-discovery conference for plaintiffs-side complex litigation practitioners. Annika speaks and writes regularly on issues of class actions, mass torts, e-discovery, and diversity in legal practice.In 2018, Annika won a Certificate of Recognition from the American Association for Justice. The rarely-given award acknowledges AAJ members who have made important and unique contributions to the organization through membership, education, leadership, and/or fundraising to sustain and strengthen the AAJ.

Continue Reading
  • Lawyer Bio
  • Client Comments
  • Lawyer Practice Areas
  • Firm Details
  • News & Media

Lawyer Bio

Annika K. Martin is a partner in the firm’s New York office and has represented plaintiffs since 2005 in environmental, mass tort, consumer protection, and sexual abuse cases.

In May 2020, Annika was appointed Interim Class Counsel for the plaintiffs in the University of Michigan / Dr. Robert E. Anderson sexual abuse litigation pending before Judge Victoria A. Roberts in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Annika also serves as court-appointed Co-Lead Class Counsel representing women who were sexually abused by gynecologist George Tyndall, M.D., in a class action against Tyndall and the University of Southern California. Plaintiffs and class members are women who saw Tyndall at the USC Student Health Clinic during his tenure there. From 1989 through 2016, Tyndall was the only full-time gynecologist on staff at USC’s Student Health Clinic. The lawsuit alleges Tyndall used this position of trust and authority to repeatedly sexually abuse the Plaintiffs and potentially thousands of other class members, and that despite that USC received numerous complaints of Tyndall’s sexually abusive behavior, dating back to at least the year 2000, USC actively and deliberately concealed Tyndall’s sexual abuse for years, continuing to grant Tyndall unfettered sexual access to the female USC students in his care.

This case is of particular importance to Annika because she herself is an alumnus of USC’s law school. On behalf of Tyndall’s victims, Annika helped negotiate a $215 million settlement with USC and Dr. Tyndall; the settlement also requires USC to make sweeping institutional changes to ensure something like this never happens again on campus. The settlement received final approval from the court in February 2020. See https://www.usctyndallsettlement.com/.

Annika represents clients in a federal sexual assault class action lawsuit in Denver against Frontier Inc. alleging the airline failed to have and follow policies to prevent, report, and respond to sexual assaults of passengers on its flights. Similarly, Annika represents women who were sexually assaulted and harassed by obstetrician/gynecologist Patrick Sutton, M.D., in a class action against Sutton and Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasedena, California.

Annika also represents two former students in their lawsuits against The Hotchkiss School. John Doe’s suit alleges that, during his two years at the Hotchkiss School in the 1980s, John Doe was subjected to ritual hazing of a sexual nature by older student-proctors and was raped by a male teacher who was known to the School as a pedophile who had abused numerous other male students at the School. Richard Roe’s suit alleges that, during Roe’s time as a student at the School in the 1990s, that same male teacher groomed and sexually assaulted Roe in much the same way as he had Doe.

Annika represents consumers in class action lawsuits filed in federal courts in California and Georgia against Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler AG over allegations that defects in the vehicle HVAC systems lead to the growth of noxious mold that spews extremely unpleasant odors throughout the vehicles during use. The lawsuit seeks an effective permanent fix for the problem, as well as monetary damages for affected Mercedes-Benz owners and lessees. Watch a report from WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia on the Mercedes-Benz AC Mold litigation.

Annika serves as court-appointed Co-Lead counsel in In re General Motors Corp. Air Conditioning Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, MDL 2818, representing owners and lessees of certain GM trucks with allegedly defective air conditioning systems that repeatedly fail and cost thousands of dollars to repair each time.

Annika’s previous successes include the class action litigation against BP, Transocean, Halliburton, and the other companies responsible for the Deepwater Horizon oil rig blowout in the Gulf of Mexico and the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Among other significant roles, Annika was a key member of the small team that negotiated settlements that have paid out over $11.6 billion so far to compensate individuals and businesses across the Gulf Coast harmed by the Spill.

Annika also served as court-appointed Pro Se Liaison counsel in In re New England Compounding Pharmacy Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2419, the Multidistrict Litigation arising out of the 2012 meningitis outbreak caused by contaminated medication manufactured by New England Compounding Pharmacy (NECC). Annika’s work helped result in settlements totaling $227.8 million with NECC and the hospitals and clinics that unlawfully purchased and administered contaminated medication to the victims.

Annika’s published works include “Stick a Toothbrush Down Your Throat: An Analysis of the Potential Liability of Pro-Eating Disorder Websites,” Texas Journal of Women & the Law, Volume 14 Issue 2, Spring 2005 and “How to Stop Worrying and Love Predictive Coding,” Trial Magazine, January 2016.An active member of the legal community, Annika is the immediate past Chair of the Class Action Litigation Group within the American Association for Justice. Annika serves on the Leadership Council for the Sedona Conference’s Working Group 1 (Electronic Discovery Retention and Production), and co-founded the Complex Litigation E-Discovery Forum, an annual e-discovery conference for plaintiffs-side complex litigation practitioners. Annika speaks and writes regularly on issues of class actions, mass torts, e-discovery, and diversity in legal practice.In 2018, Annika won a Certificate of Recognition from the American Association for Justice. The rarely-given award acknowledges AAJ members who have made important and unique contributions to the organization through membership, education, leadership, and/or fundraising to sustain and strengthen the AAJ.

Read more on firm website
  • Award List
  • Additional Information

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for work in:

  • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
 

Awards:

  • Selected for inclusion by peers in The Best Lawyers in America in field of “Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs,” 2021
  • “Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2020, 2021
  • “40 and Under Hot List,” Benchmark Litigation, 2018-2020
  • “Litigation Trailblazer,” The National Law Journal, 2020
  • “Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2019
  • “Super Lawyer for New York Metro,” Super Lawyers, 2018-2019
  • “Rising Star for Class Action Law,” Law360, 2018
  • Certificate of Recognition, American Association for Justice, 2018
  • “Leaders in the Field – Litigation: E-Discovery,” Chambers USA, 2017
  • “Rising Star for New York Metro,” Super Lawyers, 2013-2015
  • “Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services,” awarded by the State Bar of California for voluntary provision of legal services to the poor, 2005

Additional Information:

Speaker
“Prevention Education Programs: Is Behavior Actually Changing,” Berkeley Law Sexual Harassment in Education Virtual Conference, January 30, 2021
Panelist
“Plaintiffs’ Side Litigation,” University of California Public Service Law Conference, Irvine, CA, January 25, 2020
Speaker
“How to Get the Most Out of Your Most Valuable Assets,” AAJ Class Action Seminar, New York, NY, December 5, 2019
Speaker
“Information Exchange and Effective Use of Rule 34,” AAJ Overcoming Obstructionist Discovery, Washington, DC, November 21, 2019
Co-Founder & Producer
Complex Litigation E-Discovery Forum; also Speaker on “2019 Discovery Case Law Update,” Minneapolis, MN, September 20, 2019
Faculty Member
“Mass Tort MDL Certificate Program,” Duke Law School Bolch Judicial Institute, March 13-15, 2019
Speaker
“Certifying a Class on Women’s Issues – Pay Equity, Sexual Assault, and More,” Women’s Issues in Litigation Conference, Santa Monica, CA, October 25, 2018
Co-Founder & Producer
“Complex Litigation E-Discovery Forum; Speaker, “Proportionality: What’s Happened since the Amendments,” Minneapolis, MN, September 28, 2018
Producer & Speaker
“Getting the Most Out of Your Team,” AAJ Class Action Litigation Group CLE, Denver, CO, July 18, 2018
Speaker
“Careful What You Wish For: Protecting Data Security in Discovery,” ABA 12th Annual National Institute on E-Discovery, Chicago, IL, May 18, 2018
Speaker
“Class Certification,” HB Class Action Mastery Conference, New York, NY, May 9, 2018
Producer & Faculty Member
AAJ Effective Legal Writing Workshop, New York, NY, April 12-13, 2018
Co-Editor-in-Chief
“The Sedona Conference Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 Primer,” 19 Sedona Conf. J. 447, March 2018
Speaker
“Lawyers as Managers,” Emory Law’s Institute for Complex Litigation & Mass Claims Leadership Conference, January 2018
Speaker
“From Terabytes to Binders: Fusing Discovery and Advocacy Strategies,” Georgetown Law’s 14th Annual Advanced eDiscovery Institute, November 2017
Co-Editor-in-Chief & Steering Committee Liaison
“The Sedona Conference Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 Primer,” The Sedona Conference Working Group Series, September 2017
Drafting Team Member
“The Sedona Conference Commentary on Proportionality in Electronic Discovery,” The Sedona Conference Journal, Volume 18, May 2017
Producer & Moderator
“The Future of Class Actions,” AAJ Class Action Litigation Group seminar – Nashville, TN, May 11, 2017
Producer & Speaker
“Examining Amended Rule 34,” The Sedona Conference Working Group 1 Mid-Year Meeting – Minneapolis, MN, May 4-5, 2017
Speaker
“The Economic Influence and Role of the Class Representative – Ethical and Policy Issues,” Class Action Money & Ethics Conference – New York, NY, May 1, 2017
Producer & Speaker
“Diversity in Law: The Challenges and How to Overcome Them,” AAJ Education webinar, March 27, 2017
Co-chair
“Staying Ahead of the eDiscovery Curve: Retooling Your Practice Under the New Federal Rules,” 10th Annual Sedona Conference Institute Program on eDiscovery, March 2-3, 2017
Faculty Member
“The Sedona Conference eDiscovery Negotiation Training: Practical Cooperative Strategies,” Miami, FL, February 8-9, 2017
Speaker
“Proportionality: What’s Happened since the Amendments,” Western Trial Lawyers Association CLE, Steamboat Springs, CO, February 2017
Profiled
“Women of Legal Tech: From Journalism to Law”, LegalTech News – December 8, 2016
Speaker
“Closure Mechanisms,” Federal Judicial Center / Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation Conference, Atlanta, GA, December 15, 2016
Speaker
“Getting Selected for Leadership – What Decisionmakers Look For and How to Overcome Common Barriers,” Emory Law Insitute for Complex Litigation & Mass Claims, Atlanta, GA, December 14, 2016
Producer & Speaker
“Mitigating Explicit and Implicit Bias in Associate Recruitment and Retention,” AAJ Hot Topics: Diversity in the Law, Charlotte, NC, November 30, 2016
Speaker
“The New Rules x 1 Year: Sanctions,” Georgetown Law Advanced E-Discovery Institute, Washington DC, November 10-11, 2016
Faculty Member
AAJ Effective Legal Writing Workshop, Washington DC, November 3-4, 2016
Speaker
“Proportionality under the Amended FRCP 26”, Complex Litigation E-Discovery Forum, Minneapolis, MN, September 25, 2016
Speaker
“Proportionality: What’s Happened since the Amendments,” Complex Litigation E-Discovery Forum, Minneapolis, MN, September 23, 2016
Moderator
“Who Will Write Your Rules—Your State Court or the Federal Judiciary?,” Pound Civil Justice Institute Forum for State Appellate Court Judges, Los Angeles, CA, July 23, 2016
Producer, Moderator & Speaker
 “Dissecting the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins,” American Association for Justice webinar, May 26, 2016
Moderator and Speaker
“Consumer Class Actions,” HB Litigation Conference, San Juan, PR, May 4, 2016
Faculty Member
The Sedona Conference eDiscovery Negotiation Training: Practical Cooperative Strategies, Washington, DC, March 1-2, 2016
Producer & Speaker
“The 2015 Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,” New York, NY, February 9, 2016
Speaker
“How Will New Rule 26(b)(1) on Proportionality Impact Search and the Use of Search Technology?,” Innovation in E-Discovery Conference, New York, NY, December 9, 2015
Speaker
“New Forms of Communication,” Innovation in E-Discovery Conference, New York, NY, December 9, 2015
Speaker
“2015 Amendments to Federal Civil Rules,” Tennessee Bar Association CLE, Nashville, TN, December 2, 2015
Speaker
“Check Your Sources: Understanding the Technical Aspects of Data Collection”, Georgetown Advanced E-Discovery Institute, Washington, DC, November 19, 2015
Speaker
“The Contentious Battle over Search Protocols in e-Discovery”, Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists webinar, October 8, 2015
Speaker
“Proportionality in Preservation and Discovery,” The Sedona Conference Working Group 1 Mid-Year Meeting, Dallas, TX, April 30, 2015
Speaker
“Ethical Challenges in eDiscovery: Representing Clients Responsibly,” The Sedona Conference Institute, Nashville, TN, March 20, 2015
Speaker
“Issue Classes under Rule 23,” Western Trial Lawyers Association CLE, Squaw Valley, NV, February 2015
Speaker
“Issue Classes under Rule 23,” American Association for Justice Winter Convention, Palm Desert, CA, February 24, 2015
Speaker
“Shifting and Sharing the Costs of Preservation and Discovery: How, When, and Why,” Bloomberg BNA webinar, November 18, 2014
Speaker
“Application of Proportionality in Preservation and Discovery,” The Sedona Conference All Voices Meeting, New Orleans, LA, November 5, 2014
Speaker
“A Tour of TAR (Technology-Assisted Review),” The Sedona Conference All Voices Meeting, New Orleans, LA, November 7, 2014
Speaker
“Data Privacy and Security Are Front and Center in Litigation News – Substantive Claims and eDiscovery Issues Abound,” Georgetown Advanced E-Discovery Institute, Tysons Corner, VA, November 21, 2014
Interview
Interviewed re class action litigation regarding defective products on China Central Television for China’s national “Consumer Protection Week” feature programming – CCTV, March 15, 2014
Organizer & Speaker
“Introduction to TAR,” Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein CLE, New York, NY, August 18, 2014
Speaker
“Motions to Strike Class Allegations Using ‘Predominance’,” Strafford webinar, August 6, 2014
Speaker
“Status of Subsistence Claims in BP Oil Spill Settlement,” American Association for Justice Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA, July 2013
 

Lawyer Client Comments

Lawyer Practice Areas

Key: Awarded in Best Lawyers Not Currently Awarded for this Area in Best Lawyers

Firm Details

Image for Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP View Firm Profile
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
http://www.lieffcabraser.com
 
Headquarters
275 Battery Street, 29th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 956.1000
4 Office Locations
in 2 Countries

Germany

Germany

Munich, Germany

Nympenburger Strasse 4, 5th Floor

Munich 80355

Germany

49 89 20 80 27 389

Get Directions

United States

United States

New York

New York

New York, NY

250 Hudson Street, Eighth Floor

New York, NY 10013

United States

(212) 355.9500

Get Directions

Tennessee

Tennessee

Nashville, TN

222 Second Avenue South, Suite 1640

Nashville, TN 37201

United States

(615) 313.9000

Get Directions

News & Media

Featured Publications

Cover for our Northern California publication
 
Add Comment
In making your comments, please do not refer to a pending legal matter.
(*) Required Fields
There was an error during saving, please try again.
If you continue to get this message, please contact us at info@bestlawyers.com or 803.648.0300 for assistance.
Please complete the captcha then submit.
Your comment was saved successfully!
Thank you for your feedback.
  • Find a Lawyer
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Legal Insights
  • Contact Us
Lawyers 
  • Advanced Search
  • COVID-19 Assistance
  • Featured Ones to Watch
  • Lawyer of the Year
  • Highlighted Lawyers
  • Nominate a Lawyer
  • Find a Lawyer
Methodology
  • Overview
  • Ones to Watch
  • Editorial Timelines
  • Practice Areas
  • Publicizing Guidelines
  • FAQ
Publications
  • Business Editions
  • Regional Editions
  • Partnerships
  • Become a Contributor
Legal Insights
  • Featured Articles
  • In the News
  • Advisory Board
  • Meet the Board
  • Press & Events
  • Best Law Firms
  • Subscribe
About
  • Global Presence
  • Company History
  • Leadership
  • Founders
  • Press Releases
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
My Account
  • Log In
  • Store
  • Marketing Guidance
Best Lawyers Best Lawyers logo +1-803-648-0300
801 Broad Street, Suite 950 Augusta, GA 30901
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Lawyer Directory
  • Best Law Firms

© 2010-2021 Best Lawyers — All Rights Reserved.

BL Icon

LEGAL INSIGHTS

by Best Lawyers®



Get the latest insights on the news, trends, and people that shape the global legal field with our weekly email digest.




Subscribe



PRIVACY POLICY

Thank you for subscribing.