Mr. Parker’s practice focuses primarily on product liability and toxic tort litigation, in particular, pharmaceutical and medical device product liability litigation.

Representative Clients
Mr. Parker’s clients include: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; LabCorp; Takeda Pharmaceuticals; Johnson & Johnson; Georgia Pacific; Navistar International, Inc.; and Vulcan Materials Company.

Significant Matters
Mr. Parker served as lead trial counsel for Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA in the Actos litigation in which he has tried three cases to verdict in Los Angeles, Baltimore and Lafayette. He served in a similar role for Boehringer Ingelheim in the Mirapex litigation in which he was lead counsel in two bellwether cases tried in 2008 in the MDL. Previously, he served as a member of the national trial team for Cardinal Healthcare Corporation in the latex glove litigation. His responsibilities included developing national experts in a number of scientific disciplines. He tried latex glove cases to verdict in California and Texas. He was also selected as lead examiner in the MDL Daubert hearings. Mr. Parker also played a significant role in the development of the medical defense in the Vioxx litigation.

Mr. Parker also coordinated the national defense of a recalled surgical product for Pharmacia and performed a similar role for Navistar for claims involving diesel exhaust. Prior to that he was a member of the national trial team for Baxter Healthcare Corporation in its breast implant litigation. In that litigation, from 1993-97, he was trial counsel in five trials involving nine plaintiffs that were tried to verdict in Houston, Birmingham, San Diego, and Boston. He was selected to represent Baxter before the MDL National Science Panel that was charged with evaluating whether there was credible scientific evidence to support plaintiffs' claims.

Activities
Mr. Parker served as President of the International Association of Defense Counsel (the IADC) from 2006-2007. The IADC is the oldest association comprised of invited, experienced attorneys acting on behalf of the defense bar in over 30 countries. Mr. Parker also served as the Director of the IADC’s renowned Trial Academy in 2004 and the Dean of its Corporate Counsel College in 2012.

Mr. Parker served on the Board of Directors of the Defense Research Institute ("DRI") and the Lawyers for Civil Justice. He is a past President of the Maryland Association of Defense Trial Counsel (1988). Mr. Parker has authored over 45 papers and newsletters that address epidemiology, immunology, biostatistics and trial practice. He has also given over 60 lectures on those topics to several groups.

Mr. Parker has been active in the Lawyers for Civil Justice and was chosen to serve as the spokesperson for the major civil defense bar association at the May 2010 Duke Conference on rule changes. He has testified before the Civil Rules Advisory Committee on changes to the discovery and evidence rules.

Mr. Parker also serves as Venable’s representative to the National Center for State Courts and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Lawyers Committee.

Mr. Parker served on the Board of Roland Park Place, a continuing care retirement center, for seven years. He has served as President of First English Evangelical Lutheran Church on numerous occasions.