Beth McCallum has more than 20 years of experience litigating and trying antitrust and complex commercial cases, including class actions. She focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation matters in federal and state courts concerning antitrust, breach of contract, fraud, insurance recovery and business torts. Beth has litigation and counseling experience at both the trial and appellate levels, including representation of such clients as Caterpillar. Beth has also counseled and represented clients regarding legislative and governmental policy strategies and actions at the federal and state level.
Beth is currently representing 20 tobacco companies in a multiyear dispute over adjustment to payments of participating manufacturers under the Tobacco Litigation Master Settlement Agreement – a dispute deemed by The American Lawyer as “unprecedented” in size and complexity. Beth also represented a number of these companies in an antitrust and constitutional challenge to the Master Settlement Agreement. The trial court dismissed that challenge, and the Sixth Circuit upheld the dismissal.
Beth has been actively involved in litigating the appropriateness of class certification. For example, Ms. McCallum’s antitrust class action experience includes class issues in a multi-district litigation on behalf of a major contact lens manufacturer, including defeating class certification in related state court actions.
In 2005, Beth was awarded the American Bar Association’s Pro Bono Public Award “for extraordinary contributions for legal services to those who cannot afford representation.” This award focused on her work representing a class of Baltimore City school children in a suit over the quality of public education, as well as trial and Supreme Court advocacy in the areas of reproductive freedom and the rights of people with disabilities.