Editor’s note: Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom is among the finalists for The American Lawyer’s 2021 Litigation Department of the Year award. The winner will be announced at The American Lawyer Industry Awards in New York on Dec. 2.

Five billion dollars hung in the balance as Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom trial lawyer Allison Brown faced daunting odds, including a voluntary product recall and a two-week trial in a notoriously plaintiff-friendly jurisdiction.