Maria Rivera brings extensive complex litigation experience to Quinn Emanuel's Chicago office, where she serves as Of Counsel. She joined the firm in 2025.
Maria is a seasoned litigator specializing in high-stakes commercial disputes, mass tort litigation, and complex multi-district litigation. Her practice encompasses product liability matters, pharmaceutical pricing cases, medical and property toxic tort cases, securities cases, trade secret cases, and breach of contract cases.
Maria has secured numerous trial victories and favorable settlements for clients in federal and state courts across the country, with total amounts at issue reaching into the billions of dollars. She provides comprehensive case management and strategic guidance from matter inception through trial.
- In re National Prescription Opiate Litigation: Represent Allergan in federal multi-district litigation and state court litigation across the country related to its sale and marketing of opioid pain medications. This litigation involved civil suits by numerous state Attorney Generals, counties, cities, hospitals and school districts. Part of trial team for several bellwether trials, which resulted in successful verdict or favorable settlement, eventually resulting in favorable global settlements.
- In re General Motors, LLC Ignition Switch Litigation: Represent General Motors, LLC in personal injury products liability MDL (as well as state cases throughout the country) related to a defective ignition switch in certain vehicles. Responsible for case management of numerous bellwether cases, from selection to settlement or trial, including two successful bellwether jury trials.
- In re Reglan Products Liability Litigation: Represent Roxane Laboratories in mass tort products liability cases in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California asserting personal injury claims related to use of client's generic version of Reglan. Secured court-ordered or stipulated dismissals of all cases prior to significant discovery.
- In re Pharmaceutical Industry Average Wholesale Price Litigation: Represent Boehringer lngelheim Corporation and its subsidiaries in multi-district litigation, which included numerous state AG lawsuits, DOJ actions and class action suits, involving claims relating to pharmaceutical pricing and state reimbursement. Represented another generic pharmaceutical company in a similar case brought by the State of Texas.
- Mortgage-Backed Securities Litigation: Represent First Tennessee Bank and First Horizon Home Loans in various lawsuits pending in California, Illinois and Ohio state courts that alleged violations of state and federal securities laws stemming from the issuance of residential mortgage-backed securities. Distinguished client from numerous other defendants to obtain favorable settlements.
- Statutory Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Iridium LLC, et. al. v. Motorola: Represent Motorola in a six-year, $4.3 billion case pending in the Southern District of NY bankruptcy court alleging fraudulent transfer, breach of contract and fiduciary duty counts. Responsible for development of discovery, motion and trial strategy for key factual and expert areas of the case. Part of trial team that obtained complete defense verdict.
- Baker v. Motorola: Represent Motorola in high profile, large exposure class action toxic tort cases in state and federal court in Arizona. Responsible for development of discovery, motion and trial strategy for key factual and expert areas of the case. Part of trial team for five-month jury trial that resulted in complete defense verdict on property damage class action. This major litigation victory was profiled by The National Law Journal in "Motorola Defeats Huge Property Damage Claim" and as a Defense Win of the Month in "Overcoming a Hurdle with Public Property Records.
- University of Chicago Law School
(J.D., honors, 1995)- University of Chicago Law Review:
- Member
- University of Chicago Law Review:
- Northwestern University
(B.A., Economics, with Distinction, 1991)- Phi Beta Kappa
- The State Bar of Arizona
- The State Bar of Illinois
- United States District Court:
- District of Arizona
- District of Illinois
- Southern District of New York
- Eastern District of Michigan
- United States Court of Appeals:
- Seventh Circuit
- Law Clerk for the Honorable Joel M. Flaum:
- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 1995-1996
- Numerous CLE presentations and panel discussions on complex and multi-district litigation issues.
- Member, Phoenix, Arizona Inn of Court
- Member, local bar associations
- Board Member, New Song Center for Grieving Children
- Participate in mentor and trial advocacy training programs