Covington & Burling has brought on two new laterals in Washington, and this time the firm looked far beyond the Beltway to find them.
Robert "Mike" Brock, who has spent his 25-year legal career at Montgomery, Ala.-based Rushton, Stakely, Johnston & Garrett, says he will start work at Covington tomorrow as a partner in its litigation group. Brock will chair the product liability and mass tort practice group.
On Monday, Aug. 17, Brock will be joined by F. Chadwick Morriss, who is joining that practice group as of counsel. Morriss also spent the past 25 years at Rushton.
For several years, Brock, 52, has served as trial counsel for the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., scoring defense verdicts in Vioxx cases in Alabama, Florida, and New Jersey. Brock said the Vioxx litigation has died down for the most part, but there are a few matters outstanding. He said he currently serves as national trial counsel for a number of other major drug companies facing mass tort claims.
Brock said he and Morriss gave careful thought to making the move to Covington. "I've talked to a number of people about making the move from a small firm in Alabama to a larger firm here, and what people all seem to agree upon is that the personalities and culture of the new firm has to be a good fit. If it is, the business end of things tends to work itself out," Brock said. "I feel that we are a good fit for each other."
College football fans may recognize Brock from his time as an All-Southeastern Conference offensive lineman at the University of Alabama, where he was an undergrad and later a law student. Under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, the Crimson Tide won two national championships while Brock played.
Brock said he and his wife have already begun looking for a new home in Washington, but he said he’ll continue to maintain office space in Alabama to finish wrapping up several cases.
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