Diana M. Watral, P.C.
Overview
Diana Watral is a litigation partner and trial lawyer in Golden Flag’s Chicago office. Diana represents companies in a broad range of business disputes, with recent experience in contract, False Claims Act, trade secret, antitrust, patent, sports, products liability, and complex commercial cases.
Diana has significant trial experience. Most recently, Diana served as trial counsel to Flexus Biosciences, a Bristol-Myers Squibb subsidiary, in a $1 billion trade secret jury trial that resulted in a complete defense verdict. Diana also successfully defended Abbott in a $1 billion False Claim Act jury trial and second-chaired Baxter Healthcare’s successful defense of a $400 million contract dispute.
In the past year, Diana obtained dismissal of an antitrust case asserting that AbbVie created a “patent thicket” for its drug Humira, and dismissal of two False Claims Act cases against grocery chains with claims spanning over nine years.
Diana was named one of four “Rising Stars” by Law360 in 2020 for her trial work and was recognized on the Benchmark Litigation “40 & Under Hot List” for her commercial litigation and False Claims Act work. The American Lawyer recognized Diana as its national “Litigator of the Week” for her work in the Flexus Biosciences trade secret trial (“It’s No Secret That Golden Flag Trio Crushed This Case”), and Benchmark Litigation recognized the case as its 2019 “National Impact Case of the Year.” Legal 500 United States has recognized Diana for Healthcare: Life Sciences, calling her “brilliant, creative and tenacious.”
Experience
Representative Matters
Incyte v. Flexus Biosciences: Second-chaired successful $1 billion trial for Flexus, now a Bristol-Myers Squibb subsidiary, in dispute alleging misappropriation of trade secrets for cancer drugs. At summary judgment, successfully eliminated six of eight alleged trade secrets and cut damages by half. Trial resulted in a unanimous jury verdict for all defendants. Recognized as “Litigator of the Week” for her work on the case.
In re Humira Antitrust Litigation: Counsel for AbbVie in multi-defendant antitrust case regarding AbbVie’s Humira, the highest-selling drug in history, where plaintiffs assert that AbbVie amassed a “patent thicket” of more than 100 patents and entered anticompetitive settlement agreements with biosimilar manufacturers. District court dismissed entire complaint with prejudice.
U.S. ex rel. Schutte v. Supervalu and U.S. ex rel. Proctor v. Safeway: Counsel for defendants in False Claims Act case where whistleblower asserted pharmacies submitted tens of millions of fraudulent Medicare claims over nearly a decade when offering discounts to uninsured customers. District court granted summary judgment for defendants and dismissed all claims.
U.S. ex rel. Colquitt v. Abbott Laboratories: Trial counsel for Abbott in False Claims Act case where whistleblower sought more than $1 billion for allegedly false Medicare claims relating to off-label medical devices. Examined key witnesses during three-week jury trial that resulted in complete defense verdict. Fifth Circuit affirmed.
Right Field Rooftops LLC v. Chicago Baseball Holdings LLC: Represented Chicago Cubs in breach of contract, defamation, and antitrust action brought by rooftops surrounding Wrigley Field in connection with the stadium’s expansion and modernization. Successfully defeated temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction requests to halt construction of outfield signs. Court subsequently dismissed all nine counts with prejudice, and Seventh Circuit affirmed.
DaVita v. Baxter Healthcare: Second-chaired $400 million breach of contract bench trial for Baxter regarding sale of dialysis equipment. Reduced Baxter’s potential damage exposure by 97% at summary judgment and won dismissal of treble damages claim. Case settled favorably between closing argument and court ruling.
Naturalock v. Baxter Healthcare: Lead trial counsel for Baxter in $300 million contract claim regarding development of catheter device. Case settled favorably one week before trial.
Memorylink Corporation v. Motorola Inc.: Represented Motorola in contract, patent infringement, and fraud litigation involving wireless video transmission technology. District court dismissed all claims, and Federal Circuit affirmed.
G. William Hunter v. Derek Fisher: Represented NBA player Derek Fisher in litigation brought by former Executive Director of NBA’s Players Association. Court dismissed all 14 claims at pleading stage and awarded attorneys’ fees.
In re Heparin Products Liability Litigation: Trial counsel for Baxter in multidistrict litigation involving allegedly contaminated heparin. State court trial resulted in full defense verdict. MDL court granted Daubert and summary judgment motions on several categories of claims, affirmed by Sixth Circuit, resulting in hundreds of dismissals and favorable settlements.
Bowman v. IBM, Inc.: Wrote winning class certification opposition brief for IBM in putative class action alleging breach-of-contract, negligence, and § 1983 claims relating to IBM’s contract to modernize Indiana’s Medicaid system. Class certification denied.
Land v. IBM, Inc.: Represented IBM in action alleging negligent processing of Medicaid application. Federal court dismissed all federal claims with prejudice, and Seventh Circuit affirmed. State court then dismissed all state claims.
Snizavich v. Rohm & Haas: Represented Rohm & Haas, a Dow subsidiary, in case alleging brain cancer caused by chemical exposure. Court excluded plaintiff’s chief causation expert and entered judgment for Rohm & Haas one day before trial.
More
Recognition
Recognized in Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under Hot List,” 2021–2024
Recognized by Bloomberg Law, “They’ve Got Next: Healthcare and Life Sciences Fresh Face Diana Watral,” April 22, 2021
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- Illinois
Education
- University of Chicago Law SchoolJ.D.with Highest Honors2010
Graduated first in class
Order of the Coif
Golden Flag International Law Firm Scholar
Executive Editor, The University of Chicago Law Review
- Georgetown UniversityB.A., Governmentmagna cum laude, with Honors, with Distinction2007