Sean Thomas Higgins received his Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts in Psychology from California State University Fullerton in 2004 and 2006. While at CSUF Sean was a President’s Scholar, ran track and cross country and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He graduated from both programs Summa Cum Laude.
Sean then went on to attend University of Southern California Gould School of Law where he graduated in 2009. While at USC, Sean law clerked at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Sex Crimes Division, as well as at a leading insurance bad faith firm.
Sean started at Andrews & Thornton in 2009 and has remained there ever since. Sean has worked on numerous mass torts, including quinine. Quinine was a prescription drug meant for the treatment of malaria that was being promoted off-label for treatment of nocturnal leg cramps. When a new drug application was approved continued sale by other firms of this old drug became illegal. Despite FDA’s unequivocal statements that use of quinine for leg cramps was not approved and that sale of quinine by any firm other than the NDA-holder was illegal many generic firms continued to market the product illegally for leg cramps. Many suffered. Quinine caused a life-threatening blood disorder called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, which led to kidney failure. After many years of hard-fought battles, through the important contributions of Sean, Andrews & Thornton was able to achieve large settlements for injured clients.
Sean now leads the dietary supplement division of the firm and has handled large mass torts involving diet drugs like Hydroxycut, a recalled weight loss and workout supplement which caused acute liver failure, transplants and death. He handled and resolved a large litigation with hundreds of lawsuits against USPLabs, a Dallas dietary supplement firm with several lines of synthetic, illegal, ineffective and unsafe weight loss and workout supplements causing scores of serious injuries including death, transplant, heart attack, stroke and liver failure. After being forced to withdraw and recall these products, the principals of USPLabs pleaded guilty for their illegal behavior.
He led and handled all of the Firm’s fire cases. Specifically, he represented wineries, vineyards and homeowners against PG&E in connection with the October 2017 North Bay wildfires. Sean served on the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee and led one of the committees tasked with developing the cause, origin and liability for one of the fires. He plays an integral role in the Firm’s representation of the $13.5 billion Fire Victim’s Trust against third parties who were also responsible for the North Bay Fires.
Most recently, he led the Firm’s filing of over 50,000 opioid claims in the Purdue and Mallinckrodt Bankruptcies. He sits on the Tort Advisory Committee for both the Purdue and Mallinckrodt Personal Injury Trusts that will oversee the distribution of nearly $1 billion to direct victims of the opioid crisis.
Sean is a twin and one of eight children of which five are lawyers and one is a homicide detective. He is married and has two girls. He enjoys running and traveling to Ireland.
Admissions and Memberships
California State Bar
Northern District of California
Southern District of California
Eastern District of California
Central District of California
Orange County Trial Lawyers Association
American Association for Justice
Consumer Attorneys of California