Hunter J. Shkolnik

Napoli Shkolnik
Napoli Shkolnik
1302 Avenue Ponce de León, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00907 United States

Hunter J. Shkolnik is a nationally recognized trial attorney who leads the discovery and trial teams for major mass tort litigations, including environmental, pharmaceutical, and medical device cases at Napoli Shkolnik. In addition to overseeing national litigation strategy, he actively contributes to plaintiff leadership groups, including service with the American Association for Justice (AAJ).


Mr. Shkolnik is frequently invited to lecture at prominent legal programs. Over the past two years—and again in 2025—he has spoken at the Baylor and Texas Tech MDL Judicial Summits in Aspen, Colorado, addressing critical topics such as recusals, motions to disqualify, mandamus, impeachment, and related professionalism issues.


He has played pivotal roles on settlement committees in some of the largest and most complex litigations in U.S. history, including:

  • Johnson & Johnson Talc / Red River Bankruptcy Torts Creditors Committee
  • National Opioid Litigation
  • New York State Opioid Litigation
  • Kidde AFFF Bankruptcy Unsecured Creditors Committee (alongside MDL Lead Counsel)
  • Flint Water Litigation

Collectively, these efforts have contributed to settlements exceeding $60 billion.


Mr. Shkolnik currently serves as a chairman, leader, or court-appointed representative on multiple Plaintiff Steering Committees (PSCs) in pharmaceutical, medical device, and other mass tort actions. His professional leadership extends to service as an officer of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and the Nassau County Bar Association, as well as holding numerous committee chair positions within AAJ and its predecessor ATLA, including:

  • Chair, Medtronic ICD and CRTD Litigation Subgroup
  • Co-Chair, AAJ Heart Device Litigation Group
  • Chair, AAJ Breast Cancer Litigation Group
  • Chair, Orthopedic Implant Litigation Group
  • Chair, Health Care Finance Litigation Group


In addition, he is a founding board member of the Trial Lawyers of Puerto Rico (TLPR), an organization dedicated to fostering collaboration among trial attorneys while supporting the Puerto Rican legal community.


Mr. Shkolnik has organized and presented seminars across the country on topics ranging from cardiac device product liability litigation to mass tort settlement ethics, Lone Pine orders, state-federal coordination, and preemption issues. He has also lectured extensively on the science underpinning pharmaceutical and medical device cases, including recalls of Guidant, Medtronic, and St. Jude pacemakers, ICDs, and lead wires. He was again a featured speaker at the 3rd Annual Mass Torts Puerto Rico (MTPR) Conference.


Beyond his litigation practice, Mr. Shkolnik frequently appears as a legal and political news analyst, drawing on his broad expertise in civil litigation, criminal law, and election-related matters.


Education: Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, J.D. University of Massachusetts, B.A., cum laude


Bar Admission: 

  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • Wisconsin
  • North Carolina (awaiting swearing in)
  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of New York
  • United States District Court, Southern District of New York
  • United States District Court, Western District of New York
  • United States District Court, Northern District of New York
  • United States District Court, District of New Jersey
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
  • Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals


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