About Madeline

Madeline Pendley

Madeline Pendley is a trial attorney at Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa, where she represents individuals harmed by dangerous drugs, toxic exposures, and defective products. Her practice focuses on mass torts, pharmaceutical litigation, and products liability, with a particular emphasis on complex, multi-district litigation. Known for her precision, preparation, and fierce client advocacy, Madeline has earned national leadership roles in some of the country’s most consequential drug contamination cases.

She currently serves on the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee in the Valsartan MDL (2875) and served on the Leadership and Development Committee in the Zantac MDL (2924)—two landmark cases involving carcinogenic impurities in widely used medications. Madeline’s work in these MDLs reflects her deep commitment to exposing corporate misconduct and holding pharmaceutical companies accountable when profit is prioritized over public safety.

Madeline is a frequent lecturer at national conferences such as the National Trial Lawyers Summit and Mass Torts Made Perfect, where she presents on topics including NDMA contamination, PFAS exposure, case management at scale, and evaluating emerging torts. Her thought leadership also extends to the page—her articles in the Florida Justice Association Journal and The Trial Lawyer Magazine have addressed a range of urgent public health and litigation issues, from the long-term dangers of “forever chemicals” to fatal flaws in drug safety regulation.

A graduate of Stetson University College of Law (2019), Madeline served as a Senior Associate on the Stetson Law Review, a Student Ambassador, and captain and MVP of the nationally ranked Trial Team. She was awarded the Walter Mann Award at graduation—an honor voted on by peers and faculty and given to the student who shows the greatest promise as a future leader in the legal profession.

She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Georgia in 2016. Today, Madeline brings tenacity, tactical insight, and an unshakable sense of purpose to her national practice—pursuing justice for those harmed by powerful interests and helping shape the future of mass tort litigation.

Recognition and Achievements

  • Inweekly Rising Star, 2022
  • Florida Justice Association, Member
  • American Association for Justice, Member
  • Lecturer: “PFAS in Drinking Water Case Update,” National Trial Lawyer’s Summit (2023)
  • Lecturer: “Zantac & Valsartan: NDMA Contamination,” National Trial Lawyer’s Summit (2020)
  • Lecturer: “Handling and preparing for settlement of large cases,” Mass Torts Made Perfect (2025)
  • Lecturer: “How to identify and vet potential new mass torts,” Mass Torts Made Perfect (2023)
  • Lecturer: “Managing thousands of cases: tips on statutes of limitations, client communication, using client management platforms,” Mass Torts Made Perfect  (2022)
  • Lecturer: “Valsartan Case Update,” Mass Torts Made Perfect (2019-2025)
  • “Onewheel Skateboards: “Not Worth Dying For,” Florida Justice Association Journal (November/December 2024).
  • “PFAS; the Forever Toxin,” Florida Justice Association Journal (July/August 2022).
  • “The Rise of Carcinogen Contamination in Prescription Drugs,” Florida Justice Association Journal (May/June 2022).
  • “NDMA is the Ticking Time Bomb in Your Medicine Cabinet,” The Trial Lawyer Magazine (Spring 2022).
  • “Understanding the Basics of Mass Torts,” Florida Justice Association Journal (March/April 2021).
  • “Zantac Litigation Starts to Gain Steam,” The Trial Lawyer Magazine (June 2020).
  • “Zantac: The Blockbuster Carcinogen,” Florida Justice Association Journal (March/April 2020).
  • Leadership and Development Committee, In re Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability Litigation [MDL 2924]
  • Plaintiff’s Steering Committee, In re Valsartan. Losartan, Irbesartan Products Liability Litigation [MDL 2875]