Andra Laidacker

Ruxandra "Andra" M. Laidacker is a partner at Kline & Specter specializing in post-trial and appellate litigation representation. She joined the firm in 2015 after nearly a decade in the Pennsylvania judicial system, serving as staff attorney to former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille for five years. Laidacker has briefed and argued cases in appellate courts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, as well as federal courts including the U.S. Supreme Court and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Her appellate work has advocated for jury trial rights, full compensation for injured victims, and judicial independence. Notable cases include Baumbach v. Lafayette College, remanded for trial after recognizing college duty to protect athlete safety; In A.Y. v. Janssen Pharm., defending a $70 million verdict for prescription medication injury against remittitur challenges; and Z.F.1 v. Bethanna, protecting abuse victim compensation against immunity claims. She currently defends major verdicts including the 2024 $2.25 billion Roundup verdict and the November 2023 $976.5 million defective seatbelt verdict against Mitsubishi Motors. From 2017 to 2023, Laidacker served on the Appellate Courts Procedural Rules Committee advising the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on appellate procedure rules. An active Pennsylvania Association for Justice member, she has authored amici briefs for significant cases including Mallory v. Norfolk Southern (general personal jurisdiction by registration); Ebert v. C.R. Bard (medical device immunity from strict liability); and Roverano v. John Crane, Inc. (Fair Share Act application in asbestos cases). In 2023, she received the George F. Douglas Jr. Amicus Curiae Award recognizing outstanding brief writing and oral argument accomplishments before Pennsylvania's highest courts. Laidacker frequently contributes to plaintiff bar publications including the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers' Association Verdict newsletter and PAJ Quarterly magazine. She authored a judicial selection chapter in The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania: Life and Law in the Commonwealth, 1684-2017 (2018) and annually contributes to the Pennsylvania Civil Pre-Trial Guide and Pennsylvania Trial Practice Guide. Before practicing law, Laidacker worked as a producer for news organizations in New York and New Jersey.