Product Liability

  • March 22, 2024

    LifeCell Cleared Of Liability In NJ Strattice Hernia Mesh Trial

    New Jersey state jurors on Friday cleared LifeCell of liability in a Kentucky woman's suit alleging the design of its Strattice surgical mesh is defective and caused a hernia to reoccur and ultimately resulted in "life-altering" surgery, giving the medical device company the first win in a venue with at least 93 pending cases with tort claims over the mesh.

  • March 21, 2024

    5th Circ. Backs FDA's Vivid Warnings Of Cigarette Dangers

    Government mandated text warnings and graphic images on cigarette packs to advertise the health risks of smoking do not violate the free speech rights of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and other cigarette manufacturers, the Fifth Circuit ruled Thursday, saying the warnings are "factual and uncontroversial" and pass constitutional muster.

  • March 21, 2024

    'Sit Down!' DC Judge Snaps At Atty Over False Ad Defense

    Oral arguments over footwear nearly got an attorney kicked out of court Thursday, as a D.C. federal judge told a defense counselor to "Sit down!" for making "snide remarks" before ultimately denying most of his motion to dismiss a Federal Trade Commission suit alleging deceptive advertising.

  • March 21, 2024

    MDL Claims Over Merck's Gardasil Vax Get Trimmed

    Pharmaceutical giant Merck need not face many of the claims by patients who allege their autoimmune conditions were caused by its HPV vaccine, a North Carolina federal judge overseeing multidistrict litigation ruled, saying the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act bars most claims made in the first two bellwethers.

  • March 21, 2024

    Social Media Cos. 'Can't Hold Back' Execs In MDL, Judge Says

    A California federal magistrate judge warned social media companies Thursday that they must disclose relevant executive witnesses in high-stakes multidistrict litigation over social media's allegedly addictive design after plaintiffs' counsel complained that Meta and Snap's CEOs weren't identified in initial disclosures, telling defense counsel "you can't hold them back."

  • March 21, 2024

    AGs Urge Congress To Address Hemp Intoxicants In Farm Bill

    A bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general is urging Congress to address what the state officials call a public health and safety crisis by amending federal hemp policy to clarify that intoxicating products derived from hemp extracts are not legal under federal law.

  • March 21, 2024

    Tribe's Opioid Suit Can Head To State Court, Okla. Judge Says

    An Oklahoma federal magistrate judge has granted the Cherokee Nation's bid to move to state court its suit accusing pharmaceuticals distributor Morris & Dickson of flooding the tribe's communities with opioids, saying the company only fulfilled one of four prongs necessary for establishing federal jurisdiction.

  • March 21, 2024

    Judge Worries Clothing PFAS Theory Could Open Floodgates

    An Illinois federal judge seemed unsure Thursday whether he will allow consumer fraud claims to proceed against a children's clothing store that sells allegedly contaminated uniforms, suggesting the plaintiffs' liability theory could open the door too wide for future suits.

  • March 21, 2024

    Gun Rights Org., Pa. DA Seek To Block Pot Patients' Gun Ban

    A Pennsylvania prosecutor and a gun rights organization have asked a federal judge to block enforcement of policies that prohibit licensed medical marijuana patients from owning firearms, saying the ban violates the patients' Second Amendment rights.

  • March 21, 2024

    Asbestos Claimants Balk At Subpoena For Claims Data

    The asbestos injury claimants in the two Chapter 11 cases of CertainTeed spinoff DBMP LLC and Aldrich Pump LLC have asked a North Carolina judge to reject DBMP's request to access Aldrich Pump's asbestos claims records, saying it is unnecessary and invading the claimants' privacy.

  • March 21, 2024

    Woman Lost Independence Due To Strattice Mesh, Jurors Told

    A Kentucky woman told New Jersey state jurors on Thursday that LifeCell skipped important safety steps while designing its Strattice surgical mesh, and that those skipped steps caused a hernia to reoccur and ultimately resulted in the loss of her independence.

  • March 21, 2024

    Chicago Sues Glock Over Pistols Made Into 'Machine Guns'

    The city of Chicago is suing Glock Inc. in Illinois state court, saying the gunmaker is allowing its consumers to skirt state and federal machine gun bans by selling pistols that can be easily converted to automatic fire.

  • March 21, 2024

    Kroger's 'Smoked Gouda' Is Indeed Wood-Smoked, Judge Says

    Kroger Co. has defeated a proposed class action alleging deceptive labeling on its "smoked gouda," as an Illinois federal judge granted summary judgment Wednesday in an order referencing a declaration from the source company's president that the cheese goes through a wood-smoking process.

  • March 21, 2024

    6th Circ. Zeroes In On CBA In Vax Bias Preemption Battle

    A Sixth Circuit panel pressed on Thursday a cargo airline and pilots who say they were unlawfully fired for refusing COVID-19 vaccinations about the pilots' union contract, with one judge asking whether the open questions about their collective bargaining agreement meant the discrimination case was preempted.

  • March 21, 2024

    Pool Company Aims To Bar Rival's False Ads After Verdict

    A swimming pool equipment manufacturer is looking to permanently ban a competitor from using deceptive marketing techniques on Amazon after a federal jury in North Carolina slapped the rival company with a nearly $15 million verdict for false advertising and unfair business practices.

  • March 21, 2024

    Feds, Green Groups Say Campbell's Is Polluting Lake Erie

    The United States and two environmental groups brought separate complaints on the same day accusing a Campbell's subsidiary of violating the Clean Water Act by polluting Lake Erie and the Maumee River with wastewater from its northwestern Ohio canning facility.

  • March 21, 2024

    Faegre Drinker Hires Indianapolis Litigation Boutique Founder

    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has hired a founding partner of Indianapolis litigation boutique Hoover Hull Turner LLP, who joins the firm as a partner to continue her practice centered on business litigation matters, the firm recently announced.

  • March 20, 2024

    4th Circ. Backs Rockefeller Group in Guatemalans' Syphilis Suit

    A group of Guatemalans who sued The Rockefeller Foundation over venereal disease experiments conducted on prisoners and psychiatric patients in the 1940s did not show an American doctor involved in the gruesome activities acted on behalf of the organization, a Fourth Circuit panel ruled Wednesday.

  • March 20, 2024

    Endo Plan To Trim $5B In Debt Confirmed By NY Judge

    Drugmaker Endo International got a New York bankruptcy judge's approval for its Chapter 11 plan that aims to cut more than $5 billion in debt and hand over ownership to its lenders, roughly a month after it finalized a $465 million deal to resolve criminal and civil opioid claims.

  • March 20, 2024

    Montgomery McCracken Adds Litigation Pro In Philly

    Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP has added a former Weitz & Luxenberg PC attorney and seasoned litigation specialist to its team in Philadelphia.

  • March 20, 2024

    Husch Blackwell Hires 5 Attorneys From Lewis Brisbois

    Husch Blackwell LLP announced Wednesday it is welcoming a five-attorney litigation team from Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP to an expanding Minneapolis office, following Husch Blackwell's addition of a transportation practice leader and others from the same rival early this year.

  • March 20, 2024

    EU Commission Builds 'Toolkit' To Fight Counterfeiting

    The European Commission has adopted new measures to crack down on counterfeiting aimed at strengthening intellectual property rights by increasing the sanctions for criminal offenses while also designating a single contact point for enforcement issues. 

  • March 20, 2024

    Calif. Firm Takes On AI, Dating Apps And 'Dopamine Culture'

    A Valentine’s Day class action against dating platform MatchGroup was just the latest in a series of ambitious fights the Malibu-based boutique Clarkson Law Firm PC has picked with Big Tech and beyond, hoping to more broadly protect consumers from addictive and harmful business practices.

  • March 20, 2024

    Hemp Co. Wins Bid To Reverse 'Irrational' UK Gov't CBD Ban

    A hemp company has won its bid in a London court for permission to challenge the U.K. government's decision to ban imports of its cannabis-derived products based on a trace of a controlled chemical.

  • March 20, 2024

    How The Supreme Court Could Narrow Chevron

    After hours of oral argument in a closely watched administrative law case, it appeared that some U.S. Supreme Court justices could be open to limiting the opportunities for lower courts to defer to federal agencies' legal interpretations in disputes over rulemaking — and legal experts said there are a number of ways they could do it.

Expert Analysis

  • Using Arbitration And Class Waivers As Privacy Suit Tools

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    Amid a surge in data breach class actions over the last few years, several federal court decisions indicate that arbitration clauses and class action waiver provisions can be possible alternatives to public court battles and potentially reduce the costs of privacy litigation, say Mark Olthoff and Courtney Klaus at Polsinelli.

  • 6 Pointers For Attys To Build Trust, Credibility On Social Media

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    In an era of information overload, attorneys can use social media strategically — from making infographics to leveraging targeted advertising — to cut through the noise and establish a reputation among current and potential clients, says Marly Broudie at SocialEyes Communications.

  • Why Fla. High Court Adopting Apex Doctrine Is Monumental

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    The Florida Supreme Court recently solidified the apex doctrine in the Sunshine State, an important development that extends the scope of the doctrine in the state to include both corporate and government officials, and formalizes the requirements for a high-level corporate official to challenge a request for a deposition, says Laura Renstrom at Holland & Knight.

  • A Post-Mortem Analysis Of Stroock's Demise

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    After the dissolution of 147-year-old firm Stroock late last year shook up the legal world, a post-mortem analysis of the data reveals a long list of warning signs preceding the firm’s collapse — and provides some insight into how other firms might avoid the same disastrous fate, says Craig Savitzky at Leopard Solutions.

  • Retailers Must Be Mindful Of Sale Ads As Class Actions Rise

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    A recent uptick in class actions filed against retailers over a breadth of allegedly deceptive pricing practices — including misleading reference prices for sales and discounts offered on a perpetual basis — show no sign of slowing down, indicating that class counsel are laser-focused on challenging advertising strategies, say Louis DiLorenzo and Paavana Kumar at Davis+Gilbert.

  • Legislative And Litigation Trends In Environmental Advertising

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    Companies that tout their products' environmental benefits can significantly reduce the risk that they will face allegations of greenwashing by staying up to date on related Federal Trade Commission guidance, state requirements and litigation trends, say Raqiyyah Pippins and Kelsie Sicinski at Arnold & Porter.

  • Considering The Logical Extremes Of Your Legal Argument

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    Recent oral arguments in the federal election interference case against former President Donald Trump highlighted the age-old technique of extending an argument to its logical limit — a principle that is still important for attorneys to consider in preparing their cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Reducing The Risk Of PFAS False Advertising Class Actions

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    A wave of class actions continues to pummel products that allegedly contain per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances, with plaintiffs challenging advertising that they say misleads consumers by implying an absence of PFAS — but there are steps companies can take to minimize risk, say attorneys at Keller and Heckman.

  • 6th Circ. Ruling Breathes New Life Into Article III Traceability

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    The Sixth Circuit's recent decision in Hardwick v. 3M Co. to vacate a district court's certification of one of the largest class actions in American jurisprudence for lack of Article III standing has potentially broader implications for class action practice in the product liability sphere, particularly in medical monitoring cases involving far-fetched theories of causation, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Storytelling Strategies To Defuse Courtroom Conspiracies

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    Misinformation continues to proliferate in all sectors of society, including in the courtroom, as jurors try to fill in the gaps of incomplete trial narratives — underscoring the need for attorneys to tell a complete, consistent and credible story before and during trial, says David Metz at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • Aviation Watch: 737 Max Blowout Raises Major Safety Issues

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    The sudden in-flight loss of a side panel on an Alaska Air 737-9 Max last month, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane's cabin, highlighted ongoing quality issues at Boeing, the jet's manufacturer — but the failure also arose from decisions made by the airline, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • 3 Principles For Minimizing The Risk Of A Nuclear Verdict

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    In one of the latest examples of so-called nuclear verdicts, a single plaintiff was awarded $2.25 billion in a jury trial against Monsanto — revealing the need for defense attorneys to prioritize trust, connection and simplicity when communicating with modern juries, say Jenny Hergenrother and Mia Falzarano at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Coaching High School Wrestling Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Coaching my son’s high school wrestling team has been great fun, but it’s also demonstrated how a legal career can benefit from certain experiences, such as embracing the unknown, studying the rules and engaging with new people, says Richard Davis at Maynard Nexsen.

  • Opinion

    New Rule 702 Helps Judges Keep Bad Science Out Of Court

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    A court's recent decision to exclude dubious testimony from the plaintiffs' experts in multidistrict litigation over acetaminophen highlights the responsibility that judges have to keep questionable scientific evidence out of courtrooms, particularly under recent amendments to Federal Rule of Evidence 702, says Sherman Joyce at the American Tort Reform Association.

  • SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap

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    As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.

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