News from July 2019
Bayer hires outside counsel as pressure grows following jury verdicts and continuing share loss
FRANKFORT, Germany (Legal Newsline) – Chemical and agri-business conglomerate Bayer has hired outside counsel and set up a committee in response to lawsuits and its falling share price in the face of thousands of claims that a key ingredient of its Roundup weed killer causes cancer.
Deference doctrine remains in place, but actions on government overreach still likely, D.C. attorney says
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – A U.S. Supreme Court decision cements a long-standing doctrine that federal agencies do have wide powers to oversee regulations, but other legal actions on claimed overreach are possible, according to one attorney with expertise in litigation challenging agency actions.
Blue Creek Fishing Access Site opens to public after construction
Construction has been finalized at the Blue Creek Fishing Access Site.
J&J attorneys bring witness to counter Kolodny in Oklahoma opioid trial
NORMAN, Okla. (Legal Newsline) – Attorneys defending Johnson & Johnson in a trial accusing the company of creating an opioid drug crisis in Oklahoma on Monday brought in an expert witness to counter the testimony of Dr. Andrew Kolodny - a witness the company has alleged is a "de facto" member of the State's legal team.
Janssen says addicts would have struggled to snort its opioids; Nucynta broke coffee grinder during testing
NORMAN, Okla. (Legal Newsline) – A former researcher with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the drug subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, on Friday said the company’s opioid products were safe if used properly, while attorneys hired by Oklahoma alleged J&J had played loose with the facts.
Proposed opioid 'negotiation class' is unnecessary and likely to fail, former negotiator says
CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) - A proposed opioid “negotiation class” that would include more than 24,000 U.S. cities and counties is a waste of judicial resources unlikely to achieve its stated goal of hammering out a global settlement, say critics, including a former Connecticut official who was directly involved in negotiations with the opioid industry.
J&J says it wasn't given chance to prepare for witness called by Oklahoma in opioid trial
NORMAN, Okla, (Legal Newsline) – Attorneys for Johnson & Johnson and its opioid drug manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceutics on June 19 asked Cleveland Country District Court Judge Thad Balkman to decide if the testimony of a Connecticut businessman who founded a nonprofit to fight drug abuse should be allowed as evidence in a trial accusing the companies of creating a drug epidemic.
Craft brewer fights for lawsuit against feds, says gov't shutdown cost it thousands
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – A federal judge is mulling a D.C.-based craft brewer's request not to dismiss its case against the U.S. government over the most-recent shut down, saying future shutdowns will again stop labeling approval and restrict its free speech freedoms.
Murphy Oil USA alleged to list misleading gas prices at Walmart stations
ST. LOUIS (Legal Newsline) – A Missouri man alleges the company that owns and operates gas stations at Walmart stores advertises misleading prices for gasoline.
Law firms sued for more than $150 million
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – The assignee of a trust is seeking damages of more than $150 million from two law firms and two of the firms' partners over allegations they deceptively represented the trust in lawsuits and misappropriated millions.
Janssen defense witness at Oklahoma trial: Opioid drugs safe, effective when used properly
NORMAN, Okla. (Legal Newsline) – An opioid researcher called as a defense expert witness told a courtroom that the opioid medication Duragesic produced by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because the benefits of the drug outweighed the risk.
HOLLAND & KNIGHT: Holland & Knight Attorney Sarah Pickering Selected for American College of Trust and Estate Counsel’s Inaugural Mid-Atlantic Fellows Institute
Holland & Knight attorney Sarah Pickering has been accepted into the inaugural class of the Mid-Atlantic Fellows Institute of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).
BRADLEY ARANT BOULT CUMMINGS: Bradley’s Nashville Office Named Top Workplace for 2019 by The Tennessean
Bradley’s Nashville office was named one of the city’s Top Workplaces for 2019 by The Tennessean.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR: U.S. Department of Labor Announces Award of $48.1 Million in Grants for Workforce Reintegration of Homeless Veterans
U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta announced the awarding of 149 Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) grants totaling $48.1 million.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR: Universal Protection Service Will Pay $175,000 to Settle Allegations of Hiring Discrimination in Seattle, Washington
The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into a conciliation agreement with Universal Protection Service LP – a federal contractor – to resolve allegations of systemic hiring discrimination at the company's Seattle, Washington, facility formerly owned and operated by Northwest Protective Services Inc.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION: Memorial Healthcare to Pay $74,418 to Settle EEOC Religious Discrimination Lawsuit
Memorial Healthcare, which operates a hospital in Owosso, Mich., will pay $74,418 and furnish other relief to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced.