Legal Newsline

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Attorneys & Judges News

Attorneys & Judges

Here are the names of lawyers whose TV ads are scaring and lying to viewers, according to the FTC

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – The Federal Trade Commission says lawyers and legal advertisers looking for plaintiffs to sue drug companies are making false claims in their TV ads, as well as possibly scaring viewers into stopping taking their medications.

By John O'Brien | Oct 11, 2019

Attorneys & Judges

No luck for Ohio AG in attempt to halt first federal opioid trial

CINCINNATI (Legal Newsline) – A federal appeals court has turned away an attempt to halt the first federal opioid trial by ruling Thursday against Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who is concerned cities and counties in his state have usurped his authority.

By John O'Brien | Oct 10, 2019

Latest News

Attorneys & Judges

Seeing all those Roundup commercials? That's because lawyers have spent $60M on them this year

By John O'Brien | Oct 10, 2019

The search for clients to file cancer lawsuits over the weed-killer Roundup has exploded – even as the EPA says the product does not cause what lawyers are alleging.

From Pennsylvania Record

Critics come out to fight AG Shapiro's proposed antitrust rule; Law prof worries about impact on class actions

By Nicholas Malfitano | 7 days ago

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro wants to supplement regulations which are part of a state consumer protection law, but law scholars and business groups are concerned that he is trying to create a state anti-trust statute in doing so.

Attorneys & Judges

Two recent talc verdicts went against J&J; Both sides vow to keep fighting

By John Sammon | Oct 2, 2019

LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – Officials for Johnson & Johnson and attorneys representing plaintiffs suing the company for alleged asbestos-tainted baby powder both vowed on Tuesday to continue litigating after two recent verdicts went against the company.

Attorneys & Judges

Millions are spent on ads targeting diabetes medications, but FTC worried lawyers are lying in them

By John O'Brien | Oct 2, 2019

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – As a federal agency considers whether lawyers are illegally frightening potential clients who see their television commercials, research shows drugs like Invokana and Truvada are among the most popular subjects of lawyer spending.

Attorneys & Judges

Man with no injury allowed to sue over PFAS in bloodstream, but judge doesn't create national class action - yet

By Daniel Fisher | Oct 1, 2019

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) - A federal judge in Ohio on Monday allowed a firefighter to proceed with his lawsuit against 3M, DuPont and other manufacturers of a class of chemicals known as PFAS, although the judge stopped short of transforming the case into a class action on behalf of virtually every person in the U.S., as plaintiff lawyers want.

Attorneys & Judges

'Absolute panic' as cities, counties face deadline on opioid 'negotiation class'

By Daniel Fisher | Sep 26, 2019

CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) - Cities and counties are worried and confused as they face a November deadline to join or opt out of an unprecedented “negotiation class” that could determine how much money they get from opioid litigation, a lawyer who represents Texas municipalities said.

Attorneys & Judges

Sixth Circuit seeks answers from judge as states try to derail opioid bellwether trial

By John O'Brien | Sep 25, 2019

CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) – The judge overseeing nearly 2,000 opioid lawsuits must address concerns that the cases over which he is presiding are an improper power grab by plaintiffs lawyers who signed up cities and counties as clients.

Attorneys & Judges

Lawyers escape malpractice case after failed personal injury lawsuit

By Charmaine Little | Sep 25, 2019

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Legal Newsline) – A woman who sued her legal team after she lost a medical malpractice lawsuit couldn’t convince the Supreme Court of Alabama to overturn the ruling against her.

Attorneys & Judges

Jurors won't get confused during huge opioid trial, judge rules; He'll set penalties after

By John O'Brien | Sep 24, 2019

CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) – A jury will determine who, if anyone, is liable for the nation’s addiction crisis, but the judge overseeing a historic trial will decide how much they would pay.

Attorneys & Judges

Lawyers representing Kavanaugh accuser should face ethics investigation, Trump advocate says

By Karen Kidd | Sep 24, 2019

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – Possible misconduct by attorneys for the woman who made allegations during now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings last year should be investigated, an official close to the hearings said during a recent interview.

Attorneys & Judges

'Business decision': Did DEA boss leave opioid distributors hanging?

By John O'Brien | Sep 20, 2019

During the boom of the addiction crisis in America, opioid distributors were told to figure out a system for identifying suspicious orders but what they came up with could never be given a stamp of approval from federal regulators – even if they asked.

From Pennsylvania Record

Is AG Shapiro ignoring the legislature as he tries to change state consumer protection law?

By Nicholas Malfitano | 1 month ago

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office is proposing to amend the rule standards contained in the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, an action it claims is necessary but which some observers say is happening without legislative input.

Attorneys & Judges

Alaska attorney general recommends that state implement new payroll deduction process in wake of Janus ruling

By Charmaine Little | Sep 4, 2019

JUNEAU, Alaska (Legal Newsline) – On Aug. 27, Alaska Attorney General Kevin G. Clarkson penned a letter to Gov. Michael J. Dunleavy on how a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling concerning union dues and fees will adversely impact all state employees.

Attorneys & Judges

‘Business decision’: Former DEA official works for opioid lawyers but set standards for how many pills were made

By John O'Brien | Sep 3, 2019

Now, Rannazzisi is helping private lawyers pin the blame squarely on manufacturers and distributors of opioids, as well as pharmacies. A post-DEA alliance with trial lawyers has been worth six figures for Rannazzisi, who has been hailed as a whistleblower by those cheering attempts to prosecute the opioid industry for the nation’s addiction crisis.

Attorneys & Judges

Southeastern U.S. employment lawsuits over past decade 'overwhelmingly favor employers,' report says

By Karen Kidd | Aug 30, 2019

MENLO PARK, Calif. (Legal Newsline) – Employment litigation cases are on the rise in the Southeastern U.S. where tens of thousands have been filed in federal court since 2009, but employers are largely winning, a California-based litigation data research company said in a recent report.

Attorneys & Judges

Oklahoma judge feeds the 'monster' with $572M opioid ruling against Johnson & Johnson

By Daniel Fisher | Aug 27, 2019

Sixteen years ago in a case involving gunmaker Sturm, Ruger & Co., a New York appeals court refused to apply public nuisance law against the manufacturer of a legal product, saying that doing so would transform nuisance law “into a monster that would devour in one gulp the entire law of tort.”

Attorneys & Judges

Private lawyers stand to make $90 million as judge hits Johnson & Johnson with $572M opioid ruling

By Daniel Fisher | Aug 26, 2019

NORMAN, Okla. (Legal Newsline) - A state judge in Oklahoma has blamed Johnson & Johnson for the state's opioid crisis and ordered it to pay $572 million in damages, extending public nuisance law beyond its traditional boundaries into what may become an all-purpose tool for government lawsuits against product manufacturers.