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Keep from Drowning in the Sea of Mass Torts!
“Enriched and emboldened after successful fights against asbestos and tobacco companies, some of the nation's top plaintiffs' lawyers have trained their sights on drug makers, claiming that many giant pharmaceutical companies have hidden the dangers of medicines the lawyers say have harmed thousands of people.” Thus began an article on the front page of the May 18, 2003 the Sunday New York Times, entitled, “Trial Lawyers Are Now Focusing on Lawsuits Against Drug Makers,” which reported on a significant increase in the number of lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies over the last several years. (See Alex Berenson, “Trial Lawyers Are Now Focusing on Lawsuits Against Drug Makers,” N.Y. Times, May 18, 2003, at 1.) In fact, during the last 3 years alone, ten of the 19 products liability litigations transferred to the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation have involved pharmaceuticals or medical devices. (See Web site of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation at www.jpml.uscourts.gov.)
In order to avoid drowning in the sea of mass tort litigation, drug and medical device companies must aggressively and “offensively” defend these actions — and do so as soon as the mass tort litigation emerges. Critical to stemming the mass tort tide is an understanding of the factors that drive the filing of these actions against pharmaceutical and medical device companies: 1) the ease with which controversial issues relating to drugs and medical devices can be recognized; and 2) complicated causation issues. Armed with that understanding, the single most important pre-trial goal for any defendant must be the early exposure of frivolous claims based on tenuous causation and junk science. Of course, the immediate benefit of this strategy is obvious: the dismissal of the individual case at hand. The benefits of early exposure, however, are much more far-reaching in that it can act as a deterrent to the filing of new cases, as well as a catalyst for the dismissal of existing actions based on similar unsupported theories. Early exposure of frivolous claims is the key to stopping the growth of a particular mass tort litigation, as well as to causing its ultimate demise.
The Article 8 Opt In
The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws
This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.
Beach Boys Songs Written Decades Ago Triggered Current Quarrel With Lawyers
There's current litigation in the ongoing Beach Boys litigation saga. A lawsuit filed in 2019 against Nevada residents Mike Love and his wife Jacquelyne in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada that alleges inaccurate payment by the Loves under the retainer agreement and seeks $84.5 million in damages.
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin
With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.
Transfer Tax Implications on Real Property Leases
The real property transfer tax does not apply to all leases, and understanding the tax rules of the applicable jurisdiction can allow parties to plan ahead to avoid unnecessary tax liability.