Tobacco Wars Lawyer Scores Another Verdict in Record-Setting Case
Attorney Michael Piuze stunned the plaintiffs bar when he got a record $28 billion punitive damages verdict in 2002 for a Los Angeles woman who sued Philip Morris after being diagnosed with lung cancer. On Thursday, a federal jury in Los Angeles awarded $900,000 in noneconomic damages on behalf of the woman’s daughter, Jodie Bullock.
Top News
- Hot Mic Captures Justices' Remarks During Court Protest
- Reid Condemns Scalia's Affirmative Action Remarks as 'Deeply Disturbing'
- Law Firm Levity: Vinson & Elkins Ties One On For Oil Industry
- D.C. Federal Judge Takes Senior Status For Financial Benefits
- Businessman Can't Shield Mintz Levin Communication From Prosecutors
- Justices to Review Chemical Testing of Suspected Drunk Drivers
Legal Times
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D.C. Federal Judge Takes Senior Status For Financial Benefits
U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton in Washington will take senior status at the end of the year. He said he made the change for financial reasons and won't reduce his caseload for now.
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Morning Wrap: Weil and Skadden on 'DowDuPont' $130B Deal | The Justices' Hot Mic
Dow and DuPont announce $130 billion merger that's likely to face major regulatory scrutiny. Weil Gotshal represents Dow in the deal, and Skadden Arps for DuPont. A hot mic captured what the justices thought about Supreme Court protesters earlier this year. And criticism of Justice Scalia's affirmative action remarks ramped up in the hours after argument this week. This is a roundup from ALM and other publications.
Regulation
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FTC Cracks Down on 'Bamboo' Advertising Claims
In the latest round of enforcement against deceptive advertising, the Federal Trade Commission reached settlements Wednesday with four national retailers the agency accused of mislabeling rayon products as being made of bamboo. The retailers—Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., J.C. Penney Co. Inc., Nordstrom Inc. and Backcountry.com LLC—will be barred from making inaccurate claims about bamboo content and also be required to pay a combined $1.3 million in civil penalties.
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Dispute Over Colorado's Marijuana Law Sits on Supreme Court Back Burner
Almost a full year after Nebraska and Oklahoma sued Colorado over its legalization of marijuana, the litigation is languishing on the U.S. Supreme Court's docket as it awaits the views of the Obama administration. The unusual lawsuit, which invokes the high court's "original jurisdiction" over disputes between states, was filed last year on Dec. 18 last year. More than seven months ago, the justices on May 4 invited U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. to file a brief in the case. The average wait time for the most recent invited briefs submitted by the solicitor general's office was roughly four months.
Litigation
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Justices to Review Chemical Testing of Suspected Drunk Drivers
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide whether states can impose criminal penalties on someone who, in the absence of a warrant, refuses to take a chemical test to detect alcohol in his or her blood.
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Tobacco Wars Lawyer Scores Another Verdict in Record-Setting Case
Attorney Michael Piuze stunned the plaintiffs bar when he got a record $28 billion punitive damages verdict in 2002 for a Los Angeles woman who sued Philip Morris after being diagnosed with lung cancer. On Thursday, a federal jury in Los Angeles awarded $900,000 in noneconomic damages on behalf of the woman’s daughter, Jodie Bullock.
Special Reports