Plaintiffs' Attorneys Launch Groundbreaking Strategy to Negate J&J's Third Bankruptcy Attempt in Talc Litigation

[PENSACOLA, FL] November 6, 2023 - Heavyhitter mass tort law firms Levin Papantonio Rafferty (LPR) and Beasley Allen Law Firm announced they are training 60 seasoned trial attorneys from across the U.S. in a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Trial Package Bootcamp. The training will unleash an army of lawyers trained and equipped to handle coordinated J&J talcum powder trials taking place simultaneously in multiple jurisdictions from coast to coast in 2024 and beyond. At least 18 talc-ovarian cancer trials are scheduled to be heard in state courts next year.

The talc litigation bootcamp precedes J&J's LTL Management subsidiary's anticipated third bankruptcy filing through which the pharmaceutical giant aims to further delay all current and future talc trials in the talcum powder products liability litigation. Currently, more than 50,000 plaintiffs in the multidistrict litigation (MDL) allege that J&J's talc products caused claimants to develop ovarian cancer. 

LPR Attorney Mike Papantonio and Attorney Andy Birchfield, of Beasley Allen Law Firm, see J&J's bankruptcy strategy for what it is: a stall tactic that stops the wheels of justice in these talc-cancer lawsuits and promises to underpay plaintiffs. 

"Johnson & Johnson has its strategy, and we have ours, too," Papantonio said. "We're building a massive law firm. A machine that will put 60 seasoned, trained trial lawyers, schooled on J&J's disastrous history, in courtrooms on the same day anywhere in America.

"It's a trial strategy that will spread J&J thin. It will also show J&J shareholders again how badly J&J management is squandering billions with billable time payments to slick defense firms," Papantonio added.

Birchfield stressed the importance of talc plaintiffs' attorneys learning from J&J's twice-failed bankruptcy efforts (Case No. 21-30589 and Case No.  23-12825). 

"Bankruptcy is too powerful a tool to be used responsibly by corporate giants like Johnson & Johnson," Birchfield said. "We must be in a place where we can stand up as a Plaintiffs' bar on behalf of our clients against J&J's sinister tactics like bankruptcy. That’s what this bootcamp is all about. Equipping plaintiffs' lawyers to do right by their clients."

Both attorneys are committed to a central idea--that attorneys representing cancer victims can turn back J&J’s abusive tactics and get fair and reasonable compensation for clients in the tort system if the lawyers band together and equip themselves with knowledge and expertise. 

The attorneys also added specific praise for Leigh O’Dell, Michelle Parfitt, and the MDL leadership team for their hard work and commitment in keeping the talc case moving forward in spite of several years’ delay.  

"It’s now time to return to the tort system. We are ready, and we will not be deterred," Birchfield said.  

The talc litigation bootcamp is taking place today, November 6 through Wednesday, November 8, at the law offices of Levin Papantonio Rafferty in Pensacola, Florida. Faculty includes top-flight litigators and lawyers with deep, comprehensive understanding of talc-ovarian cancer claims and the J&J MDL (MDL 2738, IN RE: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation).  

The Levin Papantonio Rafferty law firm has been representing injured people across the globe since 1955. The firm has gained national recognition as one of the most successful personal injury firms in the world and has been featured on CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox, as well as Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Time Magazine, Forbes, and National Law Journal.

Levin Papantonio Rafferty attorneys handle lawsuits throughout the country involving prescription drugs, medical devices, medical malpractice, car accidents, and business litigation. Levin Papantonio Rafferty has earned over $40 billion in jury verdicts and settlements, litigating against some of the largest corporations in the world.

For questions about the firm’s legal practice, call 1 (800) 277-1193.

Founded in 1979, Beasley Allen Law Firm is a nationwide leader in complex plaintiff litigation. The firm works with attorneys and clients nationwide and has offices located in Atlanta; Georgia; Dallas, Texas; Mobile, Alabama; and Montgomery, Alabama. The firm's award-winning attorneys live by the creed of "helping those who need it most." For more information about the firm, visit online at www.beasleyallen.com.