Law Firm Embraces Child Protection Litigation to Make Systemic Changes for Our Nation's Youth

Levin Papantonio (LP) attorneys will be leading discussions on critical litigation topics that focus on safeguarding children. The presentations will be given today at the Mass Torts Made Perfect (MTMP) conference in Las Vegas. The highly anticipated "Child Protection Track" track will cover a variety of ongoing cases that aim to hold corporations and organizations accountable for their roles in causing harm to vulnerable minors.

LP President Brian Barr said the firm is looking forward to the opportunity to partner with the more than 700 law firms that attend MTMP on these important cases. 

"Our attorneys are focused on some of the most pressing legal battles involving the safety and well-being of children," Barr said. "By taking the fight to civil court, we know we can affect systemic changes, as we have done in the past, to give our youth the childhood they deserve and the opportunity to become adults who thrive."

Sara Papantonio, head of the NEC baby formula litigation team at Levin Papantonio, will discuss the latest updates in the NEC Infant Formula Litigation, a high-stakes battle against major formula manufacturers Abbott Laboratories and Mead Johnson (MDL 3026, In Re: Abbott Laboratories, et al., Preterm Infant Nutrition Products Liability Litigation). This litigation has gained significant momentum, especially following a $495 million judgment against Abbott Laboratories for its role in causing preterm babies to develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a condition where bowel tissue dies. In March, a St. Clair, Illinois, jury awarded $60 million to a mother whose son died from NEC after consuming Mead Johnson’s Enfamil formula.

“These verdicts are just the beginning of holding these companies accountable for the harm they have caused,” Papantonio said. “We are seeing the legal tide turn, and now is the time for firms to get involved in this crucial litigation.”

Peter Mougey, the key architect behind the historic $60 billion opioid settlements (MDL 2804, In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation), will lead a session on the vital role government entities play in child protection litigation. Joining him will be several Attorneys General, including Aaron Ford of Nevada, Kwame Raoul of Illinois, and Raul Torrez of New Mexico. The panel will explore how government entities can leverage their legal authority to safeguard children from corporate negligence and abuse.

“Government action is critical in these cases,” Mougey remarked. “When government entities take the lead in litigation, it creates a path for systemic change that can protect future generations.”

Emmie Paulos, a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 3047), will discuss the growing litigation against social media companies. These lawsuits focus on how platforms like Instagram and TikTok knowingly designed their apps to exploit young users, leading to addiction, mental health crises, and even suicidal behavior.

“Social media companies have built a playground for addiction and mental health devastation,” Paulos explained. “This litigation is about making them answer for the damage they’ve caused to an entire generation of children.”

Jeff Gaddy will provide an update on video game addiction litigation, which asserts that video game companies are culpable for designing addictive products that exploit the brain’s reward system. These lawsuits argue that companies failed to warn users about the potential for addiction and intentionally designed games to maximize user engagement, leading to significant psychological harm, especially among minors.

“Video game companies are using psychological warfare to keep kids hooked, and they need to be held accountable,” Gaddy said. “Our goal is to expose these harmful practices and seek justice for the families affected by this modern-day addiction.”

Caleb Cunningham will present on the Exploited Teens Litigation, which aims to hold accountable companies and individuals who have profited from the abuse and exploitation of minors. This includes a range of cases where residential treatment facilities (RTFs) have discriminated against and/or failed to protect children who reside in these centers.

“Children are not products to be exploited for profit,” said Cunningham. “Our litigation is about protecting the most vulnerable among us and ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice.”

Mass Torts Made Perfect (MTMP) is the premier event for plaintiff attorneys and legal professionals working in mass tort and class action litigation. Held bi-annually in Las Vegas, the 3-day conference attracts over 2,100 participants from more than 700 law firms, making it the largest gathering of its kind. MTMP offers attendees a chance to expand their knowledge and network with peers through sessions covering a wide array of topics, including prescription drugs, defective products, securities litigation, and consumer fraud.

The Levin Papantonio 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.

LP attorneys handle lawsuits throughout the country and have helped obtain more than $80 billion in jury verdicts and settlements, litigating against some of the largest corporations in the world.