Publication Archive: Opioid Epidemic

The New York Attorney General’s Office said Friday it has uncovered roughly $1 billion in wire transfers by the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, that appear to be an attempt by the family to shield part of its fortune as it defended itself against a myriad of lawsuits alleging it fueled the opioid crisis.…Read the article

Two Ohio countries, Summit and Cuyahoga, are set to go to trial next month in the consolidated opioid litigation taking place in federal court in Cleveland, Ohio under the direction of Judge Dan Polster, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost believes this will put the individuals in his state  one that has been hit especially…Read the article

The country has its eyes on an Ohio opioid MDL handling more than 2,000 lawsuits brought by more than 1,200 cities, counties, and tribes against drug manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost recently filed a mandamus petition at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to enjoin District Judge Dan Polster from proceeding…Read the article

Hunter Shkolnik, an attorney representing Palm Beach County in its opioid trial, said the legal team doesn’t intend to settle. “We were retained by Palm Beach County to try this case. We’re trial lawyers,”he said. What can happen after this bellwether trial? It’s up to the judge, Shkolnik said. “It’s our belief that the judge…Read the article

The state of Oklahoma plans to take Johnson & Johnson to court after a judge ruled the state can try a civil case that would order the company to pay more than $17.5 billion for their alleged role in the opioid crisis. At the end of May, Hunter Shkolnik, a partner at Napoli Shkolnik, told…Read the article

A New York judge has allowed a group of consolidated cases brought by several counties and cities in New York to pursue claims against the Sackler family in order to recoup millions of dollars in costs tied to the opioid crisis. In a ruling Friday, Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Jerry Garguilo found two cities and 31…Read the article

The Sackler family members who control Purdue Pharma LP can’t avoid claims they were complicit in alleged company conduct that gave rise to the nationwide opioid epidemic, a New York judge has ruled, finding they must face multidistrict litigation in the state. Salvatore C. Badala of Napoli Shkolnik PLLC, also representing the plaintiffs, said his…Read the article

The billionaire owners of Purdue Pharma LP must face a New York lawsuit claiming they triggered the U.S. opioid epidemic, a judge ruled, handing an early victory to states and local governments seeking to recoup billions of dollars in social costs from the drugs. A state judge on Friday denied the Sacklers’ request to dismiss the lawsuit,…Read the article

In March, Judge Polster ruled that BakerHoestetler couldn’t represent Endo in the bellwether cases brought by the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, finding that this nonpublic information “may go to the heart of plaintiffs’ damages claims” and if used “could materially prejudice Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.” “BakerHostetler and Ms. Rendon are unhappy that Judge…Read the article

Hunter Shkolnik, a partner at Napoli Shkolnik, is representing hundreds of counties in opioid cases, including one of the first to be tried as part of large multi-district litigation starting in October. He said: “The Insys verdict is a harbinger of very bad things to come for the manufacturers, distributors and pharmacy chains involved in…Read the article