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Trial Lawyers' Influence News

May 18, 2012

New Orleans Times-Picayune | May 18, 2012
With the clock winding down on an acrimonious legislative session, lawmakers appear to have settled on a new framework for environmental damage lawsuits that landowners file against energy companies that once leased their property.
MassTortDefense Blog | May 18, 2012
Readers of MassTortDefense recognize that one of the most challenging jurisdictions for potential class actions defendants is California, given the substantive law, some state courts' take on certification issues, and the aggressive plaintiffs' bar.  It is no surprise that advocates of a balanced and appropriate role for class actions have from time to time attempted legislative reform in this state.

May 16, 2012

The Hayride | May 16, 2012
An investigative branch of the conservative national think tank the Heritage Foundation issued a damaging report this week – which was also picked up on Washington Times 24/7 – putting the national spotlight back on Louisiana’s legacy lawsuit crisis.
Daily Advertiser | May 16, 2012
Unfortunately the recent editorial, "Dump both legacy lawsuit bills" (May 11), does not reflect the reality that if our state leaders fail to address the legacy lawsuit crisis this Legislative session, the environmental cleanup of damaged properties will continue to languish, as they have for years, while a small group of politically-connected plaintiffs' attorneys will continue to get rich off the current system.

May 15, 2012

Bloomberg | May 15, 2012
In eight of his last 18 campaign events, Obama reminded voters that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which provides employees more time to file such lawsuits, was the first piece of legislation he signed into law when he took office in 2009, and its namesake is now campaigning for his re-election. Yet there were fewer cases charging sex-based wage discrimination last year than the year before the law was signed, and the wage gap was wider in 2010 than it was in 2007.

May 14, 2012

National Law Journal | Subscription Required | May 14, 2012
An award of $30 million in attorney fees and nearly $1.2 million in costs to plaintiffs lawyers who worked on a multidistrict litigation came under fire at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on May 10.
Cincinnati Enquirer | May 14, 2012
The Kentucky Supreme Court will hear an appeal from a group of people sickened by the diet-drug fen-phen who say that a $42 million judgment awarded to them from their one-time attorneys should be reinstated.

May 10, 2012

ATR Blog | May 10, 2012
On May 8, 2012, the California Assembly Judiciary Committee defeated A.B. 1878 (Beth Gaines-R) by a clean party-line vote of 3-7.  This bill would have provided businesses much needed relief from frivolous ADA lawsuits.

May 9, 2012

The Foundry | May 9, 2012
Lawsuits against oil and gas companies in Louisiana have taken a toll on the industry and the state’s economy generally. But documents obtained by Scribe suggest plaintiffs’ attorneys in the lawsuits seek out litigation even when they know their claims are baseless.
Sacramento Bee | May 9, 2012
California has long struggled to find the right balance between making sure the disabled have access to public places and protecting businesses from burdensome lawsuits. After lengthy negotiations, advocates for the disabled, trial attorneys and business groups came up with a compromise that took effect in January 2009. It created ground rules to allow businesses to be certified by the state as being in compliance.