Web fuels against tobacco worldwide; documents in Minnesota trial help British lawyer in case against Gallaher Ltd
Article Abstract:
The World Wide Web has become a source of much sensitive tobacco company information in suits against the industry. Many of the records date back to the 1950s. Plaintiffs' lawyers for the state of Minnesota have collected many tobacco industry documents at a World Wide Web site and are, as the trial progresses, introducing the most damaging of these. One of the plaintiffs, Blue Shield of Minnesota, and also the US Congress post tobacco industry documents on their Web sites.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1998
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Trials on despite smoke deal; close look at 'settlement' shows loose ends, including ongoing class actions
Article Abstract:
The 1997 settlement of the tobacco industry litigation is an agreement that both sides will lobby the US Congress for legislation to guarantee the continued viability of the tobacco industry in return for the industry's payment of $368.5 bil over the next 25 years and acceptance of broad new regulations. It is not a settlement in the sense that most attorneys understand and much litigation will remain up in the air. FDA authority over tobacco remains in flux as well.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1997
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Tobacco negotiations created sharp client conflicts; did leading plaintiffs' lawyers bargain away the rights of individual clients?
Article Abstract:
Attorneys for individual tobacco industry plaintiffs who also participated in negotiating the proposed settlement may be guilty of a conflict of interest. Observers say the cases of individual clients, such as Burl Butler's widow Ava Dean Butler, will be hurt by the huge class action settlement. Butler's attorneys acted as counsel for the attorney generals involved in the settlement negotiations and could collect huge fees for their work.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1997
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
- Abstracts: Selected developments concerning the federal securities laws and in the market for corporate control. Recent developments in securities class actions
- Abstracts: Women's progress slows at top firms: numbers in partnership ranks do grow, but hurdles remain, and not all partners are created equal
- Abstracts: Judge guts Illinois law on parents; Walgreen CEO may lose grandkids to ill daughter. Child's alleged words spark dispute; Illinois prosecutors say child protection'hearsay exception covers murder
- Abstracts: What's up with HotDocs; document assembly for beginners or pros, with Net user groups, how-tos. While you were out... converting phone messages to e-mail archives saves time, creates database
- Abstracts: Ten tips for selecting a litigation support vendor. Client/server scheduling solution. Simplified database creation