Our group is highly experienced in handling complicated cases that are considered to be complex litigation. A case is considered to be complex litigation if it involves multiple parties in multiple jurisdictions, large amounts of money, lengthy trial, or complex legal issues.
For example, On November 30, 2017, Don Barrett’s firm led the filing of the first RICO class action on behalf of U.S. hospitals against the manufacturers and distributors of opioids for deceptive marketing. Our lawsuit claims that these drug companies pushed highly addictive, dangerous opioids, and falsely represented to doctors that patients would only rarely succumb to drug addictions. As a result of this deceptive marketing, hospitals have had to treat patients for opioid addiction, overdoses, and babies born with opioid addiction. On January 4, 2018, Judge Dan Polster, presiding over In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, MDL No. 2804 (N.D. Ohio), appointed Don Barrett to the Plaintiffs Executive Committee as the representative of hospitals.
In 2017, our group filed eleven civil RICO lawsuits on behalf of the state of Mississippi against all corporate and individual conspirators connected to the prison bribery scandal involving former Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps. Our lawsuits allege that multiple corporations paid millions of dollars in so-called “consulting fees” to individuals who then used those fees to pay bribes and kickbacks to Epps. Based on those kickbacks, Epps awarded, directed, or extended approximately $800 million in public contracts to those private prison contractors. Epps is accused of running one of the largest and longest criminal conspiracies in state government history, taking at least $1.4 million in bribes and kickbacks over eight years to steer more than $800 million worth of state prison contracts. Several defendants have already settled their claims for a total of around $10 million dollars. Litigation is still active for those defendants who have not settled.
Our group currently represents over one hundred women in In Re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 16-2738) for their injuries caused from the use of Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder products. Johnson & Johnson failed to warn women of the risk of developing talcum powder related injuries, such as ovarian cancer, from the use of its popular baby powder in the pelvic region. The litigation is currently ongoing.
Barrett Law Group currently represents Bridgestone Americas, Inc. against International Business Machines Corporation in a breach of contract dispute over a failed software implementation. The case is currently set to go to trial in 2018.