Our first runner-up this week is a team that brought home a rare defense win for Monsanto in a trial bringing claims that its Roundup herbicide causes cancer. A Los Angeles jury this week found Roundup was not a “substantial factor” in causing 10-year-old Ezra Clark to suffer from an aggressive form of cancer called Burkitt’s lymphoma. Brian Stekloff, co-founder of Wilkinson Stekloff, served as lead trial counsel alongside Covington & Burling partner Jennifer Saulino and Wilkinson Stekloff associate Cali Cope-Kasten. Covington partner Michael Imbroscio, Wilkinson Stekloff partner Kieran Gostin and Winston & Strawn partner Michael Swartz all advised on trial strategy and motions practice
Our next runners-up are the plaintiffs lawyers who landed an $8.2 million compensatory damages verdict in the fourth bellwether trial in the 3M Combat Arms Earplugs Products Liability on behalf of plaintiff Brandon Adkins. Adkins’ trial counsel included Jennifer Hoekstra of Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz; Adam Wolfson and Matthew Hosen of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan; Michael Sacchet of Ciresi Conlin, and Robert Cowan of Bailey Cowan Heckaman. They were up against members of the Kirkland & Ellis trial team that took home Litigator of the Week honors for winning a defense verdict in the second bellwether trial of the MDL.
