People v. Purdue Pharma L.P. et al.

Antitrust

Orange County

Judge Peter J. Wilson

Defense Attorneys: Hueston Hennigan Llp, John C. Hueston, Moez M. Kaba, Marshall A. Camp, Michael M. Purpura, Padraic W. Foran, Thomas B. King, Samantha L. Schnier, Michael H. Todisco, David B. Sarfati, Joshua D. Burk, Karen L. Ding, Stephen T. Mayer; Kirkland & Ellis Llp, Donna M. Welch, Jennifer G. Levy, Zachary W. Byer, Timothy W. Knapp, Karl Stampfl; O'melveny & Myers Llp, Michael G. Yoder, Steve Brody, Amy J. Laurendeau, Amy R. Lucas, Charles C. Lifland; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Llp, Collie F. James Iv, Wendy West Feinstein, Adam D. Teitcher

Plaintiffs Attorneys: Motley Rice Llc, Fidelma L. Fitzpatrick, Michael J. Pendell, Frederick C. Baker, Kristen Hermiz, Cynthia A. Solomon, Christopher F. Moriarty; Skikos, Crawford, Skikos & Joseph, Llp, Steven J. Skikos, Mark G. Crawford; Robinson Calcagnie, Inc., Mark P. Robinson Jr., Kevin F. Calcagnie, Daniel S. Robinson, Paul A. Dagostino, Genevieve Rose Outlaw, Lila Razmara; Santa Clara County Counsel, James R. Williams, Greta S. Hansen, Kavita K. Narayan, Laura S. Trice, Julia Spiegel, H. Luke Edwards, Hannah Kieschnick, Karun Tilak; Los Angeles County Counsel, Rodrigo A. Castro-Silva, Robert E. Ragland, Scott Kuhn, Andrea E. Ross, J. Scott Kuhn, Tracy E. Hughes; Orange County District Attorney, Todd A. Spitzer, Tracy A. Miller, Lesley D. Young, Raymond S. Armstrong, Paulie M. Fabian; Oakland City Attorney, Barbara J. Parker, Maria S. Bee, Malia J. Mcpherson, Zoe M. Savitsky

John C. Hueston

In a major win for the beleaguered makers of opioid drugs, defense lawyers at four top firms representing four major pharmaceutical companies persuaded an Orange County Superior Court judge to hand their clients a complete defense victory on the plaintiffs' hotly contested theory of liability: that false advertising claims about prescription painkillers created a public nuisance costing California taxpayers $52 billion.

Despite the efforts of a high-powered plaintiffs' team during a four-month bench trial, Judge Peter J. Wilson found no actionable public nuisance or false or misleading claims by the defendants. At trial he cited "a dearth of evidence" for the plaintiffs' position. People v. Purdue Pharma et al., 30-14-00725287 (O.C. Super. Ct. filed May 21, 2014).

Hueston Hennigan LLP's John C. Hueston, representing Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., said, "We convinced the judge that to find nuisance you have to find an underlying bad act, and that proved the plaintiffs' downfall. It's not enough to show there's an opioid crisis."

He was co-lead defense counsel alongside Kirkland & Ellis LLP's Donna M. Welch and Jennifer G. Levy for Allergan plc; Michael G. Yoder and Steve Brody of O'Melveny & Myers LLP for Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.; and Collie F. James and Wendy West Feinstein of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP for Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.

James said that the judge's opinion "serves as an important marker in this national litigation and recognizes that evidence, not assumptions, must be the guide in assessing liability for the cause of this complex public health issue."

Added Yoder, "Judge Wilson's ruling makes clear that our clients responsibly marketed important medicines for the treatment of chronic pain and did not cause the complex problem of drug abuse in California."

The plaintiffs' lead counsel, Fidelma L. Fitzpatrick of Motley Rice LLC in Rhode Island, representing the counties of Los Angeles, Orange and Santa Clara and the city of Oakland, did not answer a request through her firm for comment. In her closing remarks, she complained that the judge interrupted her and the defense offered misleading evidence. If she sounded frustrated, she said, "It's because I am."

The plaintiffs have vowed to appeal.

Said Hueston, "There's nothing better than winning a case where everybody but your client thinks you're going to lose."

- John Roemer

Moez M. Kaba