NASHVILLE, TENN. — Nashville-based Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings (BS&J), PLLC announces the appointment of managing partner Gerard Stranch as counsel for the negotiation class in the pending multi-district national prescription opioid litigation (MDL 2804) in Cleveland, Ohio.
More than 1,500 cases involving U.S. states, counties, cities and other entities have been consolidated into the MDL. The 49 plaintiffs allege that “the manufacturers of prescription opioids grossly misrepresented the risks of long-term use of those drugs for persons with chronic pain, and distributors failed to properly monitor suspicious orders of those prescription drugs ― all of which contributed to the current opioid epidemic.” The defendants include major pharmaceutical manufacturers Purdue Pharma and Mallinckrodt PLC, distributors McKesson Corporation and Cardinal Health, and major retailers, such as CVS RX Services, Inc.
“I am honored to be appointed to the negotiation class for this complex and pivotal litigation,” Stranch says. “The class provides a tool for the plaintiffs to engage more effectively in settlement discussions, take coordinated action in a comprehensive settlement process, and allocate settlement funds among the entire class at both the state and the city/county levels.
“Throughout this process, it is important to note that the opioid epidemic has impacted rural communities at a much higher rate than urban centers,” Stranch says. “Smaller towns and counties where resources have never been plentiful to begin with are now experiencing disproportionate amounts of suffering. In order to be fair, we should keep in mind that the distribution of settlement funds should accurately reflect the amount of damage inflicted by this crisis.”
Among the six appointees to the proposed class, Stranch is one of three affiliated with a private law firm. The case is currently scheduled to be heard by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster in October.
For more information about MDL 2840, visit https://www.ohnd.uscourts.gov/mdl-2804.
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About Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, PLLC (www.bsjfirm.com)
For more than 65 years, Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, PLLC has been known for the quality of its advocacy and the integrity of its attorneys. The firm enjoys a national reputation of prominence in the complex litigation arena for its work in class actions, shareholder derivative claims, securities, ERISA, labor and employment, and other complex cases, both at the trial and appellate levels.
Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, PLLC is dedicated to providing a full range of legal services to its diverse clientele. In addition to providing quality legal services, the firm is proud of the professional and civic leadership its members have provided, both locally and nationally. The firm’s former managing partner, Jane Branstetter Stranch, was nominated by President Obama to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and now serves as a judge on that court following her confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, PLLC is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, and was named among “Best Law Firms” by U.S. News & World Report for 2019, receiving the highest possible Nashville ranking as a Tier 1 in two practice areas.