Articles by Jef Feeley

Asbestos Trial to Start With Social Distancing in Conference Center, Not Courthouse

A West Virginia judge urged parties in dozens of asbestos lawsuits to reach a settlement and avoid the “dreadful experience” of a live trial next week while the coronavirus pandemic rages on. Judge Ronald Wilson said Wednesday in a court …

Houston Rockets Becomes First NBA Team to Sue Insurer Over Denied Covid-19 Claims

The Houston Rockets and billionaire owner Tilman Fertitta are suing their insurer for denying the National Basketball Association team’s bid to tap its business-interruption insurance policy over revenue losses from the Covid-19 pandemic. Fertitta’s Rocket Ball Ltd. and Clutch City …

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Agrees to Pay $678M to Settle Doctor-Bribe Claims

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. agreed to pay $678 million to resolve a whistle-blower case accusing the company of paying kickbacks to thousands of doctors who prescribed its drugs and wooing them with lavish dinners and trips to Hooters, ending almost a …

Tesla Sued Over Highway Crash When Model 3’s Airbags Malfunctioned

Tesla Inc. was sued over a Maryland highway crash last year in which a Model 3’s airbags failed to deploy, leaving a college professor with brain damage. Elon Musk, the company’s co-founder, has touted the Model 3 as the “safest …

Even With $11 Billion Settlement, Bayer Still Has 30,000 Claims to Roundup

While Bayer AG said it took a major step toward wrapping up litigation over its Roundup weedkiller with a settlement of almost $11 billion, the company still faces about 30,000 unresolved cancer claims that could cost billions, and lawyers are …

Companies Press Insurance Brokers for Workarounds to Rising D&O Costs

When Elon Musk said in April he was dropping the insurance policy that protects Tesla Inc.’s board from shareholder lawsuits, it got Skip McBride’s attention. To McBride, who used to manage law firm Bracewell LLP’s malpractice exposure, Musk’s decision to …

Talc Miner Imerys to Forfeit North America Units to Settle 14,000 Cancer Lawsuits

Imerys SA, which mines talc used in Johnson & Johnson’s iconic Baby Powder and other products, agreed to turn over its North American operations to resolve more than 14,000 lawsuits claiming the mineral caused cancer in some consumers. Imerys Talc …

Litigation Builds Against Insurers Over Coronavirus Business Interruption

Barbara Snowden dreamed of opening a wig shop to help women who’d lost their hair during chemotherapy feel better as they battled cancer. In November, she beamed at the grand opening of Hair Goals Club in the Houston suburb of …

Judge Orders J&J to Pay $344 Million Over Vaginal Mesh Implants Marketing

Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $344 million for misrepresenting the risks of vaginal-mesh implants to consumers in California, the first state to bring its claim against the company to trial after thousands of U.S. women sued and some …

Musk Holds Out As Other Tesla Directors Settle Investors’ SolarCity Claims for $60M

All Tesla Inc. directors except Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk agreed to a $60 million settlement to resolve shareholder lawsuits over the company’s purchase of SolarCity, according to people familiar with the deal. Insurers covering Tesla’s directors and executives will …