National Law Journal (reg. req.) reports that a Massachusetts federal judge has chosen several lawyers, including Michigan's Marc Lipton, to lead multidistrict litigation against the compounding pharmacy associated with the fungal meningitis outbreak that caused 14 deaths and 259 infections in Michigan, and many more nationwide. Here's the order. Thomas Sobol, a Boston partner at Seattle's Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, was appointed lead counsel, with Boston associate Kristen Johnson Parker as his alternate. The other appointees are Mark Chalos, a Nashville partner at San Francisco's Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, with partner Elizabeth Cabraser as his alternate; Kim Dougherty, a Boston lawyer at Baltimore-based Janet, Jenner & Suggs; Patrick Fennell of Crandall & Katt in Roanoke, Va.; J. Gerard Stranch IV, a partner at Nashville's Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings; and Mark Zamora, the founding partner of Mark Zamora and Associates of Atlanta.
On April, Attorney General Bill Schuette announced his attention to seek a grand jury to probe to whether the compounding pharmacy broke any state laws when it distributed tainted steroid injections to Michigan patients; to seek truth for victims, and to restore public faith in healthcare system.
