This Committee was created to address both current and emerging issues that arise in a broad spectrum of substantive areas, where the common denominators are the large number of plaintiffs asserting the claims, and the type of claims being a tort in the broadest sense of the word. Thus, this Committee focuses on the substantive and procedural developments in the case law, proposed reforms, and best practice techniques in cases that may involve environmental, toxic torts, pharmaceutical, various types of products liability litigation, aviation, antitrust, securities litigation, and employment claims.

The Committee is also dealing with the management aspects of mass tort litigation, including class action issues, joinder of multiple parties, and the use of ADR in such a context. Every effort is made to have an ecumenical membership that includes demographic diversity as well as representation among the plaintiff’s bar, the defense bar, academia, and in-house counsel. The Committee has established subcommittees to provide a variety of benefits to its members, which includes programming at the Litigation Section’s Annual Conference and the ABA’s Annual Meeting, as well as co-sponsorship of an annual two-day joint CLE seminar with the Products Liability and Environmental Litigation Committees.

The Spring 2009 edition of the Mass Torts Litigation newsletter is now available.

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The Supreme Court charted a new course in punitive damages jurisprudence when it applied federal admiralty law to decide Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker. This class action arose out of the grounding of the Exxon Valdez and subsequent spill of millions of gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound. A federal jury sitting in Alaska returned a verdict against the ship’s owners, which included billions of dollars in punitive damages.

In a landmark decision, the Rhode Island Supreme Court unanimously overturned a 2006 jury verdict against three former manufacturers of lead pigment, ending a nine-year legal battle between the manufacturers and the Rhode Island Attorney General.