Bob Van Voris

September 21, 2001 | Law.com

As asbestos liabilities came to dominate W.R. Grace & Co.'s horizons, so they have taken over the lion's share of general counsel David B. Siegel's time. Siegel also has day-to-day responsibility for the company's bankruptcy. Has Siegel read Jonathan Harr's book about a group of families that claimed Grace dumped toxic chemicals that poisoned the drinking water? "Of course I read 'A Civil Action,'" he says.

By Bob Van Voris

7 minute read

January 26, 2001 | Law.com

The testimony before the National Labor Relations Board of a former supervisor at Smithfield Packing Co.'s Tar Heel, N.C., plant -- the largest pork slaughterhouse in the world -- shed light on how outside lawyers allegedly helped the company commit "egregious and pervasive" labor law violations in two bitterly fought union drives. The lawyers, of Raleigh, N.C.'s Maupin Taylor & Ellis, deny any wrongdoing.

By Bob Van Voris

4 minute read

September 08, 2000 | Law.com

The situation for Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone continues to deteriorate as officials in the U.S. and Venezuela consider criminal charges. Venezuela's consumer protection agency recommended the companies be investigated for criminal negligence. The U.S. DOJ is reviewing the situation for possible federal criminal violations. But lawyers say making criminal charges stick could be difficult.

By Bob Van Voris

5 minute read

October 16, 2000 | Law.com

If trial lawyers had a dashboard saint, it would be Ralph Nader -- America's unofficial consumer-advocate-in-chief. Yet the Association of Trial Lawyers of America is telling its members not to support Nader in his campaign for the presidency. ATLA's president says a vote for Nader is "tantamount to a vote for Bush."

By Bob Van Voris

7 minute read

September 01, 2000 | Law.com

Lawyers are eyeing opportunity in the escalating legal, commercial and public relations disaster for Ford and Firestone. Plaintiffs' lawyers report scores of contacts from a nervous public. Class action lawyers have filed at least 20 cases across the country. And some lawyers are buying up Internet addresses like firestonelitigation.com to consolidate as-yet-undetermined information about a consumer class action.

By Bob Van Voris and Matt Fleischer

5 minute read

August 24, 2001 | Law.com

One constant during 20 years of asbestos litigation is that the light at the end of the tunnel keeps moving further away. Now a study by the RAND Institute for Civil Justice projects that asbestos defendants have seen fewer than half of the more than one million injury claims that eventually could be filed. The study predicts all of the remaining asbestos manufacturers will be driven into bankruptcy in the next two years.

By Bob Van Voris

5 minute read

August 24, 2001 | Law.com

Wal-Mart failed to take security precautions suggested by one of its in-house lawyers the year before Donna Meissner's store parking lot abduction and rape in Texas, a confidential company memorandum shows. But when Meissner sued the company, Wal-Mart lawyers failed to turn over the document. It's just the latest episode in what has become a battle over Wal-Mart's failure to turn over evidence in cases across the country.

By Bob Van Voris

6 minute read

July 24, 2000 | Law.com

A billion dollars just ain't what it used to be. At least that is what corporate defense lawyers fear will be the upshot of the $145 billion verdict in a Florida tobacco class action. Even as many observers predict that the record-smashing verdict will be cut or reversed on appeal, lawyers wonder: has the price of sending a message from the jury room inflated to the hundreds of billions?

By Bob Van Voris

8 minute read

June 14, 2001 | Law.com

A day after winning a blockbuster $3 billion punitive damages verdict against Philip Morris Inc., Michael Piuze was reluctant to boast. That should be worrisome to cigarette makers because Piuze gave credit to the work of other lawyers who, he said, have changed cigarette litigation from the quixotic, bankrupting crusade of years past to something closer to an off-the-shelf suit that any good tort lawyer can bring.

By Bob Van Voris

3 minute read

October 17, 2001 | Law.com

A Texas jury hit Wal-Mart Stores Inc. with a $13 million malicious prosecution verdict in a shoplifting case. Irene Aguilera was charged with shoplifting from a Red Rock, Texas, Wal-Mart. Her attorney said Wal-Mart claimed it gave police a surveillance tape proving Aguilera was in the store, but police denied ever receiving it. The jury found Wal-Mart liable for malicious prosecution and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

By Bob Van Voris

4 minute read