Our Litigators of the Week are Joe Rice of Motley Rice; Paul Hanly of Simmons Hanly Conroy and Paul Farrell of Greene Ketchum, Farrell, Bailey & Tweel—recognized for their role in hammering out a $260 million settlement in the Ohio opioid bellwether trial.

With more than 2,600 pending lawsuits by cities, counties, states and other governments against opioid manufacturers and distributors, all eyes were on Cleveland, where opening arguments were set to kick off on Monday before U.S. District Judge Dan Polster in the Carl B. Stokes Federal Courthouse.

Instead, Rice, Hanly and Farrell led negotiations for the plaintiffs  through Sunday night until the early hours of Monday morning, reaching a deal that quickly puts money in the hands of their clients—the Ohio counties of Cuyahoga and Summit—to combat the opioid crisis.