J&J Attorney Whose Closing Argument Was Struck Is 'Calculating,' 'Strategic,' Lawyers Say
"I really think you went beyond," the judge told Diane Sullivan, a partner in the New York and Princeton, New Jersey, offices of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. "There was so much evidence that you could have commented upon, but the running theme of it was lawyer bashing. And it's not what we do."
September 17, 2019 at 05:26 PM
10 minute read
The original version of this story was published on New Jersey Law Journal
After a jury came out with a defense verdict in a New Jersey talcum powder case last year, Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Ana Viscomi found herself preparing for a second trial involving the same attorney for Johnson & Johnson, Diane Sullivan.
Sullivan's overarching theme during her closing argument in the prior trial was to attack the plaintiffs' lawyers. At a hearing ahead of the second trial, the judge said she was "horrified" at that conduct, and barred Sullivan from doing it again.
"I really think you went beyond," the judge told Sullivan, a partner in the New York and Princeton, New Jersey, offices of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, at the July 11 pretrial hearing, according to the transcript. "There was so much evidence that you could have commented upon, but the running theme of it was lawyer bashing. And it's not what we do. It's prohibited by the rules. It doesn't fall within the civility and professionalism that I know and that you know and that you have extended during the course of your career, and we can't have that happen here."
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Trending Stories
- 1Wine, Dine and Grind (Through the Weekend): Summer Associates Thirst For Experience in 'Real Matters'
- 2The Law Firm Disrupted: For Big Law Names, Shorter is Sweeter
- 3The 'Biden Effect' on Senior Attorneys: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
- 4BD Settles Thousands of Bard Hernia Mesh Lawsuits
- 5'You Are Not Alone': 120 Sex Assault Victims Plan to Sue Sean 'Diddy' Combs
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250