The Federal Civil Rules Advisory Committee is considering changes to Rule 30(b)(6). PLAC submitted Comments to the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules opposing the current proposed amendment to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(b)(6). The Comment was authored by Mary Novacheck and Wendy Lumish of Bowman & Brooke on behalf of PLAC. Click here to read our comments.

PLAC Member, Jeff Richardson from Adams and Reese in New Orleans has been awarded the designation Appellate Practice Specialist by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. Jeff is now only one of nine attorneys in Louisiana to hold this designation. You can read about the award here.

Congratulations to our PLAC Board Member, Craig Livingston, and the team at Livingston Law for receiving the Contra Costa Bar Association (CA) Diversity Award for 2018. Law firms of all sizes that promote diversity and support the legal needs of our community are eligible to earn this award. The Livingston Law Firm received a Silver Award for their work in 2017 and received Gold status this year.

Congratulations to PLAC member Bobby Miller and team from Butler Snow in Jackson, MS for their defense verdict last month in Mississippi Federal Court on behalf of their client, and corporate member, Suzuki. More information on the trial can be found on law.com (subscription required) or you can read about it in Motor Sports Newswire

PLAC member, Bic Corporation obtained a defense verdict in a shaver litigation filed in the 212th District Court in Texas (Galveston). Hartline Dacus represented BIC. Read the press release.

Congratulations to Bush Seyferth and Paige for securing a dismissal of a 120-count, nationwide economic-loss class action at pleading stage on behalf of Ford Motor. More information can be found on their website.

Congratulations to Mike Zogby and team from Drinker Biddle for their victory in Cashen v. Johnson & Johnson, 2018 WL 6809093 (N.J. Super. Law Div. Dec. 24, 2018). The NJ court found preemption in the breast implant case and dismissed all claims with prejudice. You can read about this case in Drug & Device Law.

Congratulations to PLAC member, James (Jim) Beck of Reed Smith on being named one of the top most-read authors in product liability for Law360 in 2018! Jim was cited for his article in their December 5th issue “Drug Design Defect Litigation Faces Its Demise”

For more news, click here .

PLAC (formerly the Product Liability Advisory Council) is a not-for-profit association of product manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and select regulatory, litigation and appellate professionals who work to shape the common law of product liability and complex regulation, provide guidance on changing regulations, and strategically help corporations manage risk throughout the entire product lifecycle.

Plaintiffs allege that a complex prescription medical device —used for robotic prostate surgery —had "defective" warnings. During litigation in the State of Washington, plaintiff claimed that strict liability should have been charged. Both the trial court and the unanimous Court of Appeals rejected this argument. An appeal was filed where plaintiff's assertion of strict liability in a warning case involving a prescription medical product challenges decades of Washington precedent.  PLAC filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of the defendant.

Spring Conference: PLAC's Spring Seminar will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana May 1-3. For more information and to register, click here.

PLAC is hosting an OEM/Supplier Legal Summit on February 28th in Detroit. The program is designed for in-house counsel. To register and see more information, click here.