State Attorneys General Investigations and Litigation

Experience Highlights

• BP in more than a dozen novel climate change lawsuits filed by state and local governments in California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington, and by a fishermen’s trade association.

• Philip Morris in consumer fraud and nuisance lawsuits over evapor products against state AGs in Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota, and New Mexico, and litigating and arbitrating against, and working with, state AGs in all 50 states for over 25 years with respect to various disputes and other issues arising under the Master Settlement Agreement.

• Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi in coordinating investigations and litigation brought by state attorneys general, including the Hawaii State Attorney General, DOJ, and various U.S. Attorney’s Offices, MFCU representatives, and private qui tam relators regarding the companies’ marketing of the drug Plavix®.

• Barnes & Noble in connection with a card data breach involving PIN pad skimming, which resulted in dismissal of case. The matter included cooperation with a federal law enforcement investigation and prosecution, Federal Trade Commission and state attorney general investigations, and resulting class action litigations.

• NY State Executive Chamber (Governor’s office) in the high-profile investigation by the NY State Attorney General into allegations of sexual harassment by former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

• National oil and gas company in its successful defense against lead pigment public nuisance suits brought by the Rhode Island Attorney General, Ohio Attorney General, and numerous cities and counties in California, Illinois, New Jersey, and Ohio. Disposed of hundreds of cases by motion and prevailed in the four cases tried to verdict.

• Multinational pharmaceutical manufacturer in separate investigations by the Texas Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania regarding allegations of off-label promotion and kickbacks with respect to a blockbuster dermatological medication.

• Korean multinational bank in an investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, OFAC, Federal Reserve Board, and New York Department of Financial Services for allegedly violating Iran and other sanctions.

• Dunkin' Brands in investigation, litigation, and favorable settlement of a New York Attorney General’s lawsuit alleging the failure to protect consumer data security and privacy.

• Irving Oil, one of Canada’s top energy companies, in a dispute with the State of Vermont regarding allegations that it contaminated the groundwater in the state by using gasoline containing MTBE.