Partner Anastasia Mazzella and Senior Associate Matt Sahak have published an article in Advocate, the magazine of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, examining the strategic considerations of Multidistrict Litigation versus individual cases in product liability practice.
With approximately 197,000 cases currently pending in MDL dockets—nearly 95% involving product liability claims—consolidation has become the defining feature of modern mass tort practice. The piece walks through how MDLs work, their advantages and drawbacks, and when consolidation serves clients versus when staying independent offers strategic advantages.
Mazzella and Sahak analyze landmark cases including the 3M Combat Arms Earplugs litigation ($6 billion settlement), the ongoing Johnson & Johnson talcum powder cases, and the C.R. Bard hernia mesh litigation to illustrate the tradeoffs plaintiffs’ attorneys face when navigating coordinated proceedings.