Climate Change, Environment, Science and the Law

On this episode of Cut to the Chase: podcast, one of the lead counsel in the 3M Combat Earplug litigation cases representating the veterans, Mike Burns, discusses where things stand in the largest mass tort ever with over 230,000 veterans trying to get fair compensation from 3M after wearing defective earplugs that caused widespread hearing loss and tinnitus on our soldiers. 3M tried to get bankruptcy protection after losing against 13 of 19 veterans, but the bankruptcy court rejected that petition. Meanwhile 3M has taken an appeal on that denial and against the 13 victorious veterans. So not one soldier has been compensated. The Judge ended the year by issuing an Order establishing that 3M was the sole party responsible for any of these 230000 cases. Listen to Mike explain what all this means for the 230000 cases pending in front of Judge Rogers from the Northern District of Florida and the appellate courts.

On this episode of Cut to the Chase:, Doug Peacock from the Peacock Wealth Group comes on to discuss a unique way to deal with student debt. A former football coach, Doug saw many of his players get overwhelmed by student debt. He learned of a way not only to get out of debt, but also help parents set up a plan to help pay for college and thus avoid or reduce the debt needed to get the diploma. Doug also discusses Infinite Banking-the secret that the banks don't want you know about. Well, if this sounds like something you might be interested in learning about, download the show and take a deep listen.

To get in touch with Doug and learn more about these ideas, here is a link to also check out. https://www.peacockwealthgroup.com/

On this episode of Cut to the Chase:, Sara Papantonio from Levin, Papantonio and Rafferty comes on to the program to discuss the latest large scale litigation that has flooded the ad space on social media and TV. Sara, whose name might ring a bell, is the daughter of heavyweight litigator Mike Papantonio and is leading the charge in this litigation stemming from decades of water contamination at Camp Lejeune, a training base for the marines for many decades. After declaring the site of Superfund, thousands and thousands of marines and others that stayed at the base during the 1950s-1980s have died or suffered horrific injuries and diseases due to the contamination. Congress passed legislation last year to help get compensation for those injured. Sara explains how the contamination occured, what Congress did to rectify the wrong, and the nuts and bolts of this litigation which has just begun.

For more information, clink on the link https://www.levinlaw.com/camp-lejeune-lawsuits.

And to find out more about the next gen Pap, here is Sara's information. https://www.levinlaw.com/sara-papantonio

On this special 100th episode of Cut to the Chase:, don't get confused. I am the guest...on another podcast called Lawyer Interviews. The show is about my career, although not comprehensive.

Just before entering law school, I was involved in a rollover with my own SUV in 1988. One of the first SUVs, it turned out that it was defective and prone to rollover without the necessary and available safety features. Of course, I didn't know that as the car manufacturer never told me. After graduating college, the rollover took place, resulting in the death of my then girlfriend (who was on her way to University of Chicago Law School) and significant physical trauma to me, including losing a finger. I decided to delay law school for a few years and went traveling and doing odd jobs before beginning law school at the U, University of Miami. After a mediocre performance, I was left jobless and decided to start my own non-profit, Clean Miami River, that was designed to clean the river by stopping the commercial sector along the river from polluting. Before I knew it, I was hired by some other environmental groups to help try 2 lengthy administrative trials involving the Keys and the Everglades. After those trials, I got hired to file a class action against a car manufacturer for a defective break system. During that case, I learned that my SUV was being investigated by the Federal National and Highway Transportation Administration for systemtic rollover safety issues. Well, before I give you the whole Gregg Goldfarb, Esq. story, you will need to listen to the 100th episode of Cut to the Chase:. Now, there were some juicy bits of my story that were left off so maybe there will be another chapter.

On this episode of Cut to the Chase:, I interview Jeff Dylan. Jeff is the new kid on the block. During the daytime, he is a transactional lawyer at a Manhatten law firm. At night, he does a weekly standup comedy show at Jack Diamonds bar in the Big Apple at 27th and Lex (for those not familiar with Manhatten slang-Lex is Lexington). Jeff also MCs that weekly event.

If that wasn't enough, Jeff is also a podcast host. I met Jeff when yours truly was a guest on another podcast that Jeff hosts called the Lawyer Interviews, episode 45. I will share that show soonish. You can go to their instagram page at @lawyerinterviews to get a gander of why I love that podcast. The show is like a meme driven production that goes into the day to day lives of lawyers.

When Covid shut down live shows, Jeff created an instagram page to showcase his comedy. You gotta check that out at @attorneyatlawlz.

So follow and subscribe to lawyerinterviews and Jeff's instagram page to keep up to speed with all that rigamarole.

On this episode of Cut to the Chase:, Attorney Stephanie Sherman discusses her recent lawsuit filed on behalf of some of the victims of the Uvalde gun massacre last year leaving 19 students and 2 teachers dead. The gunman had just turned 18 and was able to purchase an AR-15 and a staggering amount of ammunition with just a background check. After shooting his grandmother in the face, the gunmen proceeded to the school where he began his assault. Law enforcement stood by 77 minutes while the massacre ensued until Border Control arrived and took the gunmen down.

Stephanie has brought in the school, law enforcement and even the gun manufacturer Daniel Defense who advertises it's guns as military styled weapons and preys on the youth through such platforms as Call of Duty. While gun manufacturers have legal protection from liability, a recent lawsuit resulting from the Sandy Hook massacre was successfully prosecuted against Remington-the gun manufacturer in that massacre.

For a link to the facts and background of Stephanie's lawsuit, click here. https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/blog/2022/june/uvalde-texas-school-shooting-lawsuit-justice-for/

And to contact Stephanie or read about her background, click here. https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/attorneys/stephanie-b-sherman/

On this episode of Cut to the Chase: podcast, Co-lead counsel Mike Burns returns to update host Gregg Goldfarb and all of us on all the moving parts in the 3M earplug litigation. You really couldn't get many more moving parts in this litigation-from two different appellate courts and over 230,000 cases in the trial courts, where is this litigation headed. Mike discusses what is taking place in the appellate courts, when the next trial is set, the status on mediation, the aftermath of the failed bankruptcy effort. Ready for a 25 minute drive, well hit play and get caught up.

On this episode of Cut to the Chase:, attorney Dan Miller comes on to the show to discuss his $61 million verdict against Eli Lilly regarding its submission of pricing information under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. Also appearing on the show was Dr. Brian Becker, an economist who served as Plaintiff's expert. The whistleblower community has been alarmed at a recent 7th Circuit Appellate decision U.S. ex rel. Schutte v. SuperValu, Inc. which seemingly undermines the amendments to the False Claims Act in 1986. To prevail in a whistleblower act under the Act, the plaintiff must show that the defendant knowingly defrauded the government. The 1986 amendments define knowingly to include actual knowledge, deliberate ignorance of the truth or falsity of information, or acts in reckless disregard of the truth of falsity of information. The Supervalue case essentially ruled that the defendant could defend itself if it could come up with some plausible interpretation of the law to justify its prior behavior, even if such justification was created after the fact. Listen in to the episode to see how Dan prevailed and overcame the Supervalu's new hurdle.

And obviously, if you believe you have information that a contractor is defrauding the goverment, give Dan a call. Here is a link to his information.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-miller-a9296819/

And for those attorneys needing a top flight economist to be your expert, give Dr. Becker a call. https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-becker-083a613/

On this episode of Cut to the Chase:, Ellen Bardash discusses the Twitter vs. Elon Musk trial. Ellen, a litigation reporter for Law.com, covers the Deleware Courts where this trial was slated to start October 17th. But Elon, days before he was scheduled to be deposed, announced he was going through the deal. The announcement came almost at the exact time that Ellen predicted Elon would lose at trial. Ah the reach of Cut to the Chase:. But as we are seeing, the devil is in the details. With funders and potential funders bailing out, the deal is not done. The Judge has granted Musk's request to delay the trial, but only until October 28th

So enjoy this podcast where Ellen explains what the case is about and what you need to know, in case the trial goes forward.

On this episode of Cut to the Chase:, litigation reporter for Law.com-Ellen Bardash comes onto the show to discuss the Boy Scout Sex Abuse Settlement that was fully approved by the bankruptcy court. With over $2 billion set up to fund the 82,000 boy scouts that were victimized by sex abuse over several decades, how will the money be divided up. To find out, listen to the episode!!!!