Litigious Tort Reformers Called Out for ‘Hypocrisy’

By Amanda Bronstad 

New York Law School’s Center for Justice & Democracy has a new report out this week that ranks what it calls the top 30 tort reform “hypocrites” of 2018. Here’s the report, which aims to highlight how some of the biggest tort reform advocates are actually quite litigious.

So who’s No. 1? President Donald Trump, whose “hypocrisy is one for the record books.” The report says:

“Trump has tried to block the courthouse doors to others in his business dealings and during his year and a half as President. But when he believes that he or his companies have been wronged in some way, he has always run straight to court. He has done so thousands of times.” More than 1,900 times, to be exact.

Also on the list: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform(No. 2), General Motors (No. 5), Chrysler (No. 6), Bayer (No. 26), Pfizer (No. 28), and class action critic Ted Frank of the Center for Class Action Fairness (No. 22).

It also named a law firm: Covington Burling (No. 17). The report notes that senior counsel Phil Howard is a Trump advisor and proponent of legal reform. “Turns out that the D.C.-based firm – with no office in Minnesota – received a $125 million contingency fee from the state of Minnesota in its environmental lawsuit against 3MCo., which settled on February 20, 2018 for $850 million.” More on that from Law.com’s Scott Flaherty here and from Minnesota Public Radio here.

For the full article, click here.