Artificial intelligence isn’t going anywhere. Experts use it. Opposing counsel use it. Clients use it – and want their lawyers to use it too. It is becoming an increasingly standard legal research, drafting, and case strategy tool. But as a couple of our recent posts (here and here) have pointed out—AI is far
Shameless Plug — Dechert’s 2026 Life Sciences Day
On April 28, Dechert will host its 3rd Annual Life Sciences Day, a half-day program for in-house counsel, executives, and investors. Featuring speakers from leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies, the program will deliver sharp insights on the legal, regulatory, and business challenges shaping the industry. Hear directly from practitioners on how to
No Path Forward for Nationwide Personal Injury Classes
As one court succinctly put it over a decade ago: “No federal appellate court has approved a nationwide personal injury, product liability or medical monitoring class.” Durocher v. NCAA, 2015 WL 1505675, at *10 (S.D. Ind. Mar. 31, 2015). That remains true today—and the plaintiff in Lester v. Abiomed, Inc., 2026 WL
Out of Luck(ey): E.D. Ky Finds No Room Between the Mirror and the Ceiling
This post is from the non-Reed Smith side of the blog.
They say it’s better to be lucky than good. But in Luckey v. Abbott Laboratories, Inc., 2026 WL 836122 (E.D. Ky. Mar. 26, 2026), plaintiff was neither.
This is a straightforward—and satisfying—PMA preemption decision involving a heart valve allegedly marketed to last at
Same Theory, Same Result: Benzene OTC Class Action Runs Into the Same Preemption Wall
Today’s case, Kouyate v. L. Perrigo Company, 2026 WL 591874 (W.D. Mich. Mar. 3, 2026), is the latest entry in the ever-growing pile of meritless benzene OTC class actions. This time, the target is acne treatments containing benzoyl peroxide (BPO), with the now-familiar allegation that BPO degrades into benzene during storage and shipping. If
AI Hallucinations in Court: A Case Study in How Bad It Can Get
Taxotere Time Warp Heads to Fifth Circuit
When we last checked in on the Taxotere MDL back in January, we described the court’s brand and generic preemption rulings as chronological, not contradictory. At the time, that seemed like the most charitable reading.
The court had concluded that certain medical literature—the 2003 and 2006 studies—qualified as “newly acquired information” for the brand manufacturer
A Textbook PMA Takedown: Every Count, Every Theory, Gone
If ever there were a case that reads like a checklist for how not to plead around preemption, it’s Dunham v. Boston Scientific Corp., — F.Supp.3d–, 2026 WL 539533 (W.D. Mich. Feb. 24, 2026). Plaintiff alleged that his spinal cord stimulator—a Class III, premarket approved device—implanted to treat his chronic back pain caused him
And Now the Rest: Summary Judgment Granted on Failure to Warn
This post is from the non-Butler Snow side of the blog.
Back in November, we told you the court in the In re Paragard IUD Products Liability Litigation wasn’t quite finished with plaintiffs’ effort to impose a post-sale duty to warn on a company that didn’t manufacture, sell, or even own the product when it
Expedited Discovery? Not So Fast.
The recent decision in Cousin-Sabra v. Smith & Nephew, Inc., 2026 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25576 (E.D.N.C. Feb. 5, 2026) is short and straightforward. So too, therefore, will be this post. What we have is an ambitious plaintiff who filed a products liability/medical malpractice case against her doctors and the manufacturer of the device they