October 11, 2007

• Wish I could attend dept.: on this coming Monday Oct. 15 NAM is hosting afternoon seminar in D.C. on civil procedure reform. "Key topics include: notice pleading, streamlined discovery, expedited summary judgment process, frivolous lawsuits, forum shopping by domestic and foreign plaintiffs, and rationalizing punitive damages." [NAM "Capital Briefing", scroll; register]
• Battle continues in Washington state over insurer bad faith Referendum 67 [AP, Insurance Journal, Seattle Times, Sue Evans & Dana Childers @ The Olympian, Seattle P-I, chamber head Don Brunell; earlier here and here]
• Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry says his Brazilian fishing trip with trial lawyers was just pleasure, not business [ShopFloor]
• Plop, plop, fizzle, fizzle: lawsuits alleging injury from ingredient PPA (phenylpropylalanine) in Alka-Seltzer Plus, Contac, etc. mostly strike out [NJLJ; OL last year]
• Harvard's Arthur Miller, whose "longstanding relationship with Milberg Weiss" was noted previously, has a pro-liability piece out on Stoneridge [NLJ]
• Florida injury lawyers eager to follow up on Engle with more tobacco suits [AP/Chamber, Jacksonville Daily Record]