Tobacco Litigation

PHAI President Richard Daynard Explains the Importance of Punitive Damages Awards in The Hill

Northeastern University Distinguished Professor of Law and President of the Public Health Advocacy Institute, Richard Daynard, published an op-ed in The Hill on December 6, 2022 laying out the importance of punitive damages in civil justice to protect public health. The article references a billion dollar punitive damages verdict in a Massachusetts tobacco case from […]

PHAI President Richard Daynard Explains the Importance of Punitive Damages Awards in The Hill Read More »

PHAI’s Gottlieb Discusses Recent Juul Settlement

On September 6, 2022, attorneys general from 33 states announced a tentative settlement of their joint investigation of the company involving cash payments to the states of $438.5 million over several years. PHAI’s executive director, Mark Gottlieb, discussed the settlement on NBC News NOW the following morning. That short interview can be seen here.

PHAI’s Gottlieb Discusses Recent Juul Settlement Read More »

Snowflakes Are Found in 84 Degree Richmond: The 2017 Altria Group Annual Shareholders Meeting

By Edward L. Sweda, Jr., PHAI Senior Attorney As I approached the Greater Richmond Convention Center on the partly cloudy morning of Thursday, May 18, 2017, thoughts of sub-freezing temperatures and snowstorms never entered my mind.  But, before the morning gave way to the afternoon, I realized that I had just seen dozens of snowflakes. As

Snowflakes Are Found in 84 Degree Richmond: The 2017 Altria Group Annual Shareholders Meeting Read More »

PHAI’s Daynard Discusses Tony Gwynn Lawsuit on ESPN and in the New York Times

On May 23, 2016, the widow and children of baseball great Tony Gwynn filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Altria Group alleging that the manufacturers of Skoal smokeless tobacco’s negligence, fraud, defective design, and failure-to-warn caused the death of the Hall of Famer in 2014. Richard Daynard, PHAI’s president and University Distinguished Professor of Law at

PHAI’s Daynard Discusses Tony Gwynn Lawsuit on ESPN and in the New York Times Read More »

May 5, 2016 – a RAIny day in Winston-Salem

By Edward L. Sweda, Jr.          When Reynolds American International (RAI) President and CEO Susan M. Cameron told the company’s 2016 annual shareholders meeting that it is “always a pleasure to report good news,” this shareholder was reminded of a similar message: “Alive with Pleasure.”  That ubiquitous advertising slogan for Newport cigarettes

May 5, 2016 – a RAIny day in Winston-Salem Read More »