Two Firms in Line for Big Fees from Celebrex and Bextra Settlement
Two law firms are likely to reap big fees from the $894 million settlement of lawsuits over the withdrawn painkiller Bextra and a similar anti-inflammatory medication, Celebrex, that is still on the market.
The two law firms spearheading the litigation against Pzifer Inc. were Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein of San Francisco and Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy of Burlingame, Calif., reports the Am Law Daily, summarizing a story in the Recorder (sub req.).
The suits had contended the medication caused an increased risk of heart disease and strokes. The settlement followed a key ruling by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of San Francisco in November 2007, report the New York Times and the Daily Journal (sub. req.). He ruled plaintiffs had not offered enough proof to show that Celebrex doses of 200 milligrams—the most common dose—caused the medical problems. As a result, only those who took 400 milligram doses could recover.
A lawyer for about 2,000 plaintiffs, Perry Weitz, told the Chicago Tribune the settlement covers about 7,000 cases, mostly involving plaintiffs who took Bextra.
The general counsel of Pfizer is Amy Schulman, who took the job in May after serving as lead coordinating counsel for the drug company while working at DLA Piper, the Daily Journal story says.
