E. Michelle Drake of Berger Montague Appointed to Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in Multi-District Litigation Against JUUL

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 23, 2019 — Berger Montague PC is pleased to announce that Managing Shareholder E. Michelle Drake has been appointed by Judge William H. Orrick of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California to serve as a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in In Re: JUUL Labs, Inc., Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, No. 3:19-md-02913-WHO (N.D. Cal).

On December 20, 2019, after reviewing applications from scores of talented attorneys located throughout the United States, and after conducting a hearing at which all the lawyers seeking leadership positions made oral presentations to the Court, U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick appointed Ms. Drake as part of a small group of lawyers charged with leading the litigation against the e-cigarette manufacturer.

“I am honored to have been appointed to help lead this critical litigation. I look forward to holding JUUL accountable for the damage it has done, and to finally putting an end to marketing strategies designed to get children addicted to harmful products,” Ms. Drake said.

The leadership structure designed by the Court is notable for its diversity and expertise. Three of the four Co-Leads appointed by the Court are women, as are six members of the fourteen member Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, and one of the two federal/state liaisons. “The leadership appointed by Judge Orrick is comprised of talented lawyers who are dedicated to achieving justice for our clients. I look forward to working with this diverse and energetic group of legal leaders,” Ms. Drake added.

E. Michelle Drake is a Managing Shareholder of Berger Montague and chairs its Minneapolis office. With career settlements and verdicts valued at more than $150 million, Michelle has had great success in a wide variety of cases. Michelle focuses her practice primarily on consumer protection, improper credit reporting, and financial services class actions. Possessing a rare combination of an elite academic background and real-world trial skills, Michelle has successfully gone toe-to-toe with some of the world’s most powerful companies.

About the JUUL Case: Plaintiffs allege that JUUL engaged in false and deceptive sales, marketing, labeling, and advertising of JUUL e-cigarette devices and JUUL pods. In addition, plaintiffs allege that JUUL specifically targeted young people with its advertising and marketing efforts in order to encourage JUUL use. The Berger Montague attorneys working on the JUUL case include E. Michelle Drake, Sherrie R. Savett, and Russell Paul. Anyone with relevant information about the case should contact Russel Paul at (215) 875 4601 or by email at [email protected].

Berger Montague is a national class action and commercial litigation law firm headquartered in Philadelphia with offices in Minneapolis, San Diego, and Washington, DC. The Firm litigates complex civil cases and class actions in federal and state courts throughout the United States. In 50 years of operation, the Firm has pioneered the use of class actions in America and recovered well over $36 billion for its clients and the class members it has represented.

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E. Michelle Drake

Executive Shareholder

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