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Steve Woodley and Joan Lockwood reached a confidential settlement on a case involving a major trucking accident in which five family members were killed


Practical Evidence for Civil Litigators: Real World Applications - this was the title of a recent MOBar CLE program. Joan Lockwood presented "Pretrial Practice Strategies" (the power of pretrial motions; when and how to effectively use motions in limine). Morry Cole presented "Using Technology to Present Evidence" (the effective use of technology at trial; what to do when technology fails while the case is being presented to the jury).


Morry Cole resolves Connecticut Valley Arms (CVA) muzzleloader case.


GRG Congratulates Our Attorneys

GRG congratulates our attorneys who have been recognized locally, regionally and nationally for their professional excellence. Seven principals are included in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. They are: Bob Ritter, Maurice Graham, Steve Woodley, Pat Hagerty, Don Downing, Morry Cole, and Gretchen Garrison.

Bob Ritter, Maurice Graham, Steve Woodley, Pat Hagerty, Don Downing, Joan Lockwood, and Morry Cole have also been named 2008 "Super Lawyers" - among the top 5 percent of lawyers in Missouri and Kansas - by Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers magazine.


Morry Cole and Adam Hanna discuss "High-Low Agreements in Cases Involving Minors" for the Journal of The Missouri Bar


"St. Louis Circuit Court approves BJC settlement benefiting hundreds of thousands of uninsured patients in Missouri and Illinois."


Tom Neill settled a case in which a man was injured by a former St. Louis Rams player. The former player pleaded guilty to criminal charges stemming from the same incident.

Class certification obtained in an action brought on behalf of all Missouri purchasers of the prescription drug Vioxx

Don Downing, along with co-lead counsel Pat Stueve of Kansas City, obtained class certification in an action brought on behalf of all Missouri purchasers of the prescription drug Vioxx. The case alleges that the drug's manufacturer, Merck, mislead the consuming public about the drug's true safety profile, and thereby violated Missouri's Merchandising Practices Act. The case seeks economic losses only.  For more information, click here.


GRG Attorneys speak at the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys annual meeting

Don Downing presented Missouri Merchandising Practices Act: An Overlooked Remedy?

Joan Lockwood was on the panel discussing the Annual Update on the Law.


Maurice Graham was the coordinator for Winning with Experts, a trial demonstration seminar hosted by the MoBarCLE and the American College of Trial Lawyers. This program was presented at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Clayton.


Organic Milk Multi-District Class Action Lawsuit

Don Downing, of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C., in St. Louis, Mo., has been appointed co-lead counsel in the multi-district litigation involving Aurora Dairy Corp. U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber issued the order on April 18, 2008.

Downing will serve as Co-Interim Class Counsel and Co-Lead Counsel with Chicago attorney Elizabeth Fegan to coordinate the multi-district litigation.

This multi-district litigation includes nearly 20 class-action lawsuits representing 31 states that have been filed against Aurora Dairy Corp. in U.S. federal courts. The suits allege consumer fraud, negligence, and unjust enrichment concerning the sale of organic milk by the company, and seek damages from Aurora to reimburse consumers harmed by the company's actions.

They claim that Aurora has failed to adhere to USDA organic standards while labeling its milk as organic. The price of organic milk is significantly higher than non-organic milk.

Aurora is the nation's largest producer of private-label organic milk, supplying it to Wal-Mart, Target, Wild Oats, Costco, Safeway and other retailers.
 

Don Downing recently settled a class action brought on behalf of uninsured patients against BJC Health System. 

7th Annual GRG Advocacy Symposium

Mark your calendars for the 7th Annual GRG Advocacy Symposium to be held on Friday, March 6, 2009. The Symposium is designed to educate attorneys in the early stages of their careers on the professional and ethical attributes necessary to become a skilled trial lawyer.

Topics included in previous seminars:

  • Write to Win: The Power of the Pen
  • Effective Client Relations: Secrets on How to Obtain Clients and Keep them Happy
  • Basic Medicine for Attorneys
  • Panel: How to Survive as a Young Lawyer in the Practice of Law
  • Making Your First Appearance in Appellate Court
  • Ten Rules to Follow at Trial to Improve Your Likelihood of Success
  • Successful Depositions "Think Outside the Box"
  • Panel: Trial Skills and Strategies You Never Thought Of

CIGUATERA FOOD POISONING

Click to Contact Graham DobbsClick to Contact Morry ColeMorry Cole and Graham Dobbs are investigating and pursuing cases involving serious injury, disability and neurological compromise from ciguatera food poisoning. Please contact these GRG attorneys if you believe you have been harmed in this manner.
 

Genetically Modified Rice Litigation

Plaintiffs' Co-Lead Counsel in In re Genetically Modified Rice Litigation www.bayerricelitigation.com

CHICAGO - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Don M. Downing, a partner in the law firm of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C. (St. Louis) and Adam J. Levitt, a partner in the law firm of Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLC (Chicago), Court-appointed Co-Lead and Co-Interim Class Counsel in In re Genetically Modified Rice Litigation, MDL 1811, pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, are pleased to announce the launch of a new case information website relating to that action.

The website, which can be found at www.bayerricelitigation.com, is intended to serve as a valuable informational resource for all long-grain rice farmers throughout the United States , other interested parties, the media, and the general public. The website contains extensive information and resources relating to the pending litigation, which was brought on behalf of U.S. rice farmers and others, based upon damages they sustained resulting from the contamination of the U.S. rice supply with unapproved, genetically-modified rice seed traits developed and tested by Bayer CropScience LP and related entities. The website includes key pleadings and Court orders; a case summary; a case timeline; newspaper articles; governmental documents; press releases; frequently asked questions; and bios and contact information for the attorneys comprising Plaintiffs court-appointed leadership group.

The contamination of the U.S. rice supply with not less than two distinct genetically modified rice traits, LLRICE601 and LLRICE 604 has caused significant economic damages to U.S. rice producers and has substantially diminished their ability to cultivate, market, or otherwise distribute their rice crops. These actions seek to hold Bayer, the developer of these genetically modified rice traits, accountable for the market losses and other economic and related damages they have caused U.S.. rice producers. In addition to the rice producer actions, a small subset of cases in this consolidated, multidistrict litigation seek damages that this rice supply contamination caused to rice mills, rice exporters, and others.

If you have any questions about the case information website or any other aspect of this litigation, please contact Don M. Downing, of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C., at (314) 241-5620 or by email at ddowning@grgpc.com or Adam J. Levitt, of Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLC, at (312) 984-0000 or by e-mail at levitt@whafh.com..

Downing discusses the class action suit filed on behalf of over 460 rice farmers against Bayer CropScience for damages to crops in five states.

Additional information on Downing's appointment as co-lead counsel on the case appeared in the dBusiness News..

Other details on the origination of the case appeared in Missouri Lawyers Weekly.

Suit filed on behalf of hundreds of rice farmers in several states based upon economic damages they suffered from contamination of their crops with an unapproved genetically modified strain of rice seed produced by Bayer Cropscience, a German-based agriculture company. Discovery of the contamination in the farmers’ rice supply led to a dramatic drop in U.S. rice prices. Click here for story.

Missouri Supreme Court approved the right of groups exposed to toxins (but displaying no injuries) to form class-action lawsuits seeking funds to monitor their medical progress. Click here for story

Morry Cole's article, "Trial Tips for the 'City' Lawyer Who Ventures Outstate," appeared in The Missouri Trial Attorney publication.

Lockwood on Recent Appellate Decisions

Joan LockwoodThe Missouri Trial Attorney, a publication of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys regularly publishes articles by Joan Lockwood. These "Appellate Case Notes" present a summary and analysis of recent decisions that have significant impact on litigation practice. Ms. Lockwood's articles are listed below and may be viewed by selecting the appropriate links:
 
 
Auto Accident Attorney St. Louis