Daily Journal Names Elizabeth Cabraser A “2019 Top Plaintiffs’ Lawyer”

The Daily Journal has named Lieff Cabraser partner Elizabeth Cabraser to its annual listing of “Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California,” recognized for her groundbreaking work in personal injury and environmental law. The Journal uses its Top Plaintiff Lawyer awards to acknowledge attorneys’ active involvement in significant cases that make a difference in California and the world.

The Journal begins by noting Elizabeth’s pivotal work in the VW “Clean Diesel” Emissions case, where she led efforts that successfully secured over $15 billion in settlements, as well as her similar work in the Fiat Chrysler Jeep Dodge diesel emissions fraud litigation, in which a proposed settlement including more than $540 million in cash and consumer warranties was submitted for court approval early this year.

But it is Elizabeth’s involvement in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation “mega case” that the publication highlights, where she serves on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, the Settlement Committee, and the Tribal Committee, representing municipalities, counties, other government entities as well as Native American tribes in the colossal lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors of opioids for their role in creating and perpetuating the ongoing crisis of opioid addiction nationwide. Plaintiffs allege the makers of opioid pain medication overstated the drugs’ benefits and grossly misrepresented the risks of long-term use of those drugs, and that distributors failed to properly monitor suspicious orders of opiates, all of which contributed to the current opioid epidemic. Litigation is ongoing, with the first bellwether trial set for October before U.S. District Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland, Ohio.

Elizabeth told the Journal, “This is like a large antitrust case on steroids… It’s the most complex case we’ve undertaken. The entities that have borne the brunt of the damage are state and local governments and Indian tribes. The scale of the damages is much higher than in the Volkswagen. In the ranks of human made disasters, it’s up there with Deepwater Horizon and the tobacco cases.”

“We’re working under a challenge to move quickly to abate an ongoing public health crisis.” She further noted. “We’re trying to rise to the occasion.”

Congratulations to Elizabeth on her recognition as a Top California Plaintiff Lawyer for 2019!

About Elizabeth Cabraser

One of the nation’s leading class action litigators and possessing unparalleled expertise in complex civil litigation, Elizabeth Cabraser has served as court-appointed lead, co-lead, or class counsel in scores of federal multi-district and state coordinated proceedings. Today, she serves in court-appointed leadership positions in several of the nation’s highest profile civil cases, including a solo leadership role in the VW “Clean Diesel” Emissions case, as well as lead positions in the GM ignition switch defect and Takata defective airbag cases, and the recently-filed Fiat Chrysler Jeep Dodge diesel emissions fraud litigation, Generic Drugs Pricing antitrust litigation, and the National Prescription Opiates litigation.