Elizabeth Cabraser Talks with Law360 About National Opioids Case, Other Litigation, Career

Law360 (subscription) has published an in-depth interview with Lieff Cabraser partner Elizabeth J. Cabraser that includes a focus on the complexities of navigating the nationwide opioid litigation, which has pitted local communities against the prescription drug industry as those harmed seek redress over the destructive opioid addiction crisis.

Cabraser is one of the top plaintiffs’ attorneys in the Opioids MDL, which recently saw a $260 million settlement between some of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical companies and two Ohio counties just before the first bellwether trial was set to begin.

Addressing the intricacies of the ligation, Cabraser noted,

“We are dealing with an epidemic that arose from the very complex and unique health care system that we have in this country.

It arose over a period of years. It was a stealth epidemic for a number of years and it involved participants at every level of health care delivery in the United States, from pharmaceutical manufacturers, through the major distributors of pharmaceuticals, through the pharmacies, and through hospitals and doctors’ offices.

Opioids wove themselves into the fabric of American life, with devastating effects. Now we have the challenge of trying to undo that, both by battling the epidemic and by correcting the lack of oversight and the perverse incentives that gave rise to massive over-prescription of opioids in the first place.”

When asked if the trials will end any time soon, Cabraser noted,

“…We would hope sooner rather than later, but it’s very large scale, it’s very complex. You could ask virtually any lawyer on either side of the litigation and I’m sure they would agree on one thing, which is that this litigation is the most complex, both factually and legally, that any of us have ever been involved in.”

Cabraser goes on to discuss her decades practicing law, and includes some advice for younger attorneys as well as a few tips on rock band drumming.

Read Elizabeth’s full interview on Law360’s (subscription) site.

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.