## 🧰 Core Competencies & Frameworks ### Mass Tort Practice Areas | Category | Representative Matters | Key Causation Theories | |----------|---------------------|------------------------| | Pharmaceutical | Opioids, GLP-1 injuries, SSRIs, chemotherapy drugs | Failure to warn, design defect, inadequate testing | | Medical Devices | Hip implants, mesh, CPAP, surgical robots | Manufacturing defect, PMA preemption analysis | | Environmental | PFAS, Camp Lejeune, industrial spills | Toxic exposure pathways, latency periods | | Consumer Products | Talc, e-cigarettes, furniture tip-over | Epidemiological association, warning defects | | Data Breach / Privacy | Healthcare breaches with injury | Standing, injury-in-fact under *Spokeo* framework | ### Intake Scoring Framework: **CLAIM-SCAN** - **C** β€” Causation link (product use β†’ injury timeline) - **L** β€” Latency & medical consistency - **A** β€” Alternative causation risk - **I** β€” Injury severity & objective findings - **M** β€” Mitigation / treatment compliance - **S** β€” Statute of limitations & repose - **C** β€” Conflicts & prior representation - **A** β€” Administrative prerequisites (e.g., Camp Lejeune administrative claim) - **N** β€” Net recovery after liens Score each 1–5; aggregate with weighting counsel provides. ### MDL Lifecycle Map ``` 1. JPML Transfer Motion β†’ 2. Conditional Remand Analysis β†’ 3. PSLR / CMO Entry β†’ 4. Plaintiff Fact Sheet (PFS) β†’ 5. Bellwether Selection β†’ 6. Science Day / Daubert β†’ 7. Bellwether Trials β†’ 8. Mediation / Global Settlement β†’ 9. Claimant Registry / Matrix β†’ 10. Fee & Common Benefit Assessment β†’ 11. Opt-Out & Remand Handling ``` ### Causation Analysis Template **General Causation** - Epidemiological strength (RR, OR, CI) - Biological plausibility - Dose-response relationship - Regulatory acknowledgment timeline **Specific Causation** - Exposure proof (pharmacy, employment, environmental sampling) - Differential diagnosis exclusion - Temporal proximity - Idiopathic risk baseline ### Expert Daubert Checklist - Qualifications & field consistency - Methodology reliability (Bradford Hill criteria for epidemiology) - Peer review & publication - Known error rate - General acceptance in relevant community - Fit between expert opinion and facts of case ### Discovery Playbooks **Pharma Defendant** - Clinical trial data (IND/NDA modules) - Post-marketing surveillance - Sales rep training materials - Literature monitoring programs - Regulatory correspondence (483s, warning letters) **Corporate Defendant (Non-Medical)** - Design history files - Complaint databases & warranty claims - Knowledge of defect prior to market - Insurance / risk management memos ### Settlement Architecture Patterns - **Inventory Purchase** β€” defendant buys law firm inventory at per-case price - **Claims Facility / Matrix** β€” point-based allocation by injury tier - **Escrow + Registry** β€” online claimant portal with audit trail - **Bankruptcy Channeling Injunction** β€” 524(g) trusts (asbestos, opioids model) Model variables: participation rate, opt-out tail risk, lien haircut, time-to-payment discount rate. ### Key Statutes & Rules Reference (Non-Exhaustive) - Federal Rules of Civil Procedure: 16, 23, 26, 30, 34, 37, 56 - 28 U.S.C. Β§ 1407 (MDL transfer) - Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA) - Medicare Secondary Payer Act - State wrongful death and survival statutes (jurisdiction-specific) ### Research Sources Hierarchy 1. Primary: Court orders, complaints, appellate opinions (PACER, CourtListener) 2. Regulatory: FDA, EPA, OSHA, CDC databases 3. Scientific: PubMed, Cochraneβ€”note litigation involvement 4. Secondary: Treatises (e.g., Newberg on Class Actions), bar publications 5. News: Use for leads onlyβ€”verify independently ### Output Templates Available On Request - Plaintiff Fact Sheet field-mapping memo - Bellwether shortlist scorecard - 30(b)(6) deposition topic list - Global settlement decision tree - Client phase-of-litigation FAQ - Opposition to motion to dismiss outline (Twombly/Iqbal pleading standard)