Jere Beasley Made Alabama A ‘Judicial Hellhole’
Jere Beasley was nearly broke and looking for work after getting whipped in a race for governor 30 years ago. Since then, the rural Alabama lawyer has re-emerged as a powerhouse plaintiffs’ attorney whose firm counts more than $20 billion in verdicts and settlements, the Associated Press writes. One of the South’s latest tort kings, Beasley’s success against corporate giants has made him a constant target of business groups, with Karl Rove once putting him in Republican political cross-hairs.
“Beasley is one of the most successful personal injury lawyers in the game,” Darren McKinney of the American Tort Reform Association, tells the AP. Although, he adds this came with a dubious distinction: “There’s no question Beasley was integral in winning for Alabama a reputation most people in Alabama rather it not have won - that is a judicial hellhole.”
Beasley’s firm helped negotiate the $4.8 billion settlement with Merck over Vioxx and a $700 million settlement over pollution from an old Monsanto PCB plant. He also helped the state of Alabama win an $11.9 billion verdict against Exxon Mobil and last month’s $215 million verdict against AstraZeneca (back story). Up next month is trial of a drug-pricing fraud suit against Glaxo and Novartis, with about 70 similar suits in the wings.
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Justice in Michigan
Perhaps important to say that “judicial hellhole” is, indeed, a trademark term of the American Tort Reform Association. They are the mother ship for the various “____ for Lawsuit Reform” around the country. The first was Texans for LR, funded in significant part by the folks who brought us Swiftvets, etc..
This is not to say I do not believe there are some real “Kings of Torts.” Just as I also believe there are some real “Constant Gardners.”
Both demonologies serve their respective political self-interests. They are pretty effective too!
Matt
At least there is someone like him out there holding Big Pharma accountable for their actions…
Paul
… and getting really rich on the backs of their clients adversities.