On behalf of Johnson & Johnson, Skadden secured a defense jury verdict in a Missouri state court case alleging that Johnson’s Baby Powder causes ovarian cancer and seeking up to $5 billion in damages, including punitive damages. On Dec. 20, 2019, following a two-week trial, a jury in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis returned a verdict rejecting the plaintiff’s claim that the talc in Johnson’s Baby Powder, as well as alleged contaminants in the product such as asbestos, caused her to develop clear cell ovarian cancer. The jury also found that Johnson & Johnson neither failed to warn consumers of the alleged dangers associated with its baby powder nor was it negligent in manufacturing and selling the product.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates