St. Louis Loses Favor With Plaintiffs

A recent Supreme Court ruling could help companies seeking to overturn verdicts or dismiss cases

- Margaret Cronin Fisk And Jef Feeley

Quick trials, big verdicts favoring consumers, and a state law that allows nonresidents to easily join mass litigations made St. Louis a destination of choice for attorneys going after companies that do business nationwide. Those days may be over, and drugmakers such as Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.and Johnson & Johnson couldn’t be more relieved.

The U.S. Supreme Court in June struck a blow against so-called litigation tourism, ruling there has to be a connection between the forum and the specific claims at issue. In an 8-to-1 ruling, the top court said almost 600 people who claimed they were injured by the blood-thinning drug Plavix couldn’t sue Bristol-Myers Squibb in a California court because they didn’t live in the state.