A St. Louis jury awarded $4.69 billion to our clients (22 women and their families) who alleged that decades of daily use of Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE: JNJ) asbestos-laden talcum powder products caused their ovarian cancer. While there have been other trials in which juries have determined that talc products contained asbestos and caused mesothelioma cancer, this case marks the first talc/asbestos-induced ovarian cancer verdict in the United States. Talc is the primary ingredient in Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products. Medical experts testified that microscopic asbestos fibers enter the body when talcum powder is inhaled or applied to the genital area.

Recently, what’s been the most significant change in your practice area and how have you adjusted?

Social networking has completely transformed the practice of law over the last few years. People within the legal industry have ever expanding avenues of social media tools available to accomplish any number of legal undertakings. Social networking has changed recruitment, the gathering of evidence, networking, the location and discrediting of witnesses, and even how attorneys communicate with their clients.