AAJ Officially Forms Microplastics Litigation Group; Milberg's Zachary Howerton Named Co-Chair

Newly Created AAJ Group Signals Coordinated Plaintiffs' Bar Strategy as Microplastics Litigation Accelerates Nationwide

NEW YORK, May 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association for Justice (AAJ) has officially launched its Microplastics Litigation Group, one of the first formal organizational structures in the U.S. plaintiffs' bar dedicated to coordinating legal strategy around microplastics contamination. Attorney Zachary Howerton, Partner at Milberg PLLC, has been named Co-Chair of the newly formed group alongside Coral M. Odiot Rivera and Verónica N. Vázquez-Santiago, both of Napoli Shkolnik PLLC in Puerto Rico.

Howerton brings a rare combination of scientific and legal credentials to the role. Before practicing law, he earned a Master of Science in Ocean and Earth Sciences from Old Dominion University, where he focused his graduate research on chemical oceanography and the fate and transport of chemical compounds through aquatic ecosystems. He graduated magna cum laude from Vermont Law School, the nation's top-ranked environmental law program at the time of his enrollment.

"The creation of this group reflects the plaintiffs' bar's recognition that microplastics litigation requires coordinated, science-driven legal strategy," said Howerton. "Microplastics are everywhere—in our water, our food, our blood—and the science on what that means for human health is advancing rapidly, along with the legal landscape. We intend to be at the forefront of both."

The AAJ group's formation comes as microplastics litigation accelerates sharply. Between January 2024 and December 2025, at least 18 microplastics-related federal cases were filed, compared to just one in the preceding six years. On April 2, 2026, the EPA designated microplastics as a priority contaminant group for the first time in its draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List under the Safe Drinking Water Act, signaling that enforceable federal standards may be on the horizon.

Milberg, already active in the space, currently represents the City of Baltimore in two pending microplastics actions—a June 2024 suit against plastics manufacturers and distributors including PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, and Coca-Cola, alleging their single-use plastic products have created a widespread public nuisance and imposed millions of dollars in cleanup and remediation costs on the City; and a November 2022 suit against major tobacco manufacturers including Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, and Liggett, alleging that non-biodegradable cigarette filters leach toxic chemicals into Baltimore's waterways and public spaces and have required substantial public expenditures to address.

Milberg's Environmental Practice

Milberg's environmental litigation team has held many leadership roles in major contamination proceedings, including the Camp Lejeune Water Litigation, the Norfolk Southern train derailment toxic spill litigation, AFFF/PFAS airport and municipal claims, and cases on behalf of Brazilian municipalities following the 2015 Fundão dam collapse. The firm has recovered more than $50 billion for clients in its 50-year history. For more information, visit milberg.com.

SOURCE Milberg