Judge Appoints 'Rockstar' Lawyers to Lead Toxic Baby Food MDL

LOS ANGELES, May 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The judge overseeing the Baby Food Products Liability multidistrict litigation (MDL 3101) appointed 19 lawyers on Thursday to lead the litigation for plaintiffs who allege toxic heavy metals in baby food caused children to develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

R. Brent Wisner, managing partner at Wisner Baum, will co-lead the MDL with Aimee Wagstaff of the Wagstaff Law Firm. Wisner Baum partner Monique Alarcon was appointed Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel, and Wisner Baum partner Pedram Esfandiary was appointed to the Plaintiff's Steering Committee (PSC). 

Baby food lawsuits have been consolidated into a mass tort before U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley for the Northern District of San Francisco.

"Ensuring the safety of baby food is paramount for our children's well-being, and I am honored to lead this critical MDL," said Wisner, who argued for establishing the MDL before the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in March. "The evidence we've gathered over the past two years is compelling, and we are prepared to present a robust case to secure justice for the families affected. This litigation is not just about compensation; it's about protecting the health and future of our children. When food companies make billions selling food containing poison—food that is simply unfit for human consumption, let alone a baby's consumption—there needs to be accountability. This litigation is a first step in dealing with a generation of babies that have been poisoned and now face an epidemic of autism."

Wisner Baum represents thousands of children suffering from autism and ADHD after exposure to dangerously high levels of arsenic, lead, and mercury in baby foods.

Cases allege baby food companies knowingly sold — and continue to sell — products tainted with heavy metals that can cause brain damage that manifests as diagnoses of autism or ADHD.

Additional attorneys named to the PSC are Timothy Jackson, Laura Stemkowski, Anthony Russo, William Sykes, Mary Raybon, Mark DiCello, William Smith, Madeleine Clavier, Diane Watkins, Emily DeVuono, Joseph Masterman, Steven Brady, Tracy Turner, Tiffany Ellis and Alexandra Walsh.

"This tight-knit group of attorneys is chalk full of rockstars" according to Wisner. "We have some of the sharpest legal minds in the Plaintiffs' bar. These Defendants have no idea what's coming."

The defendant companies in Case No. 3:24-md-03101-JSC include Beech-Nut, Gerber, Hain Celestial Group (Earth's Best Organic), Nurture (Happy Family Organics and HappyBaby), Plum Organics, Sprout Foods (Sprout Organic Food), and Walmart (Parent's Choice).

The judge's pretrial order can be downloaded here.

Wisner Baum is a Los Angeles law firm that represents over 20,000 plaintiffs in a wide range of civil litigation. The firm has won over $4 billion across all practice areas, including mass torts, class action litigation, commercial truck crash cases, pharmaceutical product liability, and more.

Media Contact

Robin McCall
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SOURCE Wisner Baum