Compass Lexecon Client the City of Baltimore Awarded Over $260 Million after Jury Determines that Opioid Distributors’ Conduct Contributed to a Public Nuisance

A jury ruled in favor of Compass Lexecon’s client, the City of Baltimore (the City), in a trial against several pharmaceutical distributors (Defendants). The jury ruled that the Defendants’ distribution practices substantially contributed to the public nuisance created by the misuse of prescription opioids and awarded more than $260 million in damages to the City. Additional defendants, including opioid manufacturers and dispensers, settled before trial.

Compass Lexecon supported the City’s expert, Professor Brendan Saloner, the Bloomberg Professor of American Health at Johns Hopkins University. Professor Saloner quantified the relationship between misuse of prescription opioids and the development of opioid use disorder and testified that more than 80% of opioid use disorder cases are attributable to misuse of prescription opioids. Additionally, Professor Saloner offered testimony describing the detailed statistical analysis that formed the basis of his opinions.

Compass Lexecon worked with a team of attorneys from Susman Godfrey LLP that included Cory Buland, Max Straus, and Geng Chen, who represented the City. Professor Saloner was supported by a Compass Lexecon team that included Hal Sider, Evan McKay, Otto Hansen, Bill Kluender, and Donovan Kaddis.