Keller Postman Attorneys Ashley Keller and Ashley Barriere Appointed by Court to Leadership Positions in the Acetaminophen MDL

On Wednesday, Judge Denise Cote of the Southern District of New York appointed Keller Postman Partner Ashley Keller and Associate Ashley Barriere to the plaintiffs’ leadership team in the In Re: Acetaminophen — ASD-ADHD multi-district litigation (MDL). Keller was named Co-Lead Counsel and a member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee along with Barriere, who will lead the Law and Briefing Subcommittee.

Keller and Barriere have been at the forefront of this fast-growing mass tort since our team first uncovered the Consensus Statement in Nature highlighting the increasing evidence linking prenatal acetaminophen exposure to autism and ADHD. Thanks to their expertise on federal preemption and their excellent advocacy in terms of law and briefing, Keller and Barriere defeated Walmart’s motion to dismiss on preemption grounds, overcoming the single largest barrier to plaintiffs’ ultimate recovery.

“Defendants’ failure to warn expectant mothers of the risks to their children of prenatal exposure to acetaminophen is wrong and it is unlawful,” said Keller. “Nothing can undo the harm that was caused, but I am committed to vindicating the victims’ rights and achieving at least some sense of justice for them.”

Barriere echoed this commitment to the litigation. “As I delved into the science, and as a mother myself, I felt compelled to investigate and pursue these claims on behalf of mothers and their children. To be able to do that now for all plaintiffs is a true honor,” said Barriere.

The pair bring significant experience to the leadership team.

As the Co-Founding Partner of Keller Postman, Keller has taken on coveted leadership roles in some of the biggest product-liability multi-district litigations in the country. He currently chairs the Law & Briefing Committee in the Zantac MDL and is Counsel of Record for the first two bellwether appeals in the 3M Combat Arms Earplugs MDL. He also plays a leading role in the state-court “NEC” litigation for claims that cow-milk-based infant formula causes necrotizing enterocolitis.

Barriere also brings deep law-and-briefing experience to the team. She currently chairs the law-and-briefing committee in the Onglyza & Kombiglyze XR MDL and has supported briefing in the Paragard IUD MDL. In the 3M Combat Arms Earplugs MDL, Barriere has worked on behalf of the law-and-briefing subcommittee and has also taken on written discovery, fact depositions, expert discovery, and dispositive and Daubert motions for Keller Postman clients.

Judge Cote’s Case Management Order named a slate of attorneys to the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee and Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee:

PLAINTIFFS’ EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

• Ashley Keller of Keller Postman LLC as Co-Lead Class Counsel
• Mikal Watts of Watts Guerra LLC as Co-Lead Class Counsel
• Mark Lanier of The Lanier Law Firm as Co-Lead Class Counsel
• Ashley Barriere of Keller Postman LLC leads the Law & Briefing Subcommittee
• Daniel Sullivan of Hollwell Shuster & Goldberg LLP leads the Administrative Functions & Common Benefit Reporting Subcommittee
• Sean Tracey of Tracey Fox King & Walters leads the Early Vetting/Bellwether Selection Subcommittee
• Eric Holland of the Holland Law Firm leads the Discovery/ESI Subcommittee
• Roger Smith, III of Beasley Allen leads the Science & Expert Subcommittee
• Zoe Littlepage of Littlepage, Booth & Leckman leads the Settlement/Lien Resolution Subcommittee

PLAINTIFFS’ STEERING COMMITTEE

• Tricia Campbell of Krause & Kinsman
• Charles J. Cooper of Cooper Law Partners
• Eric Cracken of the Tor Hoerman Law Firm
• David P. Matthews of Matthews & Associates
• Neal Moskow of the Moskow Law Group, LLC
• Rick Paul of Paul LLP
• Ruth Riskalla of the Carlson Law Firm
• Lawrence S. Robbins of Friedman, Kaplan, Seiler & Adelman LLP
• Lindsey Scarcello of Wagstaff & Cartmell

Keller, Barriere, and the entire Keller Postman team are resolute in their dedication to pursuing this litigation and to fighting for all victims of defendants’ failure to warn them of the causal link between defendants’ acetaminophen products and autism and ADHD.