In the continual effort to coordinate the MDL Actos cases with Actos cases in state court, the Honorable Rebecca F. Doherty has created this page on the MDL website, designed especially to provide State Court Judges hearing Actos cases (“Actos Judges”) with any information they might need concerning the MDL. As noted in the Annotated Manual for Complex Litigation, Fourth (2004), Judges have undertaken innovative efforts to coordinate parallel or related litigation to reduce costs, delay, and duplication of efforts, to take advantage of the economies of consolidated discovery, and to avoid conflicts indates that often arise from dispersed litigation.[1] The creation of a page on the MDL website devoted especially for Actos Judges is intended to be one of those innovative efforts of coordination.
"Reciprocity and cooperation create trust and mutual respect” between federal and state jurists, and such efforts are not intended or designed as veiled methods to dominate.[2]
Judge Doherty wishes to develop relationships among all the Judges with Actos cases in order to enhance coordination and make more transparent the coordination effort.[3] She welcomes any communications from any Judge. Her contact information is:
Honorable Rebecca F. Doherty
United States District Judge
800 Lafayette Street, Suite 4900
Lafayette, LA 70501
(337) 593-5050
CONTENTS
SETTLEMENT PROGRAM
A committee of negotiating plaintiffs' counsel and Takeda have negotiated an agreement establishing a settlement program (the "Actos Resolution Program" or "Program") for the resolution of claims alleging an injury of bladder cancer resulting from Actos usage. The Program is open to cliamants who (a) allege that they have bladder cancer; (b) first used Actos prior to December 1, 2011; and (c) either have a lawsuit currently pending or retained counsel to assert a claim within 3 days of the announcement of the settlement (i.e., by noon EDT on Friday, May 1, 2015).
Further information about the Actos Resolution Program is available on the website established by the Claims Administrator at www.actosofficialsettlement.com including links to the Master Settlement Agreement and other settlement documents, and instructions for how to register claims, enroll in the Program and submit Claim Packages. The Master Settlement Agreement and four orders related to the Program are provided below for the convenience of State Court Actos Judges.
Settlement Agreement
Master Settlement Agreement (Note: The Master Settlement Agreement is NOT an order of the Court)
Appendix B: Notice of Intent to Opt In Form for Filed Claims
Appendix D-1: MDL Stipulation of Dismissal
Appendix D-2: Illinois Stipulation of Dismissal
Appendix D-3: California Stipulation of Dismissal
Appendix F: Notice of Intent to Opt In Form for Unfiled Claims
Appendix G: Declaration of Counsel
Appendix I: Authorization to Release Records and Other Information
Court Orders
Case Management Order: Census of Claims (Doc. 5551)
Order Regarding Settlement Agreement and Deadlines (Doc. 5552)
Order for Limited Stay (Doc. 5582)
Case Management Order Regarding the Resolution of Cases Involving the Death or Incapacity of a Product User (Doc. 5849)
Orders Regarding the Common Benefit
Case Management Order: Instructions To Deputy Special Master DeJean (Doc. 5801)
Case Management Order: Holdback Order (Doc. 5850)
Case Management Order: Common Benefit Fees and Costs (Doc. 6215)
Case Management Order: Assessment of Common Benefit Fees and Expenses and/or Costs (Doc. 6238)
Memrandum Ruling (Common Benefit Fees & Allocation) (Doc. 6943)
TRIAL CALENDAR
Next Trial: May 2, 2016 (Continued) Note: Pursuant to the Order for Limited Stay (Doc. 5582), discovery is stayed and deadlines are adjourned.
Bellwether Trial 1: January 27, 2014 - April 7, 2014
Further bellwether trials have been continued - See [ORDER]
STATUS CONFERENCE CALENDAR
Judge Doherty has scheduled a monthly status conference for either the third or fourth Thursday of each month, as practicable, at 10:30 am (central time). Any Judge with an Actos case on his or her docket is welcome to call into the live teleconference, and may either listen or participate in the discussions. Protocols to dial in to the status conference have been provided to Actos Judges by either this Court or State Liaison Counsel.
For any additional questions, or details of the dial in protocols, please contact State Liaison Counsel or Judge Doherty’s law clerk. If any judge wishes to dial-in, please notify Judge Doherty's law clerk, Cory Hebert, at 337-593-5053 or Cory_Hebert@lawd.uscourts.gov. Mr. Hebert will alert the conference call-in operator to open the line for any judge to speak, should he or she wish.
The scheduled and agendas for the status conferences are provided below.
2016
Any further status conferences will be announced by the Court
February 18, 2016 (Cancelled)
Past Status Conference Dates
2015
2014
2012-2013
MDL RULINGS & ORDERS
SPECIAL MASTERS
Three Special Masters were appointed at the outset to assist the Court and the parties to move the cases forward in an efficient and innovative manner. Actos Judges should feel free to contact them to discuss any questions or issues. Judge Doherty and the MDL litigants have found the Special Masters to be an effective resource, and will offer their services to any Actos Judge.
The Special Masters are:
Gary J. Russo, Special Master
Jones Walker
600 Jefferson Street, Suite 1600
P.O. Drawer 3408
Lafayette, LA 70502-3408
Telephone: (337) 593-7610
Fax: (337) 593-7601
grusso@joneswalker.com
Carmen M. Rodriguez, Deputy Special Master
Jones Walker
600 Jefferson Street, Suite 1600
P.O. Drawer 3408
Lafayette, LA 70502-3408
Telephone: (337) 593-7622
Fax: (337) 593-7601
carmenrodriguez@joneswalker.com
Kenneth W. DeJean, Deputy Special Master (Plaintiff’s Side Only)
417 West University Avenue
Post Office Box 4325
Lafayette, LA 70502
Telephone: (337) 235-5294
Fax: (337) 235-1095
kwdejean@kwdejean.com
STATE LIAISON COUNSEL
The Court has appointed an attorney from each side to help increase cooperation and coordination with State Court Actos Judges. These counsel are available to all Actos Judges at any time, and will periodically provide updates regarding the MDL.
Dawn M. Barrios, Plaintiffs' Liaison to State Court Judges
Barrios, Kingsdorf & Casteix, LLP
701 Poydras Street, Suite 3650
New Orleans, LA 70139
Telephone: (504) 524-3300
Fax: (504) 524-3313
barrios@bkc-law.com
Sherry A. Knutson, Defendants' Liaison to State Court Judges
Sidley Austin LLP
1 South Dearborn St.
Chicago, IL 60603
Telephone: (312) 853-4710
Fax: (312) 853-7036
sknutson@sidley.com
JUDGE DOHERTY'S MDL LAW CLERK
Judge Doherty's MDL law clerk is Cory Hebert. He can be reached at 337-593-5053 and Cory_Hebert@lawd.uscourts.gov. He is available to any Actos Judges to discuss any Actos litigation issues or the MDL website itself, and can provide direct access to Judge Doherty.
We hope this special page on the MDL website is helpful to Actos Judges. If any Judge has ideas or suggestions which might enhance the coordination and cooperation effort or improve this site, please do not hesitate to contact Judge Doherty, her law clerk, one of the Special Masters, or one of the State Liaison Counsel.
[1] Annotated Manual For Complex Litigation Sec. 20.31 (4th ed. 2010)