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New Found Connection Between Paraquat and Parkinson's

On October 16, 2023, a trial over the pesticide known as "Paraquat" will be heard. This trial is the first of its kind, and the litigation will require tremendous multi-district support.

Name parter of Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC, Jayne Conroy stated, "When an MDL reaches the bellwether trial stage, the stakes change overnight. The trial puts the human tragedy caused by defendant front and center. Trials make everything public — witness testimony, never-before-seen corporate emails and memos, as well as the risk of a jury verdict. For both Paraquat and [the] Aqueous Foam [MDL], reaching the trial stage is a huge milestone because now the world will see the tangible evidence of defendants' liability." Conroy is not involved in the current case, but offers his opinion based on his litigation history.

The case is In Re: Paraquat Products Liability Litigation v. Syngenta Crop Protection LLC et al., case number 3:21-md-03004, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

Patent Troll Law and Washington Businesses

A lawsuit involving a patent-assertion company and a "Patent Troll" law from 2015 will be heard on November 27, 2023 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.

The Patent Troll Protection Act in Washington "outlaws the sending of patent licensing demand letters that contain deceptive information or fail to detail the alleged infringement."

Licensing fees are demanded when these demand letters are sent out, and so far five business in Washington have refused to pay their licensing fees. These businesses were sued by Landmark Technology LLC, and each were required pay $20,000 to settle.

The case is State of Washington v. Landmark Technology A LLC, case number 2:21-cv-00728, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

--Additional reporting by Matthew Perlman, Dorothy Atkins, Morgan Conley, Danielle Ferguson, David Minsky, Andrew Strickler, Juan Carlos Rodriguez, Rosie Manins, Carolina Bolado, Emily Field, Lauraann Wood, Lauren Berg and Britain Eakin. Editing by Alyssa Miller.