Morrison Foerster‘s toxic tort and environmental offering is well-versed in representing clients, including consumer goods, technology, and aerospace companies, in class actions and mass torts relating to alleged personal injury and property damage caused by a variety of toxins. Led by William Tarantino from San Francisco, the firm is currently representing a multinational aerospace and defense company in a putative class action and separate individual mass tort matters seeking to hold it accountable for damage to local residents from exposure to toxic chemicals allegedly caused by its historic manufacturing operations in New York. Tarantino is also at the forefront of the firm’s efforts helping clients navigate California’s unique environmental legislation, Proposition 65, both from a compliance perspective and in any enforcement actions. San Diego-based Erin Bosman chairs the firm’s class actions and mass torts practice and has toxic tort experience, including in the context of defending clients in alleged misleading advertising regarding products containing traces of PFAS.
Key clients
- Clearwater Seafoods
- Northrop Grumman
- Thinx Inc.
Work highlights
- Advising Northrop Grumman in $1bn+ environmental and toxic tort litigation, including a putative class action and more than 20 individual mass tort matters, alleging personal injury and property damage claims from environmental contamination in Bethpage, New York arising from work during WWII building fighter planes for the Navy.
- Defended Thinx Inc. in three putative class actions relating to allegations that Thinx falsely represents its period underwear as safe and organic when the underwear purportedly contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and migratory silver nanoparticles.
- Representing Clearwater Seafoods, the largest producer of shellfish in North America, in a Proposition 65 enforcement action brought by the California Attorney General claiming that certain clams, mussels, and shellfish contain excessive levels of lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Erin Bosman