2019 Case Results
Alaska Judge Orders $80 Million in Past Damages Plus Interest
State of Alaska v. Williams Alaska Petroleum Inc., et al.: Trial counsel against former operator of refinery concerning statutory and contractual liability related to groundwater contamination in the City of North Pole, Alaska. Multi-week trial resulted in judgment in favor of client and the State of Alaska against Williams Alaska Petroleum, Inc. and The Williams Companies, Inc., finding the Williams entities liable to pay for over $80 million in past damages plus interest along with future liability for 100% of costs related to PFAS contamination at the North Pole Refinery and the majority of remediation costs for sulfolane contamination. The Ciresi Conlin team was led by Jan M. Conlin and Mat Korte.
Medical Malpractice Department Obtains $25 Million Settlement
Claimant vs. Hospital and Providers: Ciresi Conlin’s Medical Malpractice Department recently pursued and negotiated a $25 million settlement on behalf of a husband and father for catastrophic injuries and permanent impairment as a result of the failure to chart medication exposure in the patient’s record. The Ciresi Conlin team was led by Michael V. Ciresi and Mat Korte.
Complex Commercial Litigation Group Obtains $27 Million Settlement
Ciresi Conlin’s Intellectual Property and Business Litigation Department recently negotiated a $27 million settlement in a royalty fee dispute, which was scheduled for arbitration. The Ciresi Conlin team was led by Jan Conlin, Heather McElroy, and Barry Landy.
Medical Malpractice Department Obtains $13.5 Million Settlement For Injury Due To Use of Restraints
Obtained a settlement in a medical malpractice case that involved an injury to the patient’s upper extremities related to the use of restraints in a Minnesota hospital. The injury significantly impacted his ability to perform activities of daily life and return to full employment. The case settled for $13.5 million, giving the client the resources to pay for his life-long care needs and ensure financial stability for his family. The Ciresi Conlin team was led by Kathleen Flynn Peterson and Colin Peterson.
Complex Commercial Litigation Group Obtains $12.5 Million Settlement As Co-Lead Class Counsel For ERISA Plaintiffs
Carver v. The Bank New York Mellon (S.D.N.Y.): Ciresi Conlin was co-lead class counsel representing ERISA participants, beneficiaries, and trustees that held American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) for which the Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM”) acted as a depositary bank. Ciresi Conlin won a contested motion for interim-lead co-counsel and prevailed over BNYM’s motion to dismiss on an issue of “first impression” under ERISA law. (see Carver v. BNYM, 2017 WL 1208598 (S.D.N.Y. 2017).) Following substantial and highly contested fact and expert discovery, including review of nearly three million pages of documents, taking or defending 24 depositions, briefing a motion for class certification, opposing summary judgment, and exchanging multiple rounds of expert reports, Ciresi Conlin successfully obtained a settlement on behalf of the Class for $12.5 million, which the Court approved in May 2019. The Ciresi Conlin team was led by Heather McElroy, Barry Landy, Jan Conlin, and Michael V. Ciresi.
Medical Malpractice Department Obtains $8,650,000 Settlement
Ciresi Conlin attorneys Brandon Thompson and Colin F. Peterson obtained a $8,650,000 confidential settlement for their client.
Medical Malpractice Department Obtains $700,000 Settlement
A 71-year-old man went to a Minnesota surgical provider for a routine procedure under anesthesia. The surgical provider did not have the monitoring equipment needed to ensure that the procedure could be performed safely. Without the necessary equipment, the patient experienced an excessive buildup of carbon dioxide and fell into respiratory arrest. The patient died, leaving behind a wife and two adult sons. The case settled on behalf of the family for $700,000. The Ciresi Conlin team was led by Colin F. Peterson and Kathleen Flynn Peterson. (2019)
Minnesota Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Client’s Medical Negligence Wrongful Death Claim.
The claim was against a physician who never saw our client’s deceased mother, but who had been asked by the mother’s care provider from a different health system to admit her into the defendant physician’s hospital. The two health systems had a standing agreement that admission decisions would be made solely by the hospital’s physicians. The fundamental holding of the Supreme Court was that a formal physician-patient relationship is not necessarily required to establish a duty of care on the part of the health care provider. The Ciresi Conlin team was led by Robert J. King, Jr. (2019)
