Litigation

Explore public health litigation by PHAI, highlighting legal actions aimed at protecting communities from tobacco, sugary drinks, predatory gambling, and other threats to well-being.

DraftKings Fails to Dismiss Massachusetts Class Action for Deceptive Marketing

Center For Public Health Litigation, Predatory Gambling​, Press Release, Sports Betting /

Today, a court in Boston released its decision DENYING DraftKings’ Motion to Dismiss a class action filed last December alleging that its $1,000 signup bonus was an unfair and deceptive marketing practice and constituted false advertising. Mark Gottlieb, executive director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University School of Law, which filed the […]

DraftKings Fails to Dismiss Massachusetts Class Action for Deceptive Marketing Read More »

Richard Daynard, Publishes Op-Ed Explaining the Importance of Punitive Damages Awards For Public Health

Center For Public Health Litigation, News, Tobacco Litigation /

Northeastern University Distinguished Professor of Law and President of the Public Health Advocacy Institute, Richard Daynard, published an op-ed in The Hill on December 6, 2022, laying out the importance of punitive damages in civil justice to protect public health. The article references a billion-dollar punitive damages verdict in a Massachusetts tobacco case from September

Richard Daynard, Publishes Op-Ed Explaining the Importance of Punitive Damages Awards For Public Health Read More »

PHAI’s Gottlieb Discusses Recent Juul Settlement

Center For Public Health Litigation, Dangers Of E Cigarettes, News, Tobacco Litigation /

On September 6, 2022, attorneys general from 33 states announced a tentative settlement of their joint investigation of the company involving cash payments to the states of $438.5 million over several years. PHAI’s executive director, Mark Gottlieb, discussed the settlement on NBC News NOW the following morning. That short interview can be seen here.

PHAI’s Gottlieb Discusses Recent Juul Settlement Read More »

PHAI Takes Action Against Puff Bar for Violating Massachusetts’ Ban on Flavored e-Cigarettes

Center For Public Health Litigation, Dangers Of E Cigarettes, News, Press Release /

CONTACTS: Mark Gottlieb                                                             Meredith Lever(617) 216-0779                                                            (617) 373-8066mark@phai.org                                          meredith@phai.org  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Puff Bar Charged With Violating Massachusetts’ Ban on Flavored e-CigarettesIn direct violation of state law, Puff Bar sells flavored, disposable e-cigarettes that appeal to teens BOSTON, MA (June 11, 2020) – Today, the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) at Northeastern University School of Law

PHAI Takes Action Against Puff Bar for Violating Massachusetts’ Ban on Flavored e-Cigarettes Read More »

New Lawsuit Alleges Coca-Cola, American Beverage Association Deceiving Public About Soda-Related Health Problems

Center For Public Health Litigation, Food Beverage Marketing, Legal Filings, Marketing Unhealthy Foods As Healthy, Press Release /

Despite the scientifically established link between consuming sugar drinks and obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, the Coca-Cola Company and its trade association, the American Beverage Association, deceive consumers by denying and obscuring soda’s link to those diseases, according to a lawsuit filed today. Bringing the action filed today in the Superior Court of

New Lawsuit Alleges Coca-Cola, American Beverage Association Deceiving Public About Soda-Related Health Problems Read More »

Snowflakes Are Found in 84 Degree Richmond: The 2017 Altria Group Annual Shareholders Meeting

News, Tobacco, Tobacco Litigation /

By Edward L. Sweda, Jr., PHAI Senior Attorney As I approached the Greater Richmond Convention Center on the partly cloudy morning of Thursday, May 18, 2017, thoughts of sub-freezing temperatures and snowstorms never entered my mind.  But, before the morning gave way to the afternoon, I realized that I had just seen dozens of snowflakes. As

Snowflakes Are Found in 84 Degree Richmond: The 2017 Altria Group Annual Shareholders Meeting Read More »

PHAI Joins Center for Science in the Public Interest in Filing Lawsuit Against Coca-Cola for Deceptive Marketing

Center For Public Health Litigation, Food Beverage Marketing, Legal Filings, Obesity, Press Release /

BOSTON – Two non-profits that use litigation as a public health strategy have joined forces in a lawsuit accusing the Coca-Cola Company (“Coke”) along with the American Beverage Association (“ABA”) of misleading the public about the science that links heart disease, obesity, and diabetes to consumption of sugary beverages. For years, the Public Health Advocacy

PHAI Joins Center for Science in the Public Interest in Filing Lawsuit Against Coca-Cola for Deceptive Marketing Read More »

PHAI’s Daynard Discusses Tony Gwynn Lawsuit on ESPN and in the New York Times

Legal Filings, Tobacco, Tobacco Litigation /

On May 23, 2016, the widow and children of baseball great Tony Gwynn filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Altria Group alleging that the manufacturers of Skoal smokeless tobacco’s negligence, fraud, defective design, and failure-to-warn caused the death of the Hall of Famer in 2014. Richard Daynard, PHAI’s president and University Distinguished Professor of Law at Northeastern

PHAI’s Daynard Discusses Tony Gwynn Lawsuit on ESPN and in the New York Times Read More »

Top Boston Firms Join Forces with Public Health Advocacy Institute

Center For Public Health Litigation, Legal Filings, Press Release, Tobacco /

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:  Mark Gottlieb or Andrew Rainer  617-373-2026 “We are so pleased to be working with this outstanding group of lawyers to help some of tobacco’s victims in Massachusetts,” said Andrew Rainer, PHAI’s Litigation Director and Director of the Center for Public Health Litigation.  Working together with PHAI will be: PHAI’s latest suit,

Top Boston Firms Join Forces with Public Health Advocacy Institute Read More »

Stop & Shop Responds to PHAI’s Demands to Prevent Sales of Scratch Tickets to Kids

Legal Filings, News, Predatory Gambling​, Press Release /

n 2014 and 2015, the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) conducted testing to determine whether kids could purchase lottery tickets from the vending machines located in a number of area supermarkets.  At markets in Cambridge, Somerville, and Arlington, Massachusetts, a teenage tester was easily able to purchase lottery tickets in every attempt. Massachusetts law expressly

Stop & Shop Responds to PHAI’s Demands to Prevent Sales of Scratch Tickets to Kids Read More »