State of Minnesota v. Juul Labs, Inc. et al., Case No. 27-CV-19-19888: Lead trial counsel in the State of Minnesota litigation against e-cigarette manufacturer JUUL and Altria for deceptively marketing tobacco products and targeting Minnesota’s youth. After a three-week trial, which settled prior to closing arguments, JUUL and Altria were ordered to pay a total of $60.5 million to the State of Minnesota over an eight-year period. This settlement is the largest per capita of all 48 states and territories that have settled with JUUL. Minnesota was the first state in the nation to go to trial.

Aerosol Dust Remover Abuse: Serving as co-lead counsel, Tara secured a landmark $7.75 million verdict against CRC Industries for its failure to prevent the foreseeable misuse of its aerosol dust remover products. The verdict follows the 2019 death of Cynthia McDougall, who was killed in a vehicle crash after an individual who huffed CRC Duster struck her car head-on. This is the first dust remover case of its kind to go to trial.

In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, MDL No. 2804, Case No. 17-md-02804: Represented 28 Tribal Nations asserting that the manufacturers of prescription opioids grossly misrepresented the risks of long-term use of those drugs for persons with chronic pain, and distributors failed to properly monitor suspicious orders of those prescription drugs, all of which contributed to the current opioid epidemic. Robins Kaplan obtained a historic first in Tribal Government litigation, with a total of $1.5 billion in settlements obtained on behalf of the Tribal Nations.

Member of plaintiffs’ negotiating committee in Benicar litigation that resulted in a settlement fund of $358 million.

Represented clients in the New Jersey Multi-County Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Modular Hip Stem litigation, including two Plaintiffs who resolved their cases through the NJ Court’s bellwether mediation program. Assisted in developing a global settlement program for both the multi-county litigation and the federal multi-district litigation, a program valued at over $1 billion.

Lead counsel in Daubert proceedings in Abilify, Chantix, and Mirapex product liability litigations, successfully defeating defendants’ challenges to plaintiffs’ scientific experts on causation

Lead trial counsel in Charbonneau v. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Pfizer, Inc. Represented plaintiffs in first Mirapex products liability bellwether trial. On July 30, 2008, jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiffs for $8,279,300, including $7.8 million in punitive damages for failing to warn of risk of compulsive behaviors, including pathological gambling, from the Parkinson’s drug Mirapex.

Lead trial counsel in Zwayer v. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Pfizer, Inc. Represented plaintiffs in second Mirapex bellwether trial. Case was confidentially settled prior to closing argument.

Confidentially settled more than 280 Mirapex cases represented by Robins Kaplan LLP during Fall of 2008.

Lead trial counsel in first two Chantix MDL bellwether trials; confidentially settled prior to trial, leading to settlement of entire MDL.

Trial counsel, State of Minnesota and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Minnesota v. Philip Morris, et al. In May 1998, the case settled after a four month trial when Tobacco Companies agreed to pay the State and Blue Cross & Blue Shield more than $6.6 billion.

• Public Justice Foundation, a public interest law firm, which pursues high impact lawsuits to combat social and economic injustice, protect the Earth’s sustainability, and challenges predatory corporate conduct and government abuses; Board of Directors (2010-present), Executive Committee (2012-present), Secretary (2013-2014), Treasurer (2014-2015), Vice President (2015-2016), President-Elect (2016-2017), President (2017-2018), Past President (2018)
• Children's Theatre Company; Board of Governors (2011-2018)