Stranch, Jennings & Garvey, PLLC was among the recipients of the 2024 Steven J. Sharp Public Service Award by the American Association for Justice (AAJ) at the association’s annual convention. The award was given to 23 law firms making up the Plaintiff Executive Committee of the National Prescription Opiate Litigation.
“This year, we recognize the Plaintiff Executive Committee of the National Prescription Opiate Litigation, who fought back against the opioid manufacturers and the devastating damage they were causing to so many across our nation,” stated the AAJ. “Our communities have been torn apart by the opioid epidemic.
“After one of the most complex, wide-ranging litigations in history, landmark settlements were reached with the three largest pharmaceutical distributors, national pharmacy and grocery chains, opioid manufacturers, and manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceuticals and its parent company Johnson & Johnson. And the fight continues.
“The settlements are providing critical funds to rebuild communities nationwide impacted by the opioid epidemic.”
The AAJ Steven J. Sharp Public Service Award recognizes litigation by plaintiffs and plaintiff attorneys that has created a lasting change in corporate conduct. The award is named after a young man who was severely injured, losing both of his arms due to a defective hay baler. Despite knowing the defects of the machine, the manufacturer did nothing to resolve the problem. Sharp spoke before Congress, which was about to pass legislation that would prevent most product liability cases from going to court, denying victims their right to obtain justice. The legislation did not move forward, allowing victims to seek justice when they are harmed by corporate wrongdoing.
J. Gerard Stranch IV, founding and managing member, served as the lead trial attorney in the Sullivan Baby Doe case (originally filed as Staubus v. Purdue) against opioid producer Endo Pharmaceuticals. The case led to a $35 million settlement agreement, which is the largest per capita settlement by any prosecution with Endo to date.
A third-generation lawyer, Stranch leads the firm’s class action, complex litigation and mass tort practice groups. He has served as the lead trial counsel in several high-profile Tennessee suits against opioid manufacturers, and as class counsel for the negotiation class in the multi-district national prescription opioid litigation (MDL 2804) in Cleveland, Ohio.
Past recipients of the Steven J. Sharp Public Service Award include Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder, PC and the families of Sandy Hook (2022), Deepak Gupta (2021), and Gretchen Carlson and Nancy Erika Smith (2017).