backKing & Spalding secured a defense verdict for Johnson & Johnson in a case alleging that Plaintiff’s pleural mesothelioma was caused by asbestos in Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder products. Seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, Plaintiff asserted claims for strict liability and negligence, with a loss of consortium claim. During closing argument, Plaintiff asked the jury to award $22.5 million in compensatory damages alone.
On May 27th, 2026, after a three-and-a-half-week trial, an Oklahoma County jury returned a full defense verdict after only two hours. The King & Spalding team successfully demonstrated that Johnson & Johnson maintained a zero-tolerance policy for asbestos and employed extensive testing and quality control measures. The defense strategy was heavily dependent on a theme that Plaintiff’s counsel and experts failed to investigate other causes of Plaintiff’s cancer.
This case was tried by Will Stute, Katy Lehman, Eric White, and Mitchell Bryant, with support from Nadin Catak, Cori Steinmann, Val Leppert, Kevin Boyce and Benjamin Lee.