IN RE EPHEDRA PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION

No. 04 M.D. 1598(JSR).

478 F.Supp.2d 624 (2007)

In re EPHEDRA PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION. Pertains To Stafford v. Weight Watchers Inc. et al, No. 05 Civ. 3021.

United States District Court, S.D. New York.

March 26, 2007.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Anne Andrews, Andrews Kurth LLP, Dallas, TX, Catherine Theodora Heacox, Ellen Relkin, Michael Edward Pederson, Weitz and Luxenburg, P.C., New York City, Kenneth H. Stone, Law Offices of Kenneth H. Stone, San Diego, CA, Leslie W. O'Leary, Williams, Dailey, O'Leary, Craine & Love, Portland, OR, Steven J. Skikos, Lopez, Hodes Law Firm, San Francisco, CA, Trent B. Miracle, Simmonscooper, LLC, East Alton, IL, Virginia L. Borden, Silverman Sclar Shin & Byrne PLLC, New York City, Kenneth T. Fibich, II, W. Michael Leebron, II, Fibich, Hampton, Leebron & Garth, L.L.P., Houston, TX, Russell Scott Briggs, Fibich, Hampton & Leebron, Houston, TX, Edward Frances Blizzard, Blizzard McCarthy & Nabers, Houston, TX, Robert M. Schwartz, Williams & Bailey Law Firm, Houston, TX, John M. Calimafde, Philip Charles Canelli, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, New York City, Katherine M. Lordi, Bloomfield, NJ, David Howard Berg, Berg & Androphy, New York City, Michael Hodson, Hodson, Woods & Snively, Fayetteville, AR, Tamera Lee Venzke, Venzke Law Firm, Houston, TX, Ethan James Early, Early & Strauss, LLC, New York City, J. Nixon Daniel, John F. Windham, Thomas F. Gonzalez, Beggs & Lane, Pensacola, FL, Leslie W. O'Leary, Williams, Dailey, O'Leary, Craine & Loy, Portland, OR, Charles W. Sickels, Donna Miller Rostant, Hall, Sickels, Rostant, Frei and Kattenburg, P.C., Reston, VA, John C. Evans, Specter Specter Evans & Manogue, P.C., Pittsburgh, PA, Hal Jon Kleinman, Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP, Radnor, PA, Anne Andrews, Andrews Kurth LLP, Dallas, TX, Joseph Paul Thomas, Ulmer & Berne, Cincinnati, OH, Paul D. Rheingold, Rheingold, Valet, Rheingold, Shkolnik & McCartney, LLP, New York City, James Stewart White, Law Offices Of White, Meany & Wetherall, LLP, Reno, NV, Hugh McMaster Russ, III, Hodgson Russ Andrews Woods & Goody, LLP, Buffalo, NY, Christopher Adam Seeger, Seeger Weiss LLP, New York City, David R. Heffernan, Miami, FL, Amy Rosenberg, Rheingold, Valet, Rheingold & Shkolnik, P.C., New York City, Catherine Ann Ryan, Esdaile, Barrett & Esdaile, Boston, MA, James N. Esdaile, Jr., Esdaile, Barrett & Esdaile, Boston, MA, Melvin C. Hartman, The Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Firm, LLP, New York City, Robert Michael Hirsh, Duane Morris, LLP, New York City, Sarah E. O'Leary, Esdaile, Barrett & Esdaile, Boston, MA, David B. Rheingold, Rheingold, Valet & Rheingold, P.C., New York City, John J. Evans, Specter, Specter, Evans & Manogue, P.C., Pittsburgh, PA, Jamal K. Alsaffar, Lance D. Sharp, Laura Bellegie Sharp, Austin, TX, Robert Allen Valadez, Shelton & Valadez, P.C., San Antonio, TX, James Andrew Talbert, Jennifer A. Sullivan, Bozeman, Jenkins & Matthews, Pensacola, FL, James J. McHugh, Jr., The Beasley Firm, Philadelphia, PA, Alex Alvarez, Coral Gables, FL, Eckley M. Keach, Las Vegas, NV, Robert E. Murdock, Las Vegas, NV, Sharon Elmaleh-Schoenman, Oshman & Mirisola, LLP, New York City, Patrick Dean McMurtray, Frazer Davidson, PA, Jackson, MS, Anne Cisar Rudd, Kelly, Herlihy & Klein LLP, San Francisco, CA, Arlene N. Farolan, Kalinoski & Chaplinsky, Des Moines, IA, Keith D. Jacobson, Kenneth B. Moll & Associates, Ltd., Chicago, IL, Kenneth Brian Moll, Pamela Gale Sotoodeh, Ronald Vincent Fiesta, Victoria Dizik Teremenko, Sarah Crevier. Bullard, Kenneth B. Moll & Associates, Chicago, IL, Kurt D. Hyzy, Kenneth B. Moll & Associates, Ltd., Chicago, IL, Darin M. Colucci, Dino M. Colucci, Colucci, Colucci & Marcus, P.C., Milton, MA, John Carleton Thornton, III, Andrews & Thornton, Santa Ana, CA, John Hasan Ruiz, John H. Ruiz, PA., Miami, FL, Stanely Vernon Buky, Bruce David Rasmussen, Paul R. Thomson, III, Michie, Hamlett, Lowry, Rasmussen & Tweel, P.C., Charlottesville, VA, David Bagley Rheingold, Rheingold,Valet, Rheingold, Shkolnik & McCartney, LLP, New York City, Bruce R. Laxalt, Reno, NV, Denise Michelle Smith, Jeffrey F. Peck, Jennifer J. Bouchard, Michael Suffren, Ulmer & Berne, Cincinnati, OH, Gregory V. Cortese, Holly Stoberski, Las Vegas, NV, Christopher A. Glaser, Wright, Robinson, Osthimer & Tatum, Washington, DC, William Henry Robinson, Jr., Wright, Robinson, Mccammon, Osthimer & Tatum, Richmond, VA, Peter S. Baumberger, Rossman Baumberger Reboso & Spier, P.A., Miami, FL, James Stewart White, Law Offices Of White, Meany & Wetherall, LLP, Reno, NV, Ian L. Mattoch, Law Offices of Ian L. Mattoch, Honolulu, HI, John Hasan Ruiz, John H. Ruiz, P.A., Miami, FL, Gregory S. Love, Fort Worth, TX, Lenore Kramer, Kramer & Dunleavey, New York City, Joseph Scott Nabers, Rebecca. Ann Briggs, Blizzard McCarthy & Nabers, Houston, TX, Keyser, Beverly Hayes Pace, Calvin S. Tregre, Janet Gilligan Abaray, Lopez, Hodes, Restaino, Milman & Skikos, Cincinnati, OH, David B. Massey, Davis, Polk Et Ano., New York City, Jeffrey W. Rickard, Ryan M. Hagan, Alexander, Hawes & Audet, L.L.P., San Jose, CA, Robert G. Rikard, James C. Anders, P.A. & Associates, Columbia, SC, Jodi K. McKelyin, Robert B. Roden, Shelby Roden LLC, Birmingham, AL, J. Mark Kell, Lampin, Kell, Fagras, Linson & Custer, St. Peters, MO, Michael Leslie Hodges, Paul J. Hanly, Jr., Hanly Conroy Bierstein & Sheridan LLP, New York City, Daniel N. Gallucci, Rode & Qualey, New York City, Dianne M. Nast, Roda & Nast, P.C., Lancaster, PA, Arnold Levin, Levin, Fishbein, Sedran & Berma, Philadelphia, PA, Leonard V. Fodera, Silverman & Fodera, P.C., Philadelphia, PA, Debora A. O'Neill, Jack A. Meyerson, Dennis P. Brescoll, Birmingham, MI, Annesley Hodges Degaris, Cory, Watson, Crowder & Degaris, P.C., Edward E. Angwin, Jason A. Stuckey, Gulas & Stuckey, P.C., Birmingham, AL, A. David Fawal, Archie Cleveland Lamb, Chris W. Cantrell, Law Offices of Archie Lamb, LLC, Birmingham, AL, Edward Stirling Deacon, Wilcoxen, Callahan, Montgomery & Deacon, Sacramento, CA, Gayle M. Blatt, Herman, Mathis, Casey, Kitchens & Gerel, San Diego, CA, Darryn L. Silverstein, Silverstein, Silverstein & Silverstein, P.C., Aventura, FL, Patrice Ann Talisman, Hersch & Talisman, P.A., Miami, FL, Anne Cisar Rudd, Kelly, Herlihy & Klein LLP, San Francisco, CA, Keith D. Jacobson, Kurt D. Hyzy, Paige E. Barr, Pamela Gale Sotoodeh, Ronald Vincent Fiesta, Tiffany K. Donnelly, Tracy A. Jurgus, Victoria Dizik Teremenko, Kenneth B. Moll & Associates, Ltd., Chicago, IL, for Plaintiffs.

Anthony Lee Osborn, McCormick Barstow Sheppard Wayte and Carruth, Fresno, CA, Baxter Ward Banowsky, Banowsky, Betz & Levine, P.C., Dallas, TX, Brian Douglas Equi, Jason Paul Herman, Larry Dean Smith, Cabaniss Smith Toole & Wiggins, P.L., Maitland, FL, Christina J. Marshall, Edward H. Blakemore, Sutter, O'Connell Mannion & Farchione, Cleveland, OH, David Michael Dahlmeier, Foley & Mansfield, PLLP, Minneapolis, MN, Edward G. Bowron, Bowron, Latta & Wasden, P.C., Mobile, AL, Eric J. Ward, Ward, Norris, Heller & Reidy, LLP, Rochester, NY, Eric A. Weiss, Marshall, Gerstein & Borun, Chicago, IL, Esther Rae Decambra, Miller & Martin PLLC, Chattanooga, TN, Gregory Brian Smith Jackson, Miller & Martin PLLC, Nashville, TN, James W. Ozog, James Michael Rozak, James Robert Schachner, Wiedner & McAuliffe, Ltd., Chicago, IL, Jeffrey A. Johnson, Cosgrave, Vergeer, Kester, L.L.P., Portland, OR, John P. Kavanagh, Jr., Bowron, Latta & Wasden, P.C., Mobile, AL, John G. Mitchell, New York City, John Otho Payne, Huckabay, Munson, Rowlett & Moore, P.A., Little Rock, AR, Lawrence C. Maxwell, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, Nashville, TN, Leah M. Gerbitz, Miller & Martin PLLC, Chattanooga, TN, Mark Clarence Hegarty, Shook Hardy & Bacon, LLP, Kansas City, MO, Michael Wilder Newport, Foley & Mansfield P.L.L.P., Michael L. Young, Theodore J. MacDonald, Burroughs, Hepler, Broom, Macdonald, Hebrank & T., St. Louis, MO, Richard F. Scruggs, Scruggs, Millette, Lawson, Bozeman & Dent, P.A., Pascagoula, MS, Scott Douglas Levine, Banowsky, Betz & Levine, P.C., Dallas, TX, Sidney A. Backstrom, Scruggs Law Firm, Oxford, MS, Thomas Paul Mannion, Mannion & Gray, Co. L.P.A., Cleveland, OH, Wayne C. Kreuscher, Barnes & Thornburg, Indianapolis, IN, Frederick Natale Salvo, III, Michael Scott Minyard, Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, Jackson, MS, Robert Gaylord Smith, Lewis Bribois Bisgaard & Smith, San Diego, CA, Michael Peter Kessler, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, New York City, Rex Allen Littrell, Ulmer And Berne, Columbus, OH, Andrew S. Bolin, Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen, Tampa, FL, Barry McDonough, McDonough, Hacking & Neumeier, Roston, MA, Bruce R. Laxalt, Reno, NV, Christopher A. Glaser, Wright, Robinson, Osthimer & Tatum, Washington, DC, G. Byron Sims, Jeromy D. Hughes, Browns Sims, P.C., Houston, TX, Gayle L. Ballew, Dallas, TX, Gregory V. Cortese, Holly Stoberski, Las Vegas, NV, James M. Williams, Jeffrey F. Peck, Jennifer J. Bouchard, Joseph C. Klein, Janet Goldberg Mcenery, Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen, Tampa, FL, John M. Bickel, Shuttleworth & Ingersoll, Cedar Rapids, IA, John H. Price, Honolulu, HI, Joseph John Saltarelli, Hunton & Williams, LLP, New York City, Lewis A. Bartell, L'Abbate, Balkan, Colavita & Contini, L.L.P., Garden City, NY, Mark E. McLaughlin, Tampa, FL, Mary Lynn Tate, The Tate Law Firm, Abingdon, VA, Michael Suffren, Ulmer & Berne, L.L.P., Cincinnati, OH, Nancy A. Serventi, McDonough, Hacking, Neumeier & Lavoie, Boston, MA, Rickey L. Faulkner, Longview, TX, Robert B. Beck, III, Leck & Associates, Santa Monica, CA, Stephen C. Merriam, Ulmer & Berne, L.L.P., Cleveland, OH, Steven Jeffrey Rothman, Jones, Foster, Johnston & Stubbs, West Palm Beach, FL, Susan Y.M. Chock, Law Offices of John H. Price, Honolulu, HI, William Henry Robinson, Jr., Wright, Robinson, Mccammon, Osthimer & Tatum, Richmond, VA, Richard C. Obiol, Civardi, Clair & Obiol, LLP, Rockville Centre, NY, Paul Goodovitch, Jacobson & Schwartz, Rockville Centre, NY, Brian Nelson Casey, Taylor & Walker, P.C., Norfolk, VA, John Joseph Burke, Jr., Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner, LLP, New York City, Joseph John Ortego, Nixon Peabody, LLP, Jericho, NY, Michael Joseph Suffern, Ulmer and Berne, Columbus, OH, John H. Price, Honolulu, HI, Susan Y.M. Chock, Law Offices of John H. Price, Honolulu, HI, JD Roy Atchison, U.S. Attorney, Pensacola, FL, Charles A. Johnson, Hill, Rivkins & Hayden, L.L.P., Jersey City, NJ, Stephen R. Stern, Hoffinger Stern & Ross LLP, New York, NY, Joseph John Saltarelli, Hunton & Williams, LLP, New York City, Kimberly Letcher, Norma V. Garcia, Robert S. Beale, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP, Costa Mesa, CA, Ellen W. Smith, Samuel J. Samaro, Pashman Stein, P.C., Hackensack, NJ, Steven J. Kirsch, Murnane, Conlin, White & Brandt, St. Paul, MN, Christian J. Ziegler, Ferdie F. Franklin, Karen Margaret Sullivan, Lisa R. Ackley, Walsworth, Franklin, Bevins & McCall, Orange, CA, Daniel Ross Mawhinney, Thompson & Bowie, LLP, Portland, ME, Edward Joseph Stolarski, Jr., Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba, Philadelphia, PA, John G. Mitchell, New York City, John Payne, Huckabay, Munson, Rowlett & Moore, Little Rock, AR, John Otho Payne, Huckabay, Munson, Rowlett & Moore, P.A., Little Rock, AR, Mark Reese Pharr, III, Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith, P.L.C., Lafayette, LA, Thomas Bernard Farrey, III, Burns & Farrey, Worcester, MA, James W. Ozog, Wiedner & Mcauliffe, Ltd., Chicago, IL, Robert Gaylord Smith, Lewis Bribois Bisgaard & Smith, San Diego, CA, David Michael MacDonald, Dallas, TX, Steven A. Stadtmauer, Harris Beach, LLP, New York City, Darrell L. Barger, Hartline, Dacus, Barger, Dreyer & Kern, L.L.P., David Lesley Jones, Michael G. Terry, Hartline Dacus, Corpus Christi, TX, Ramona Martinez, Cowles and Thompson, P.C., Robert Gaylord Smith, Lewis Bribois Bisgaard & Smith, San Diego, CA, Bruce Daniel Ainbinder, Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker LLP, Eric Peter Blaha, Hoffinger Stern & Ross LLP, New York City, Andrew S. Bolin, Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen, Tampa, FL, Dennis L. Kennedy, Lionel Sawyer & Collins, Las Vegas, NV, Gayle L. Ballew, Dallas, TX, Janet Goldberg Mcenery, MacFarlane Ferguson & McMullen, Tampa, FL, Jezabel Llorente, Tew Cardenas, LLP, Miami, FL, John H. Price, Honolulu, HI, Leah A. Ayala, Lionel Sawyer & Collins, Las Vegas, NV, Lewis A. Bartell, L'Abbate, Balkan, Colavita & Contini, L.L.P., Garden City, NY, Mark E. McLaughlin, Tampa, FL, Mary Lynn Tate, The Tate Law Firm, Abingdon, VA, Tiffany Reece Clark, Ulmer And Berne, Columbus, OH, Rex A. Litrell, Ulmer & Berne, L.L.P., Colombus, OH, Rickey L. Faulkner, Longview, TX, Stephen C. Merriam, Ulmer & Berne L.L.P., Cleveland, OH, Steven Jeffrey Rothman, Jones, Foster, Johnston & Stubbs, West Palm Beach, FL, Susan Y.M. Chock, Law Offices of John H. Price, Honolulu, HI, Thomas M. O'Connor, Brody, O'Connor & O'Connor, Esqs., Northport, NY, Bruce R. Laxalt, Reno, NV, Christopher A. Glaser, Wright, Robinson, Osthimer & Tatum, Washington, DC, Gregory V. Cortese, Holly Stoberski, Las Vegas, NV, Jennifer J. Bouchard, Ulmer & Berne, Cincinnati, OH, William Henry Robinson, Jr., Wright, Robinson, Mccammon, Osthimer & Tatum, Richmond, VA, Patrick Lysaught, Baker, Sterchi, Cowden & Rice, L.L.C., Kansas City, MO, Shannon Cook, Ulmer & Berme, LLP, Cincinnati, OH, Stephen C. Merriam, Ulmer & Berne L.L.P., Cleveland, OH, Howard Klein, Jacquelyn J. Ager, Conrad, O'Brien, Gellman & Rohn PC, Philadelphia, PA, Bradley S. Russell, Overland Park, KS, D. Patrick Kasson, Reminger & Reminger Co., L.P.A., Columbus, OH, Don Doyle, Daw & Ray, Houston, TX, Eric J. Ward, Ward, Norris, Heller & Reidy, LLP, Rochester, NY, Eva Marie Mannoia Weiler, Frank C. Lascala, Frank C. Rothrock, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., Irvine, CA, J. David Wall, Bassett Law Firm, Fayetteville, AR, Jennifer Kincaid Adams, Woodward, Hobson & Fulton, LLP, Louisville, KY, John Otho Payne, Huckabay, Munson, Rowlett & Moore, P.A., Little Rock, AR, Mark Clarence Hegarty, Shook Hardy & Bacon, LLP, Kansas City, MO, Michael L. Young, Burroughs, Hepler, Broom, Macdonald, Hebrank & T, St. Louis, MO, Paul B. La Scala, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P, Irvine, CA, Peri H. Alkas, Daw & Ray, Houston, TX, Rebecca L. Didat, Richard H.C. Clay, Woodward, Hobson & Fulton, LLP, Louisville, KY, Richard E. Morton, Borton, Petrini & Conron, San Francisco, CA, Joanne M. Gray, Goodwin Procter, LLP, New York City, Richard A. Oetheimer, Goodwin Procter, LLP, Boston, MA, Adam Benjamin Michaels, Goodwin Procter, LLP, New York City, Thomas Francis Lucas McKenna, Storer, Chicago, IL, Stephen F. Dryden, Robinson Grayson & Dryden, P.A., Wilmington, DE, Beth Anne Fredericksen, M. Richard Mullins, Oklahoma City, OK, Arthur Anton Povelones, Jr., John Samuel Favate, Hardin, Kundla, Mckeon, Poletto & Polifroni, P.A., Springfield, NJ, Michael J. Rust, Gray, Rust, St. Amand, Moffett & Brieske, L.L.P., Atlanta, GA, Daniel Joseph Morse, Hardin, Kundla, Mckeon, Poletto, PA, New York City, Robert Richard Brooks-Rigolosi, Segal Mccambridge Singer & Mahoney, Ltd., New York, NY, Steven J. Kirsch, Murnane, Conlin, White & Brandt, St. Paul, MN, Christine Coers-Mitchell, Cosgrave Vergeer Kester, L.L.P., Portland, OR, Derek J. Ashton, Jeffrey A. Johnson, Cosgrave, Vergeer, Kester, L.L.P., Portland, OR, Eric Peter Blaha, Hoffinger Stern & Ross LLP, New York City, Jeanne Anne Cygan, Ferro & Cuccia, New York City, Rex Allen Littrell, Ulmer And Berne, Columbus, OH, for Defendants.


OPINION AND ORDER

RAKOFF, District Judge.

Defendants' motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint for failure to show causation is denied; their motion to exclude the opinions of Wesley Dennis, M.D. is granted in part and denied in part; and their motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint as to individual defendant Michnal for lack of personal jurisdiction is denied.

The relevant facts, undisputed or, where disputed, taken...

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