STATE EX REL. AMERISOURCEBERGEN v. MOATS

Nos. 20-0694 and 20-0751.

859 S.E.2d 374 (2021)

STATE of West Virginia EX REL. AMERISOURCEBERGEN DRUG CORPORATION, et al., Petitioners, v. The Honorable Alan D. MOATS, Lead Presiding Judge, Opioid Litigation, Mass Litigation Panel, et al., Respondents and State of West Virginia ex rel. Johnson & Johnson, et al., Petitioners v. The Honorable Alan D. Moats, Lead Presiding Judge, Opioid Litigation, Mass Litigation Panel, et al., Respondents.

Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

Filed: June 11, 2021.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Albert F. Sebok, Esq. , Gretchen M. Callas, Esq. , Candice M. Harlow, Esq. , Charleston, West Virginia, JACKSON KELLY PLLC, Todd A. Mount, Esq. , SHAFFER & SHAFFER, PLLC, Madison, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioner AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation.

Michael W. Carey, Esq. , Steven R. Ruby, Esq. , Raymond S. Franks II, Esq. , David R. Pogue, Esq. , CAREY DOUGLAS KESSLER & RUBY PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioner Cardinal Health, Inc.

Webster J. Arceneaux III, Esq. , LEWIS GLASSER, PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioners Rite Aid of West Virginia, Inc. and Rite Aid of Maryland, Inc. d/b/a Rite Aid Mid-Atlantic Customer Support Center.

Erik W. Legg, Esq. , FARRELL, WHITE & LEGG PLLC, Huntington, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioners Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Endo Health Solutions Inc.; Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc.; Par Pharmaceutical Inc.

Keith A. Jones, Esq. , JONES LAW GROUP, PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Steven A. Luxton, Esq. , MORGAN, LEWIS & BOCKIUS LLP, Washington, DC, Counsel for Petitioners Watson Laboratories, Inc.; Warner Chilcott Company, LLC; Actavis Pharma, Inc. f/k/a Watson Pharma, Inc.; Actavis South Atlantic LLC; Actavis Kadian LLC; Actavis Laboratories UT, Inc.; Actavis Laboratories FL, Inc. f/k/a Watson Laboratories, Inc.-Florida; Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.; and Cephalon, Inc.

Michael B. Hissam, Esq. , J. Zak Ritchie, Esq. , HISSAM FORMAN DONOVAN RITCHIE PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioner Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Ronda L. Harvey, Esq. , Fazal A. Shere, Esq. , Marc F. Mignault, Esq. , Gabriele Wohl, Esq. , BOWLES RICE LLP, Charleston, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioners The Kroger Co., Kroger Limited Partnership I, and Kroger Limited Partnership II.

Jon B. Orndorff, Esq. , Kelly Calder Mowen, Esq. , LITCHFIELD CAVO, LLP, Barboursville, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioner Noramco, Inc.

Keith A. Jones, Esq. , JONES LAW GROUP, PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioner Anda, Inc.

Rita Massie Biser, Esq. , Moore & Biser PLLC, South Charleston, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioner Henry Schein, Inc.

Neva G. Lusk, Esq. , Tai Shadrick Kluemper, Esq. , SPILMAN THOMAS & BATTLE, PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Elbert Lin, Esq. , HUNTON ANDREWS KURTH LLP, Richmond, Virginia, Counsel for Petitioner Walmart Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores East, LP.

Bryant J. Spann, Esq. , Robert H. Akers, Esq. , THOMAS COMBS & SPANN, PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioners Walgreen Co. and Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.

Carte P. Goodwin, Esq. , Joseph M. Ward, Esq. , Alex J. Zurbuch, Esq. , FROST BROWN TODD LLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioners CVS Indiana L.L.C.; CVS Rx Services, Inc.; CVS TN Distribution, L.L.C.; CVS Pharmacy, Inc.; and West Virginia CVS Pharmacy, L.L.C.

Christopher D. Pence, Esq. , Wm. Scott Wickline, Esq. , Hardy Pence PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Sarah M. Benoit, Esq. , ULMER & BERNE LLP, Columbus, Ohio, Counsel for Petitioners Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC; Amneal Pharmaceuticals of New York, LLC; and Impax Laboratories, LLC.

Stephen D. Annand, Esq. , Keith J. George, Esq. , Marisa R. Brunetti, Esq. , Robinson & McElwee, PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioners Mallinckrodt LLC; Mallinckrodt Brand Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC; and SpecGX LLC.

Marc E. Williams, Esq. , Robert L. Massie, Esq. , Jennifer W. Winkler, Esq. , NELSON MULLINS RILEY & SCARBOROUGH LLP, Huntington, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioners Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. n/k/a Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Janssen Pharmaceutica, Inc. n/k/a Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; and Johnson & Johnson.

William R. Slicer, Esq. , Shuman McCuskey Slicer PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioners Abbott Laboratories and Abbott Laboratories, Inc.

John H. Mahoney II, Esq. , DINSMORE & SHOHL LLP, Huntington, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioner Fruth Pharmacy, Inc.

Todd A. Mount, Esq. , SHAFFER & SHAFFER, PLLC, Madison, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioner H.D. Smith LLC f/k/a H.D. Smith Wholesale Drug Company.

Tim J. Yianne, Esq. , Patricia M. Bello, Esq. , LEWIS BRISBOIS BISGAARD & SMITH LLP, Charleston, West Virginia, Counsel for Petitioners Allergan Finance, LLC f/k/a Actavis, Inc. f/k/a Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Allergan Sales, LLC; Allergan USA, Inc.; and Warner Chilcott Sales (US), LLC.

Lindsay S. See, Esq. , Solicitor General, Ann L. Haight, Esq. , Deputy Attorney General, Vaughn T. Sizemore, Esq. , Deputy Attorney General, Abby G. Cunningham, Esq. , Assistant Attorney General, Charleston, West Virginia, Linda Singer, Esq. , Elizabeth Smith, Esq. , Motley Rice LLC, Charles R. "Rusty" Webb , The Webb Law Centre, PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Counsel for Respondent State of West Virginia ex rel. Patrick Morrisey, Attorney General.

Anthony Majestro, Esq. , Powell & Majestro, PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Paul T. Farrell, Jr., Esq. , Farrell Law, Huntington, West Virginia, Robert P. Fitzsimmons, Esq. , Clayton J. Fitzsimmons, Esq. , Mark A. Colantonio, Esq. , FITZSIMMONS LAW FIRM PLLC, Wheeling, West Virginia, Letitia N. Chafin, Esq. , THE CHAFIN LAW FIRM, PLLC, Williamson, West Virginia, Kevin C. Harris, Esq. , Eric J. Holmes, Esq. , LAW OFFICES OF HARRIS & HOLMES, PLLC, Ripley, West Virginia, Anne McGinness Kearse, Esq. , Natalie Deyneka, Esq. , MOTLEY RICE LLC, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Counsel for Respondent Counties and Municipalities.

Stephen B. Farmer, Esq. , FARMER, CLINE & CAMPBELL, PLLC, Charleston, West Virginia, Timothy R. Linkous, Esq. , LINKOUS LAW, PLLC, Morgantown, West Virginia, Counsel for Respondent Hospitals.


Beginning in 2017, various cities, counties, hospitals, and the State of West Virginia sued manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid pain medication and other defendants. This Opioid Litigation is now more than eighty lawsuits pending before the Mass Litigation Panel. In the consolidated petitions before us, Petitioners...

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