Council approves hiring outside counsel to recover opioid epidemic costs
News release from Alderman Michael J. Murphy
Today the Common Council voted unanimously in favor of legislation that authorizes the City Attorney to hire outside counsel for litigation to recover expenses incurred by the city from the opioid crisis.
File #190817, sponsored by Alderman Michael J. Murphy, authorizes the City Attorney to retain the firm of Napoli Shkolnik, PLLC, of New York City to represent the City of Milwaukee in state or federal court in regard to potential opioid litigation.
The Council previously approved legislation (File #190458) to explore litigation options and to possibly file suit against drug makers, distributors, and other parties that may be responsible for damages incurred by the City of Milwaukee due to the creation and perpetuation of the opioid epidemic.
Alderman Murphy, co-chair of the City-County Heroin, Opioid and Cocaine Task Force, said he is pleased with the Council action today. “Opioid addiction has been a costly plague for the City of Milwaukee and retaining outside counsel to explore possible litigation helps the City explore the option of seeking damages from drug-makers. Thousands of governmental entities throughout the United States are filing lawsuits against those companies and distributors engaged in marketing prescription opioids and we are now represented by counsel to look at whether we should also move in that direction,” he said.
More about the Opioid Crisis
- A Medication Rescue for Opioid Overdoses - Corri Hess - Feb 22nd, 2021
- State Receives $10 million in Opioid Crisis Settlement - Jenny Peek - Feb 5th, 2021
- AG Kaul, Gov Evers Announce $573 Million Multistate Agreement with McKinsey & Company for “Turbocharging” the Opioid Epidemic with Purdue Pharma - Josh Kaul - Feb 4th, 2021
- Gov. Evers, DHS Announce Nearly $9 Million Awarded for Drug Treatment Services - Gov. Tony Evers - Jan 14th, 2021
- AG Kaul, Bipartisan AGs Push FDA to Examine Progress in Opioid Fight - Josh Kaul - Jan 11th, 2021
- Milwaukee County Surpasses Last Year’s Record Overdose Deaths - Edgar Mendez - Nov 27th, 2020
- Overdose Responders Struggle Against Rising Deaths - Edgar Mendez - Nov 20th, 2020
- Wisconsin Drug Take Back Collection 1st in the Country; Collects Nearly 90,000 lbs. of Unwanted Medications to Fight the Opioid Epidemic - Josh Kaul - Nov 9th, 2020
- Gov. Evers, DSPS Secretary-designee Crim Announce Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Awarded Nearly $2 Million Grant - Gov. Tony Evers - Nov 2nd, 2020
- AG Kaul Announces Updated Settlement with Opioid Manufacturer Mallinckrodt - Josh Kaul - Oct 13th, 2020
Read more about Opioid Crisis here
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