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Is Litigation Coming for Major Retailers of Herbal Supplements?

Kenneth J. Lopez, J.D.
By: Kenneth J. Lopez, J.D.

Litigation Consulting, Litigation Support, Science, Expert Witness, Press, New York, Dietary Supplements, Fraud

 

herbal-supplement-retailers-litigation-fraud-product-liabilityby Ken Lopez
Founder/CEO
A2L Consulting

In case you missed it, the New York Attorney General's Office dropped a bombshell this week. They have accused major retailers including Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreen's and GNC of knowingly selling supplements that contain either none of what is advertised (an incredible 80% of the time) or something else entirely.

The herbal supplement industry is estimated to have close to $100 billion in annual sales. That's about five times the revenue of all AmLaw 200 law firms combined.

Once I saw the New York Times piece reporting on this issue, I wanted to learn more about what this might mean for litigators. Fortunately, I knew exactly who to speak with.

Below is an interview with Dr. David Schwartz, head of scientific support to counsel at Innovative Science Solutions. He describes his role as something of a scientific detective, regularly helping ISS’s clients defend and support pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, medical devices, foods, and dietary supplements in the courts, the regulatory arena, and the market place.

In this six-minute interview, Dr. Schwartz shares his outlook for how this issue might unfold in the courts.

Dr. Schwartz and I have had the pleasure of collaborating on litigation issues ranging from tobacco, to fracking to cell phone caused brain cancer. If you've not read his Science & Law blog, I highly recommend it.

Other resources on A2L Consulting's site related to science, complex litigation and helping fact-finders work through difficult issues at trial include:

expert witnesses and complex cases webinar

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