Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) announced the addition of Phil Goldberg as Special Counsel for the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP), an effort led by the Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), the NAM’s in-house legal arm and the leading voice of manufacturers in the courts. He will serve as a senior legal adviser and spokesman for the effort.

Started in 2017, the MAP was created to set the record straight and expose the concerted, coordinated political campaign being waged in the courts against America’s manufacturers. These lawsuits and other legal actions have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States through a series of baseless public nuisance suits and other legal tactics.

“For more than a year, the NAM has fought back successfully against this coordinated attempt to shake down manufacturers over baseless public nuisance litigation. Last year, three public nuisance cases brought by the cities of San Francisco, Oakland and New York were all thrown out by federal judges, and the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project will work tirelessly to build on that record in 2019,” said NAM Senior Vice President and General Counsel Linda Kelly, who leads the MCLA. “Phil is one of the brightest legal minds in this space and brings impeccable credentials to the table on behalf of America’s manufacturers and manufacturing workers. We are excited to have him on board.”

“The NAM and its Manufacturers’ Accountability Project are the tip of the spear in the fight against the wave of unfounded public nuisance lawsuits targeting America’s manufacturers. The stakes could not be higher for manufacturers as well as the integrity of our legal system,” said Goldberg. “I look forward to helping manufacturers and manufacturing workers fight back against these deeply misguided lawsuits, which are more about politics than addressing the global challenge of climate change—and actually distract us from focusing on real solutions.”

Goldberg has more than 25 years of experience on liability-related public policy. He is the Managing Partner of the Washington office of Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. and the Co-Chair of its Public Policy Group. He also serves as director of the Progressive Policy Institute’s Center for Civil Justice. He authored amici briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in the 2011 climate change case Connecticut v. AEP and the Supreme Court of Rhode Island in Rhode Island v. Lead Industries Association. The Rhode Island and New Jersey Supreme Courts cited Goldberg’s articles in denying overly expansive public nuisance theories.

Before joining Shook in 2003, Goldberg spent eight years as an aide to three Democratic members of Congress and three years as a vice president of litigation communications for two leading public relations firms. He received his law degree from George Washington University Law School, where he was Order of the Coif, and his Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Tufts University.

More information about the MCLA can be found here. More information about the MAP can be found here.

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The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

 

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Washington, D.C. — The National Association of Manufacturers’ Senior Vice President and General Counsel Linda Kelly released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the City of New York’s public nuisance lawsuit against manufacturers:

“From the beginning, New York City’s baseless lawsuit against energy manufacturers has proven to be a misguided attempt to hurt a vital American industry we all rely on to meet our daily needs. City officials, including Mayor de Blasio, have made clear that the true purpose of the lawsuit is to attack manufacturers and manufacturing workers. The issue of climate change is a global public policy issue that has no place in the courts, a point that judges across the legal spectrum have noted in dismissing these frivolous cases, including New York City’s, and we expect the same outcome for the City’s appeal.

“Energy manufacturers continue to innovate more sustainable products and processes, a fact New York City clearly understands. Since early last year, the City has been increasingly turning to natural gas to meet its energy needs and reduce its environmental footprint. Rather than suing the very manufacturers they are working with to reduce emissions – which will do nothing to solve climate change and just wastes taxpayer resources – the City should work constructively with manufacturers so that we can address this challenge while providing affordable energy to New Yorkers.”

-MAP-

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

Washington, DC – National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Senior Vice President and General Counsel Linda Kelly responded to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision declining to hear ExxonMobil’s appeal of the Massachusetts Supreme Court’s April 2018 decision allowing Massachusetts Attorney General Healey’s investigation into the company’s climate change statements to move forward:

“The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to not take this case does not change the underlying problems with Attorney General Healey’s investigation. The New York Attorney General’s office brought essentially the same investigation in 2015, received millions of documents from the company, and failed to find a smoking gun. The root of the problem here is that this is a misguided political effort to hold a single manufacturer responsible for a global problem. This political investigation is an abuse of the state’s law enforcement efforts and a waste of Massachusetts’ tax dollars and resources.”

-MAP-

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

Washington, DC – The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP), an arm of the National Association of Manufacturers, responded to news reports that San Francisco and Oakland both replaced Hagens Berman with Sher Edling as its legal representation in the cities’ continued attempt to sue manufacturers over climate change:

“The problem isn’t the quality of the law firm, it is the quality of the lawsuit,” said MAP Executive Director Lindsey de la Torre. “Over the past year, two federal judges have dismissed three baseless climate lawsuits targeting manufacturers, including those brought by Oakland and San Francisco. The fact these cities are now shaking up their legal teams speaks to the disarray this misguided effort now finds itself in after repeated defeats in the courtroom.”

-MAP-

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

Washington, D.C. — In response to New York’s Acting Attorney General Barbara Underwood filing a lawsuit today against Exxon Mobil, the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project’s Executive Director Lindsey de la Torre released the following statement:

“Today’s lawsuit is simply the latest in a string of attempts to target manufacturers in America. Acting New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood has picked up the reins of a failed investigation initiated by former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman that spanned three years and four million pages of material that led nowhere. Rather than focus on productive solutions, Attorney General Underwood moved ahead with this politically-motivated lawsuit, wasting even more taxpayer resources in an effort to infringe on manufacturers’ First Amendment rights. Manufacturers will continue to stand strong and fight back against these abuses of our legal system and efforts to undermine our sector, while maintaining our commitment to addressing environmental challenges.”

-MAP-

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

 

Washington, D.C. — After 12 state attorneys general filed an amicus brief in defense of manufacturers in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, Manufacturers’ Accountability Project Executive Director Lindsey de la Torre released the following statement:

“Once more, a strong coalition of state attorneys general have joined together to support manufacturers against a baseless lawsuit filed by plaintiffs’ attorneys. In contrast, only three state attorneys general have filed briefs in support of this litigation. There’s good reason for that: federal judges have already dismissed three similar lawsuits in California and New York. As the federal judges and now the 12 state attorneys general rightly point out, the legislative and executive branches are the appropriate venues to address this issue, not the courts.  We are hopeful that the judge in King County, will agree and dismiss this baseless lawsuit.”

-MAP-

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

Washington, D.C. – Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) Executive Director Lindsey de la Torre issued the following statement in response to the amicus brief filed in the U.S. Supreme Court by a coalition of national trade associations and legal reform organizations in ConAgra Grocery Products Company, et al. v. The People of the State of California. The lawsuit seeks to overturn a billion dollar judgment holding paint manufacturers liable for removing lead paint from private homes where it was lawfully sold and applied decades ago:

“The national implications of this lawsuit are underscored in the brief filed today by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review this case and overturn a major, unsound departure in liability law. Manufacturers are standing up against this concerning trend of baseless lawsuits seeking to impose massive legal liability on manufacturers through the expansion of so-called “public nuisance” lawsuits.

“The stakes are high. If the Supreme Court does not provide a course correction, manufacturers will face even more lawsuits seeking massive and unprincipled liability. Already, this misuse of tort law has inspired several other public nuisance cases, putting manufacturing jobs at risk in order to line the pockets of trial lawyers.

“The Court should hear the case and help shut the door on this baseless litigation.  These types of lawsuits undermine the fairness of our nation’s legal system, our manufacturing base and our economy.”

–MAP–

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the coordinated campaign by trial lawyers and public officials who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. The MAP will hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at www.mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

Washington, D.C. – Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) Executive Director Lindsey de la Torre released the following statement on today’s announcement by Baltimore that the city is suing manufacturers over discredited climate change allegations:

“It’s time for politicians and trial lawyers to put an end to this frivolous litigation. Taxpayer resources should not be used for baseless lawsuits that are designed to enrich trial lawyers and grab headlines for politicians. This abuse of our legal system does nothing to advance meaningful solutions, which manufacturers are focused on every day.”

Lawsuits targeting manufacturers do nothing to address climate change, and as history has demonstrated, these lawsuits stand little chance in the courtroom. Baltimore’s announcement comes just one day after a related lawsuit filed by New York City was dismissed with prejudice by a federal judge. Moreover, U.S. District Judge William Alsup dismissed similar lawsuits filed by San Francisco and Oakland last month, writing, “No plaintiff has ever succeeded in bringing a nuisance claim based on global warming.”

Baltimore argues that their lawsuit is different because it is filed in state court, but it will likely be removed to federal court and dismissed, just like those that came before it.

–MAP–

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at www.mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

Timmons Praises Dismissal of Third Climate Lawsuit in the Past Month

Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons issued the following statement responding to U.S. District Judge John Keenan’s dismissal of the climate lawsuit filed by New York targeting manufacturers:

“From the moment this baseless lawsuit was filed, manufacturers have argued that the courtroom was not the proper venue to address this global challenge,” said Timmons. “Judge Keenan made that clear in his decision today. Now that San Francisco, Oakland and New York City have had their cases dismissed, the other municipalities should withdraw their complaints to save taxpayer resources and focus on meaningful solutions.”

The NAM has led the business community’s response to the wave frivolous public nuisance lawsuits targeting manufacturers by forming the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP), headed by Executive Director Lindsey de la Torre. A project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), MAP has fought to set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. More information can be found at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org