Michael S. Burg Appointed As Co-Lead Counsel In The Yasmin/Yaz Multidistrict Litigation

On November 10, 2009, Judge David R. Herndon, the federal judge presiding over the Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing Sales Practices and Product Liability Multidistrict Litigation MDL #2100 in the Southern District of Illinois, appointed <a onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=http://www.burgsimpson.com/attorney-burg-m.html>Michael S. Burg</a> as one of three Co-Lead Counsel to serve on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee. The PSC reports directly to Judge Herndon, and is responsible for conducting pre-trial proceedings on behalf of all plaintiffs who have cases in the MDL.  Mr. Burg has also served as a member of the Plaintiff Steering Committee for the Zyprexa Multidistrict Litigation in the Eastern District of New York, as a member of the State-Federal Liaison Committee for the Vioxx Multidistrict Litigation in the Eastern District of Louisiana, and as Co-Lead Counsel for the Ortho Evra Products Liability Multidistrict Litigation in the Northern District of Ohio.

Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, P.C. (“Burg Simpson”) is an Englewood, Colorado based law firm with a national practice and national reputation.  In addition to handling extremely complex cases in Colorado, Burg Simpson is a leader in complex Multidistrict Litigation and has been appointed as Lead or Liaison counsel in several MDLs in the last five years.  These leadership appointments demonstrate Burg Simpson’s ability to handle complex litigation on a mass scale and are demonstrative of various Courts’ recognition of Burg Simpson’s ability to handle such complex and large-scale litigation.

When asked to comment, Michael Burg said, “My leadership role in this proceeding is testament to the reputation Burg Simpson has achieved in the mass torts arena as a result of its excellent work in previous MDL proceedings.”

Yaz and Yasmin are birth control pills manufactured by Bayer, which contain a progestin known as Drospirenone.  The claims being asserted are that <a onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=http://www.burgsimpson.com/yasmin.html>Yaz and Yasmin</a> cause clotting injuries such as strokes, heart attacks, pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis in women who use these products.  Other women claim that using these products has caused injures to their gallbladder, sometimes requiring surgical removal.  These injuries are serious and can be life-threatening.