In 2013, Munger, Tolles & Olson successfully defeated a 16-year-old class action suit seeking as much as a billion dollars from client Philip Morris, landing it in the Daily Journal’s Top Verdicts of 2013 list in the “Top Defense Results” category.
The plaintiffs alleged that Philip Morris violated a number of California laws through its marketing of Marlboro Lights, and sought between $545 million and $1 billion in restitution, in addition to various forms of injunctive relief.
Munger Tolles innovatively beat back the suit by deposing a sample of 156 class members, revealing that the plaintiffs were not misled and suffered no economic damages in their purchase of Marlboro Lights.
The case is In re Tobacco Cases II, JCCP4042 (San Diego Super. Ct., filed June 10, 1997).
Philip Morris was represented by Munger Tolles attorneys Gregory P. Stone, Sean Eskovitz, Martin D. Bern, Blanca Fromm Young, Daniel B. Levin, Bethany W. Kristovich, Keith R. D. Hamilton, II and Jeslyn A. Miller.