

Kirk T. Hartley
- Aug 26, 2021
- 1 min
Somatic Signature Mutations - Another Major Leap in Genomics, and Mass Tort Disease Litigation
This week brought 4 major new Nature papers on genomics. Over the next 20 years, the findings they report, will: 1) materially impact...


Kirk T. Hartley
- Aug 22, 2021
- 1 min
A Decade Later - An Update on "A Long Swim" and Research Against ALS
A decade ago, Doug McConnell and family embarked on a journey to raise money to support scientific research against ALS. "A Long Swim"...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Mar 30, 2021
- 1 min
Covid Genome Analyses Shows the Power of Genomic Analyses for Understanding Diseases
A March 26, 2021 NYT article uses the genomic analyses of Covid to provide a cogent overview of the ongoing revolution in genomic...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Mar 3, 2021
- 1 min
Due Process in a Trial About 22 Ovarian Cancers - J&J's Cert Petition for Ingham Talc Verdict
As it said it would do, J&J filed a cert petition seeking review of the Ingham verdict against it and others. The verdict involved 22...


Kirk T. Hartley
- Mar 3, 2021
- 1 min
Cogent Summary - Workshop on Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence v4.0
Last week's workshop on the path to update the federal Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence is summarized in a cogent and insightful...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Feb 25, 2021
- 2 min
France - Asbestos Exposure Prosecutions Against Former Managers of an Asbestos-Cement Manufacturer
Issues arising from criminal prosecutions of former managers at an asbestos-cement plant (Everite) are up on appeal, as described in a...


Kirk T. Hartley
- Feb 22, 2021
- 1 min
This Week - Planning Underway for Fourth Edition of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence
Planning continues this week for the Fourth Edition of the federal Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence. The event is an open access...


Kirk T. Hartley
- Feb 10, 2021
- 1 min
Symposium - Economics and Law of Civil Remedies: Developments in Damages and Nationwide Injunctions
The George Mason Law and Economics Center is hosting a free, upcoming online symposium titled: Symposium on the Economics and Law of...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Feb 10, 2021
- 1 min
Academic Work On the Stock Price Impact of Product Recalls
An academic research project on the stock price impact of product recalls is described in a February 1, 2021 blog post from Christopher...


Kirk T. Hartley
- Feb 9, 2021
- 1 min
Compilation of Reviews of Books on Tort Law: 2015-2020
Now available at SSRN is a compilation of reviews of books on tort law, as per a February 7, 2021 post by Steve Hedley at Private Law...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Feb 5, 2021
- 2 min
Strategic Defamation Suit by Another Voting Machine Company - Smartmatic v. Fox, Giuliani, et al
As if to highlight my point about strategic lawsuits taking on more importance, this week ended with another voting machine company...


Kirk T. Hartley
- Feb 4, 2021
- 1 min
Stark Data - World Cancer Day
For World Cancer Day, it seems the right time to highlight some of the stark data on expected future cancers around the globe. Regardless...


Kirk T. Hartley
- Feb 3, 2021
- 1 min
"The Justice Department is Prosecuting an American for Election Interference—in 2016"
A newly announced criminal action by DOJ further highlights the use of strategic litigation to knock down people who spread...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Feb 2, 2021
- 1 min
Defamation Payment to the Duke of Sussex (Prince Harry), and Open Court Statement
As noted on Monday, it seems there are more and more strategic defamation suits against media in the US. Perhaps the trend includes the...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Feb 1, 2021
- 1 min
Michael Conklin, ‘Rage Against the Voting Machine: Dominion’s Defamation Lawsuit Against ...."
It seems 2021 is going to be quite the year for strategic, defamation lawsuits against proven liars. The articles by lawyers are flowing....


Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 29, 2021
- 2 min
Seeing Tort Claiming Data is Useful - NFL Concussion Claims > $800m of Claim Payments Approved
After so many years of relative secrecy about claiming in asbestos litigation and some other "mass torts," it's refreshing to see fairly...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 28, 2021
- 1 min
""Huh?" Insider Trading: The Chris Collins Story"
What does research on sociology and criminology tell us about why white collar criminals do what they do? In a January 27, 2021 post,...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 27, 2021
- 1 min
Present Consequences: Carolina Asbestos Company - Davidson, North Carolina
Some "toxins" are long-lived, and so decisions made decades ago continue to ripple through current events. A "now in the news" example is...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 26, 2021
- 2 min
Multistep Transactions Lead to $4+ Billion Intercompany Deal to Pay for Underlying PFAS Claims
Just before the weekend, DuPont, Corteva and Chemours issued a joint press release announcing a $4 billion deal to resolve their...


Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 24, 2021
- 1 min
The Open Access "Botometer" Assesses Twitter Accounts for "Botness"
The "botometer" is an online, open access source for assessing whether a twitter account likely is run by a bot. ...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 22, 2021
- 1 min
Mass Tort Estimation Orders: The Bestwall Example for Mesotheliomas
A newly entered order in the Bestwall/Georgia Pacific chapter 11 case provides a ruling on some aspects of an estimation process to value...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 20, 2021
- 1 min
NRA's Chapter 11 - Possible Implications for Mass Torts, Public Policy and Chapter 11
The NRA's chapter 11 filing last week has possible implications for mass torts, public policy and chapter 11 law. Why? Because the NRA is...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 20, 2021
- 2 min
Gene Mutations are Not Fungible: "How Mutations in a Specific Gene Cause Different Types of Disease"
For persons interested in cancer litigation and genetic causes of cancers, a key point to learn and apply is that gene mutations are not...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 19, 2021
- 2 min
Judge Rakoff: Directors Sometimes at Risk When Multistep M&A Transactions Lead to Insolvency
These are interesting times with respect to corporate transactions related to alleged or actual fraudulent conveyances, whether arising...


Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 13, 2021
- 1 min
Best Typo Ever? Online Law Firm Advice in Year 0001?
Hmmm - best typo ever? https://www.omm.com/resources/alerts-and-publications/publications/sec-issues-updated-guidance-on-rule-10b5-1-trad...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 11, 2021
- 1 min
Trump Must Go Now, But Not Much Courage or Leadership in Big Law
For the record, I'm calling for immediate removal of President Trump, via either the 25th Amendment or impeachment. With that on the...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 8, 2021
- 1 min
PACER Hacked: "Sealed U.S. Court Records Exposed in SolarWinds Breach"
More to think about from the SolarWinds hack. A January 7, 2021 blog post from a nationally known cybersecurity expert (Brian Krebs) ...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 6, 2021
- 1 min
Another History Lesson and a Chuckle: The 2020 Year End Report by Chief Justice Roberts
The year end reports of Chief Justice Roberts often include a history lesson, and a chuckle or two. His year end report for 2020 provides...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Jan 5, 2021
- 1 min
"Prime" Litigation Against Web Site Sellers? "Holding Amazon Liable As a Seller of Defective Goods"
A new article from Professor Catherine M. Sharkey lays out a modern rationale for lawsuits seeking to hold Amazon liable as a settler of...

Kirk T. Hartley
- Nov 2, 2020
- 2 min
What Will Covid Do to Life in 2021? New Modeling of Variables (Efficacy, Use, and Masks)
Are you wondering about the joint effect of the possible variables of vaccine effectiveness, distribution of them, and mask wearing? A...