Cross-Office Team Helps Secure Major Jury Trial Win for Monsanto

Recently, BCLP litigators from multiple offices, successfully helped deliver a complete defense verdict for Monsanto and Nouryon, working with a broader trial team including Sidley Austin; Tucker Law Group; and Shook, Hardy & Bacon in a state court trial held in Philadelphia— a venue known for being plaintiff-friendly.

The plaintiff, Ryan Young, sought unspecified damages for pain and suffering allegedly caused by non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), which he claimed resulted from decades of using the weed killer Roundup. Monsanto manufactures Roundup, while Nouryon supplies a key surfactant component used in some of its formulations. After a four-week jury trial, 11 out of 12 jurors delivered a decisive verdict for the defendants, finding that neither Roundup nor its surfactants were the factual cause of Young’s NHL. The jury found no negligence by the companies and awarded no damages.

This trial was the fifth Roundup-related case to reach a verdict in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas (PCCP) in Philadelphia since October 2023, part of the court’s “mass tort program.” BCLP lawyers have been instrumental in helping to shape the overall defense strategy by drafting and arguing numerous evidentiary and other motions, which played a crucial role in helping to turn the tide after initial verdicts favored the plaintiffs. This effort led to a defense win in trial #4, the dismissal of trial #5, and now, a defense verdict in trial #6. With trial #7 underway and trial #8 scheduled for October, BCLP continues to play a pivotal role in these proceedings.

The BCLP team on the most recent trial win was led by Partner Randy Soriano (St. Louis), with Counsel Justin Benson (Washington, DC) and Associate Cayce Good (Kansas City) on the ground in Philadelphia. The team was supported by Partner Christian Poland (Chicago) on co-defendant issues, Associate Lauren Simon (St. Louis) for briefing support, and Paralegal Tim Howard (St. Louis).