N.Y. Court Sanctions Plaintiffs’ Counsel for Distributing Deposition Tape of J&J CEO

NEW YORK –– A New York trial court has found that counsel for plaintiffs in a cosmetic asbestos talcum powder case acted frivolously and inappropriately when it sent a transcript from a deposition of Johnson & Johnson’s CEO to Reuters, awarding sanctions in the form of reasonable costs associated with the defendant’s underlying motion.

In the Jan. 14 decision, the New York Supreme Court for New York County found that further sanctions were not warranted, but warned the plaintiffs that sending the deposition videotape and transcript to the press before Johnson & Johnson could review and seek protection of …