HarrisMartin’s Talc, Asbestos, and the Cancer-Causing Properties of Talcum Powder Conference Speaker Profiles



Co-Chair Ted G. Meadows, Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., Montgomery, AL Show/Hide Bio

Co-Chair Ted G. Meadows

After graduating from law school, Ted returned to his hometown of Prattville, Ala., where he joined the general practice law firm of Howell, Sarto & Howell. In 1995, Ted moved his growing personal injury practice to Birmingham, Ala., where he became a partner in the plaintiffs' litigation firm of Davenport, Lavette & Meadows, P.C. In 2001, Ted accepted an "of counsel" position at Beasley Allen. While he has spent his entire career helping the injured and defrauded, Ted now focuses on representing personal injury victims throughout the country in claims against pharmaceutical, cosmetic and medical device companies.

Ted became a principal at Beasley Allen in 2002. Since that time, he has been a leader at Beasley Allen with verdicts and settlements totaling more than $325 million, including a $72.6 million compensatory verdict in a hormone replacement therapy trial. This verdict was selected by the National Law Journal as No. 30 on its list of Top 100 Verdicts of 2011. Ted received the 2009 award for Beasley Allen Mass Torts Lawyer of the year, and the 2012 award for Beasley Allen Litigator of the Year. He is listed in the 2014 and 2015 Super Lawyers Magazines.

Co-Chair R. Allen Smith Jr., The Smith Law Firm, PLLC, Ridgeland, MS Show/Hide Bio

Co-Chair R. Allen Smith Jr.

Allen earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mississippi. He was elected to numerous honor societies and served as Vice-President and Rush Chairman for his fraternity. Allen was also on the Dean’s and Chancellor’s Honor Rolls while attending Ole Miss. He obtained his Juris Doctor from Mississippi College School of Law.

Allen has spent nearly two decades representing and fighting for those who have been injured or killed due to the negligence of another individual or corporation. Allen is a fierce and skilled trial advocate who has litigated in State and Federal Courts throughout the United States.

Allen opened the Smith Law Firm, PLLC in 2007. Since that time he has recovered over $100 million in settlements and verdicts in products liability and personal injury cases.

Co-Chair Leigh O'Dell, Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., Montgomery, AL Show/Hide Bio

Co-Chair Leigh O'Dell

Leigh O’Dell practices in Beasley Allen Law Firm’s Mass Torts Section. Currently, her focus is on product liability actions involving talcum powder, transvaginal mesh and Gardasil.

Leigh was recently selected to serve as co-lead counsel for consolidated multidistrict litigation (MDL) in New Jersey federal court concerning talcum powder’s link to ovarian cancer. It is estimated that 14,000 women die from talc-related ovarian cancer each year. One medical expert calculates that this use of talcum powder leads to nearly 10 percent of the new ovarian cancer cases reported annually. The lawsuits allege defendant Johnson & Johnson is liable for personal injuries or wrongful deaths that resulted from ovarian or uterine cancer in women who used the company’s talc products for feminine hygiene. More than 70 cases are pending in the MDL.

In addition, Leigh handles cases involving transvaginal mesh and Gardasil. Transvaginal mesh is used to repair conditions such as pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The mesh is implanted through the vagina and is used to shore up pelvic organs that have become displaced due to age, childbirth, hysterectomy or obesity. According to the FDA, reported complications from of the transvaginal placement of the mesh include erosion of the mesh into the vaginal tissue, organ perforation, pain, infection, painful intercourse and urinary and fecal incontinence. Often women require surgery to remove the mesh. In some cases, this can require multiple procedures without successful removing all of the mesh. Currently, Leigh is investigating cases involving mesh manufactured by American Medical Systems, Bard, Boston Scientific, Caldera and Johnson & Johnson.

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation granted motions to create consolidated MDLs against seven transvaginal mesh manufacturers: Boston Scientific Corp., C.R. Bard, Coloplast, Cook Medical, Johnson & Johnson and Neomedic International under Chief Judge Joseph R. Goodwin in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. Judge Goodwin appointed Leigh as a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for these MDLs.

W. Wylie Blair, OnderLaw, LLC, St. Louis

Lee Cirsch, The Lanier Law Firm, Los Angeles

John D. Cosmich, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC, Jackson, MS

David Dearing, Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., Montgomery, AL

Richard Golomb, Golomb & Honik, P.C., Philadelphia

James F. Green, Ashcraft & Gerel, LLP, Washington, DC

David Katzenstein, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, Newark, NJ

Paul L. Knobbe, Goldberg Segalla, St. Louis

Jim Kramer, Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC, New York

Patrick Cash Malouf, Porter | Malouf, P.A., Ridgeland, MS

Rachel Lanier, The Lanier Law Firm, New York

Danielle Ward Mason, Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., Montgomery, AL

Tim W. Porter, Porter | Malouf, P.A., Ridgeland, MS

Allyson Romani, Shrader & Associates, Edwardsville, IL

Carmen S. Scott, Motley Rice, LLC, Mount Pleasant, SC

Edward R. Ulloa, Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP, Los Angeles

Margaret Thompson, M.D., JD, MPAFF, Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., Montgomery, AL

John J. Uustal, Kelley/Uustal, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Nancy J. Winkler, Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck, P.C., Philadelphia

Sharon Zinns, Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., Montgomery, AL