Talcum Powder Special Master Steps Back on Prior Ruling on Privileged Documents

TRENTON, N.J. –– The Special Master overseeing the national talcum powder multidistrict litigation docket has backtracked on a ruling he made regarding privilege of a 1970s memo, but sustained his decision allowing plaintiffs access to three other documents Johnson & Johnson had argued were privileged.

In an Aug. 17 ruling filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Special Master Hon. Joel Schneider (Ret.) said that he had overlooked the fact that the information in the memo was provided to legal counsel to aid in the formulation of defendants’ comment on a proposed federal regulation banning …