March 26, 2026 - Attributable to Erik Haas, Worldwide Vice President of Litigation, Johnson & Johnson:
“Today’s ruling disqualifying Beasley Allen confirms what the record has long made clear: Beasley Allen engaged in knowing, deliberate, and egregious unethical conduct to the harm and detriment of Johnson & Johnson, claimants, and the integrity of these proceedings. Beasley Allen deployed its unethical and underhanded tactics throughout this litigation to advance claims based upon junk science—and thereafter repeatedly thwarted resolutions that were in the best interests of all claimants, including its clients—for its own financial gain. As the Court correctly concluded, Beasley Allen’s disqualification was the requisite relief.
The Court found that Beasley Allen improperly collaborated with Johnson & Johnson’s former lawyer—conduct that strikes at the very core of the attorney‑client relationship and violates the most basic, bright‑line ethical rules governing the legal profession. No litigant should be forced to defend itself against opponents who enlist former defense counsel, secretly confer on litigation strategy, and misuse privileged access for their own gain.
Ethical standards are not technicalities. They exist to protect clients, courts, and the public, and to ensure that our legal system functions fairly. Enforcing those rules here was not only appropriate—it was essential to preserving trust in the profession and the integrity of the judicial process. Johnson & Johnson appreciates the Court’s careful and thorough review and its recognition that serious ethical violations require serious consequences. “