Watson v. Philip Morris Companies, Inc.

Watson v. Philip Morris Companies, Inc.

Amici brief in a U.S. Supreme Court case involving the scope of removal under the federal officer removal statute.

Public Justice joined two other groups in an amici brief to the U.S. Supreme Court involving the scope of removal under the federal officer removal statute.  The brief urges the Court to overturn an Eighth Circuit ruling that a class action against tobacco giant Philip Morris can be removed to federal court solely because cigarettes are subject to federal regulation – and Philip Morris asserts a federal preemption defense. The brief was written by Michael J. Quirk of Philadelphia’s Williams Cuker Berezofsky and Gerson Smoger of Oakland’s Smoger & Associates, with input from Public Justice’s Leslie Brueckner and Arthur Bryant.