An attorney representing plaintiffs in consumer lawsuits against Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer Inc. is contesting the drugmakers’ quick removal of the cases from state to federal court, setting the stage for a showdown over an issue that has divided federal judges and created a rift on Delaware’s district court.
In court filings, Jacobs & Crumplar partner Raeann Warner said the companies had essentially performed an end-run around the forum-defendant rule when they removed 30 cases involving Eliquis, a blockbuster blood-thinning medication, from Delaware Superior Court to the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, within two days of their filing.
