On May 30, 2023, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon’s December 2021 ruling, holding that bankruptcy courts do have authority to approve non-consensual third-party releases. The divided 2-1 decision reinstated the Purdue Pharma …
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitSackler FamilyPurdue PharmaU.S. Department of Justiceopioid-crisisbankruptcy-lawappeals-processaccountability-failurejudicial-disagreement
On December 16, 2021, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen McMahon overturned the controversial bankruptcy settlement that would have granted the Sackler family immunity from opioid-related lawsuits in exchange for $4.5 billion. Judge McMahon ruled that bankruptcy courts do not have the authority to …
Colleen McMahonSackler FamilyPurdue PharmaU.S. Department of Justiceopioid-crisisbankruptcy-lawjudicial-oversightaccountabilitylegal-precedent
On September 1, 2021, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Robert Drain approved a bankruptcy settlement granting the Sackler family “global peace” from civil liability for the opioid epidemic, despite vigorous opposition from the Department of Justice and nine state attorneys general. The ruling …
Robert DrainSackler FamilyPurdue PharmaU.S. Department of JusticeState Attorneys Generalopioid-crisisbankruptcy-abusejudicial-failureaccountability-failurecorporate-impunity
On October 21, 2020, the Department of Justice announced a settlement totaling more than $8 billion with Purdue Pharma—touted as the largest penalties ever levied against a pharmaceutical manufacturer—yet the settlement allowed the Sackler family to keep the vast majority of billions extracted from …
U.S. Department of JusticePurdue PharmaSackler FamilyRichard SacklerDavid Sackler+4 moreopioid-crisiscorporate-crimeaccountability-failuredeferred-prosecutionwealth-extraction
On May 10, 2007, Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to a felony charge of illegally misbranding OxyContin in an effort to mislead and defraud physicians and agreed to pay $600 million—representing approximately 90 percent of OxyContin profits during the offense period. The company admitted to misleading …
Purdue PharmaMichael FriedmanHoward R. UdellPaul D. GoldenheimU.S. Department of Justiceopioid-crisiscorporate-crimeaccountability-failuredeferred-prosecutionregulatory-capture+1 more