How does a law firm take on Corporate America? What did it take to get British Petroleum to agree to a settlement for the Deepwater Horizon disaster? Or Bayer to pay for the thousands injured by the drug Yaz?
Mike Papantonio of Levin Papantonio agreed to sit down with Inweekly and talk candidly about the challenges.
According to Papantonio, battling mega corporations that make billions around the world has unique challenges. Government agencies fail to enforce the law. The judgeships are handed to lawyers who often come from the corporate defense sector. National media has been reluctant to report corporate wrongdoings. Corporate CEOs focus on short-term profits and take more risks, weighing the potential profits versus possible fines and civil cases.
What is the equalizer? The courtroom.
“If you’re afraid of giants, you’ll always be running away from giants,” he told Inweekly. “If you understand that there’s no giant in a courtroom, then you understand that at the end of the day, that’s all you’re trying to do, is get into a courtroom.â€
Read Giant Killers.