Robins Kaplan LLP is pleased to announce that partner Tara Sutton has been reappointed in March 2026 to the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in the multidistrict litigation against Pfizer and other defendants, after the drug giants allegedly failed to warn consumers of an increased risk of meningiomas with the birth control shot Depo-Provera. As a member of the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee, Sutton will continue to play a critical role in overseeing strategy and guiding litigation efforts on behalf of plaintiffs across the United States.
Sutton, who chairs Robins Kaplan's National Mass Tort Group, brings extensive lead trial experience in complex mass tort cases. Her reappointment by the court underscores her demonstrated leadership in high-profile cases, including serving on leadership committees in the Benicar, Abilify, Chantix, and Mirapex litigations. She was also lead counsel in the State of Minnesota’s landmark trial against e-cigarette makers JUUL and Altria.
In her continued role, Sutton will work alongside other committee members to coordinate discovery efforts, develop expert testimony, and shape legal strategy to benefit all MDL plaintiffs. In addition, Robins Kaplan attorney Allegra LaBat and mass tort fellow Hayden Marshall will join Sutton to work with experts through the Plaintiffs’ Science and Expert Committee in the multidistrict litigation.
“I am honored to be reappointed to the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee and to continue this important work on behalf of affected individuals nationwide,” Sutton said. “Patients should never be left in the dark about serious risks tied to their medications. We will fight to secure justice and accountability for those who have suffered life-altering injuries.”
In March 2024, a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) by Noémie Roland found that women who consistently received Depo-Provera had a 555% increased risk of developing intracranial meningiomas. While most meningiomas are benign and grow slowly, they often require surgical removal due to the pressure they can put on the brain. Since the release of this study, more research has been conducted and published that links Depo-Provera use to an increased risk of developing meningiomas. These studies corroborate Roland’s findings and further strengthen our argument that there is a causal association between Depo-Provera use and meningioma.
The MDL consolidates lawsuits from across the country alleging that Pfizer and other defendants failed to adequately warn patients and healthcare providers about research linking Depo-Provera to a significantly increased risk of meningiomas. The litigation seeks to hold the pharmaceutical companies accountable for these alleged failures and to secure compensation for affected patients. In December 2025, the FDA approved Pfizer’s request to change Depo-Provera’s label to include a warning about the risk of meningioma. Pfizer’s request to change Depo-Provera’s label addressing the risk of meningioma demonstrates the impact this litigation has already had on holding Pfizer accountable.
The next stage of the MDL is the Daubert hearings, which will be held from June 24-26, 2026. In these hearings the Court will determine if the methodology and reasoning used by the experts is scientifically valid, reliable, and relevant. Both the plaintiff’s and the defendant’s experts will be assessed at these hearings. After the Daubert hearings, the following stage of the MDL will be the first bellwether trial, which is set to begin in early December 2026.
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