Stem cell clinic ends $10 million lawsuit against law firm Venable
The California Stem Cell Treatment Center has dropped its $10 million lawsuit against Venable, the law firm that previously represented them in an FDA dispute.Summary
The California Stem Cell Treatment Center has decided to end its $10 million lawsuit against the law firm Venable. The clinic had accused Venable of damaging its reputation by falsely claiming its techniques contributed to the death of a patient, Michael Trujillo, who died following a stem cell injection. Venable had initially represented the clinic in a lawsuit brought by the FDA regarding unauthorized stem cell treatments, but later withdrew from the case, which was ultimately ruled in the clinic’s favor in August 2022. The clinic alleged that Venable began representing another defendant in the Trujillo malpractice case without their consent and made damaging statements. While the clinic won a “summary adjudication” in the malpractice case—meaning none of its affiliates treated Trujillo—it incurred $200,000 in legal fees and faced potential further costs from an appeal. The filing to dismiss the lawsuit was made last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court and prevents refiling the case, though it remains unclear if a settlement was reached.
(Source：Reuters)