Who? Tom Longstaff, partner and head of product liability at KP Law, London. 

Tom Longstaff

Why is he in the news? The firm is representing hundreds of women in the UK planning to sue Johnson & Johnson over alleged links between its talcum powder products and cancer.

Thoughts on the case: ‘This claim relates to the sale of mineral-based talcum powder (including baby powder), which has been sold in the UK for decades. It is brought on the basis that unbeknown to consumers, the product has been contaminated with asbestos. The World Health Organization has also recently declared talcum powder to be probably carcinogenic to humans, notwithstanding its historic and widespread use for personal hygiene reasons.

‘Mineral-based talcum powder was still available for sale in UK supermarkets until last year, which is two years after Johnson & Johnson switched to a corn starch-based product in the US.

‘There has already been substantial US litigation over the past several years and we are now bringing the claim in the UK for the first time. We act on behalf of a large group of consumers who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. We say this has been caused by their use of contaminated mineral-based talcum powder.’

Erik Haas, worldwide vice president of litigation at Johnson & Johnson, said: ‘Johnson & Johnson takes the issue of talc safety incredibly seriously and always has. As our documents show, we have relied upon the most state-of-the-art testing protocols for decades and have been entirely transparent with government institutions and academic researchers regarding our findings. Those findings uniformly show the absence of asbestos contamination in Johnson’s baby powder and the talc sourced for baby powder. Independent science makes clear that talc is not associated with the risk of ovarian cancer nor mesothelioma.’

Dealing with the media: ‘The claim was featured on BBC Breakfast, Channel 5 news and several national newspapers. The public reaction has been very positive. Consumers in the UK are becoming more aware of the risks associated with the products they use. It is an important function of the law to raise awareness of key issues and provide a route to redress. The availability of independent research has helped to raise awareness of this issue. It’s good to see such reputable media outlets talking about it because it is important that consumers know about the opportunity to participate in group claims and seek redress if they have suffered harm. Our existing clients have also played a significant part in raising awareness. To appear on national television and tell their story so that others are aware demonstrates tremendous courage. The personal angle in this case is more prominent than any other I have worked on in my career.’

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