Bartlit Beck Secures Post-Trial Directed Verdict for Walgreens in Florida Opioid Litigation

Bartlit Beck secured a complete defense victory for Walgreens in Florida Health Sciences Center v. Sackler, a Florida RICO opioid case tried in Broward County Circuit Court from September to December 2025. After a 50-day trial and 14 days of jury deliberations resulting in a mistrial, the court granted defendants’ post-trial motion for judgment in accordance with a directed verdict, entering final judgment in favor of the defendants. The court held that the plaintiff hospitals’ alleged injuries — increased costs from treating opioid-dependent patients — were indirect under Florida’s RICO proximate cause standard, as the hospitals’ harm was contingent on harm first suffered by their patients. The Bartlit Beck team included Brian Swanson, Jeannie Tinkham, Jordan Golds, Rachel Smith, Kaspar Stoffelmayr, Kate Swift, and Michael Nance.