No. 21-348

Johnson & Johnson, et al. v. Lynn Fitch, Attorney General of Mississippi, ex rel. Mississippi

Lower Court: Mississippi
Docketed: 2021-09-03
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Amici (7) Experienced Counsel
Tags: administrative-law agency-action chevron-deference civil-rights due-process notice-and-comment-rulemaking police-powers preemption preemption-clause state-police-powers statutory-interpretation
Key Terms:
AdministrativeLaw Arbitration ERISA
Latest Conference: 2021-12-10
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Mississippi Supreme Court erred in narrowly construing an express preemption clause by applying a presumption against preemption

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED 1. In Puerto Rico v. Franklin California Tax-Free Trust, this Court held that courts should “not invoke any presumption against pre-emption” when a “statute ‘contains an express pre-emption clause.” 136 S. Ct. 1938, 1946 (2016). Obeying that command, four circuits and a state supreme court no longer apply any such presumption to express pre-emption clauses. Four state supreme courts (now including the Mississippi Supreme Court) and two circuits, however, continue to apply the presumption to pre-emption provisions that they find ambiguous, or that touch on a state’s historic police powers, or both. Did the Mississippi Supreme Court err in narrowly construing an express preemption clause on the ground that a presumption against pre-emption applies here because it considered the pre-emption provision ambiguous and because the provision touches on historic state police powers? 2. The lower courts are divided over what types of agency actions can pre-empt state law. One circuit and the Mississippi Supreme Court hold that only notice-and-comment rulemaking qualifies as pre-emptive. In contrast, seven circuits and a state supreme court reject that line, giving pre-emptive force to final administrative actions that warrant Chevron deference or to any final agency action with the force of law. Did the Mississippi Supreme Court err in holding that only notice-and-comment rulemaking can preempt state law?

Docket Entries

2021-12-13
Petition DENIED. Justice Alito and Justice Kavanaugh took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.
2021-11-23
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/10/2021.
2021-11-19
Reply of petitioners Johnson & Johnson, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2021-11-03
Brief of respondent Mississippi ex rel. Lynn Fitch, Attorney General of Mississippi in opposition filed.
2021-10-18
Notice of bankruptcy filing and stay of proceedings filed by counsel for petitioners.
2021-10-04
Brief amici curiae of Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, et al. filed.
2021-10-04
Brief amici curiae of Former FDA Officials filed.
2021-10-04
Brief amicus curiae of Product Liability Advisory Council, Inc. filed.
2021-10-04
Brief amicus curiae of Personal Care Products Council filed.
2021-10-01
Brief amicus curiae of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America filed.
2021-09-30
Brief amicus curiae of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel filed.
2021-09-24
Brief amici curiae of Atlantic Legal Foundation filed.
2021-09-13
Blanket Consent filed by Petitioner, Johnson & Johnson, et al.
2021-09-13
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including November 3, 2021.
2021-09-10
Blanket Consent filed by Respondent, Mississippi ex rel. Lynn Fitch, Attorney General of Mississippi
2021-09-10
Motion to extend the time to file a response from October 4, 2021 to November 3, 2021, submitted to The Clerk.
2021-08-30
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 4, 2021)

Attorneys

Atlantic Legal Foundation
Lawrence S. EbnerAtlantic Legal Foundation, Amicus
Lawrence S. EbnerAtlantic Legal Foundation, Amicus
Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, Coalition for Litigation Justice, Inc., and American Property Casualty Insurance Association
Ethan Price DavisKing & Spalding LLP, Amicus
Ethan Price DavisKing & Spalding LLP, Amicus
Former FDA Officials
Joseph Russell PalmoreMorrison & Foerster LLP, Amicus
Joseph Russell PalmoreMorrison & Foerster LLP, Amicus
Johnson & Johnson, et al.
E. Joshua RosenkranzOrrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Petitioner
E. Joshua RosenkranzOrrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Petitioner
Lynn Fitch, Attorney General of Mississippi, ex rel. Mississippi
Scott Grant StewartMississippi Attorney General's Office, Respondent
Scott Grant StewartMississippi Attorney General's Office, Respondent
Personal Care Products Council
Thomas T. LockeSeyfarth Shaw LLP, Amicus
Thomas T. LockeSeyfarth Shaw LLP, Amicus
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
David Meir ZiontsCovington & Burlington LLP, Amicus
David Meir ZiontsCovington & Burlington LLP, Amicus
Product Liability Advisory Council, Inc.
James M. BeckReed Smith LLP, Amicus
James M. BeckReed Smith LLP, Amicus