Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman changed its name to Wisner Baum in January 2023.

Monsanto Roundup Lawsuit Experienced Trial Attorneys

Reasons Our Clients Chose Us to Represent Their Interests:

  • Helped Negotiate $10.9 Billion Monsanto Roundup Settlements
  • $2 Billion Jury Verdict in Pilliod et. al v. Monsanto Co., the Ninth Largest Personal Injury Verdict in U.S. History
  • Only Attorneys in America to Serve on the Trial Teams for All Three of the First Monsanto Trials
  • Represented Thousands of Clients Nationwide in Roundup Cancer Lawsuits

Monsanto Roundup Lawsuit

We are no longer accepting Monsanto Roundup lawsuit cases.

Monsanto Roundup (glyphosate) weed killer is designated as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the World Health Organization (WHO). Farmers, farmworkers, landscapers, gardeners, and others who use Roundup weed killer or other glyphosate-based herbicides are at risk for developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other forms of cancer.

Faced with the prospect of paying massive medical bills and losing wages due to a cancer diagnosis, consumers from across the United States who were exposed to Roundup are making the decision to file a Roundup cancer lawsuit against Monsanto (now Bayer).

Roundup Settlement Update - Monsanto (Bayer) Agrees to Pay $10.9 Billion

On June 24, 2020, Bayer AG publicly announced that the multinational company had reached Roundup settlement agreements in principle with five of the leading law firms in the Roundup cancer litigation. The agreements would resolve more than 100,000 Roundup lawsuits for roughly $11 billion.

The agreements were reached after more than a year of negotiations and three consecutive trial losses for Bayer. Wisner Baum (formerly Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman) served on the trial teams for all three of those trials and the firm’s senior managing partner R. Brent Wisner served as co-lead counsel in two of the three cases, delivering the opening and closing statements. The trials resulted in a combined $2.424 billion in jury verdicts for the plaintiffs. Mr. Wisner was also an integral part of the settlement negotiations with Bayer.

Wisner Baum and Co-Counsel Defeat Monsanto in First Three Roundup Trials

We and The Miller Firm are the only attorneys in America to successfully defeat Monsanto in multiple trials. Our firm served on the trial teams in Johnson v. Monsanto Co., Hardeman v. Monsanto Co., and Pilliod v. Monsanto Co., which resulted in over $2.4 billion in combined jury verdicts.

Pilliod v. Monsanto Co.

After years of spraying Roundup weed killer, Alva and Alberta Pilliod both developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The California couple filed a Roundup lawsuit alleging design defect and failure to warn against Monsanto. The Miller Firm asked us to partner with them in conducting the trial for the Pilliods. Roundup lawyer R. Brent Wisner served as co-lead trial counsel, with Michael L. Baum and Pedram Esfandiary also serving on the trial team, among others.

On May 13, 2019, the jury awarded Alberta over $37 million in compensatory damages and awarded Alva over $18 million in compensatory damages. The jury also awarded the couple $2 billion in punitive damages. The jury trial was completed over roughly six weeks.

The trial court conditionally denied Monsanto’s motion for a new trial, contingent on the Pilliods accepting reduced compensatory and punitive damages worth $87 million in total. The Pilliods accepted the reduced damages.

Monsanto appealed the decision, but the Court of Appeals upheld the reduced verdict in 2021. The California Supreme Court later denied Monsanto’s request for further review of the Court of Appeals’ decision.

In 2022, Monsanto asked the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to review the verdict. On June 27, 2022, SCOTUS denied the petition for a writ of certiorari.

“After years of racking up loss after loss in this case, Monsanto can no longer avoid responsibility for the unspeakable harm they have caused Alva and Alberta Pilliod,” said Roundup lawyer R. Brent Wisner. “The high court’s decision is further proof that Monsanto’s only path in this litigation is through the trial courts, which is the way it should be. I am personally looking forward to trying a case against Monsanto this fall in California, my first since the Pilliod trial. Despite Monsanto’s recent victories, I am confident that our team can repeat the success we enjoyed in the first three Roundup trials.”

Hardeman v. Monsanto Co.

Edwin Hardeman filed a Roundup lawsuit alleging the weed killer caused his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma through his attorneys Jennifer Moore and Aimee Wagstaff. His lawsuit against Monsanto was the first federal Roundup cancer lawsuit to proceed to trial before U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria. Attorneys Moore and Wagstaff asked our firm to help them conduct the trial for Mr. Hardeman. Roundup attorneys R. Brent Wisner, Michael L. Baum, and Pedram Esfandiary served on the trial team.

On March 27, 2019, a jury awarded Edwin Hardeman $5,267,634.10 in compensatory damages and $75 million in punitive damages. The district court later reduced the jury's punitive damages award to $20 million.

On May 14, 2021, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court's judgment in favor of Mr. Hardeman. Months later, Monsanto submitted a petition for a writ of certiorari with SCOTUS. Several amicus briefs were subsequently filed, including one from the Justice Department saying Monsanto’s writ of certiorari should be denied.

On June 22, 2022, SCOTUS denied Monsanto’s petition for a writ of certiorari, allowing Mr. Hardeman’s final judgment of $25.2 million to remain intact.

“The decision is not surprising, but it is welcomed,” said Roundup lawyer R. Brent Wisner. “Monsanto will never get the ‘magic’ preemption bullet it hoped for. This litigation will continue to be fought in the trial courts, in front of juries, like it should be.”

Johnson v. Monsanto Co.

Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, a school district grounds manager, was a heavy user of Roundup weed killer. Johnson filed a Roundup lawsuit against Monsanto after receiving a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis. His case was the first Roundup lawsuit to go before a jury in 2018. The Miller Firm represented Mr. Johnson and asked us to help them conduct the trial. R. Brent Wisner served as co-lead trial counsel for Mr. Johnson. Michael L. Baum and Pedram Esfandiary were also on the trial team.

On August 10, 2018, the jury found that Monsanto failed to adequately warn of its products’ potential dangers and that its products had a design defect. Mr. Johnson was awarded roughly $39 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages.

The court denied Monsanto’s motion for a new trial on the condition that Johnson accept a reduced award of punitive damages. Johnson accepted the reduced verdict of $78.5 million.

Monsanto filed an appeal on April 23, 2019. On July 20, 2020, the California Courts of Appeal First Appellate District ruled in favor of Mr. Johnson but reduced the jury’s future noneconomic compensatory damages award to $4 million, which results in a total reduced award of $10,253,209.32 in compensatory damages. The judgment is further modified to reduce the award of punitive damages to $10,253,209.32.

"This is another major victory for Lee and his family,” said Roundup lawyer R. Brent Wisner following the Court of Appeals win. “Nearly every argument by Monsanto was rejected, including Monsanto's vaunted preemption defense, and the verdict was upheld. The reduction in damages is a function of a deep flaw in California tort law, not the merits of the case. Basically, California law does not allow a plaintiff to recover for a shortened life expectancy. This effectively rewards a defendant for killing a plaintiff, as opposed to just injuring him. It is madness. That Lee will not live an entire life with his wife and children should be compensable. Hopefully, we can change this irrational law."

Monsanto did not take the case to the Supreme Court. Mr. Johnson received his compensation in late 2020.

Billions Won for Our Clients

Monsanto Hit with Historic $2 Billion Verdict- Losing Third Straight Roundup Trial
  • Toxic Torts $2.0 Billion Verdict

    In May of 2019, the jury in the case of Pilliod et al. v, Monsanto Company ordered the agrochemical giant to pay $2.055 billion in damages to the plaintiffs, Alva and Alberta Pilliod, a Bay Area couple in their 70s.

  • Toxic Torts $289.2 Million Verdict

    On Aug. 10, 2018, a San Francisco jury ordered Monsanto to pay $39.25 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages to Mr. Johnson, a former groundskeeper who alleged exposure to Monsanto’s herbicides caused him to develop terminal non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

  • Hardeman v. Monsanto Co. $80 Million Verdict

    Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman attorneys served on the trial team in the case of Hardeman v. Monsanto Company, which resulted in an $80 million jury verdict for the plaintiff, Edwin Hardeman.

Roundup Lawsuit

Roundup (glyphosate) is a Monsanto herbicide used by farmers, gardeners, maintenance workers, agricultural workers, and many others as an all-purpose weed killer. Since Roundup first entered the market in the 1970s, Monsanto has denied claims that Roundup causes cancer, insisting that Roundup is safe. A Monsanto advertisement once noted that Roundup is “safer than table salt.”

But according to internal Monsanto emails now known throughout the world as The Monsanto Papers, Monsanto has known for several decades that Roundup (glyphosate) causes cancer. Rather than informing consumers about the glyphosate cancer risk, Monsanto buried the risks as sales of Roundup continued to skyrocket.

In March of 2015, IARC surveyed the published research on Roundup cancer links and concluded the blockbuster herbicide is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The cancer agency further concluded that the cancer most associated with exposure to glyphosate is non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Outraged by Monsanto’s deception, more than 100,000 people have made the decision to file a Roundup lawsuit alleging exposure to Roundup causes cancer.

Our firm represents thousands of people who are pursuing justice against Monsanto (now Bayer) because they do not want what happened to them or a member of their family to happen to anyone else. They want consumers to have the choice— to know the health consequences associated with using a product. If they would have known that Roundup was a carcinogen, they never would have used the product.

“Multiple lawyers recommended Wisner Baum to me and I have been consistently impressed with the quality of their work.”

- Best Law Firms Survey

Who Can File a Roundup Lawsuit Against Monsanto?

Wisner Baum represents people from all across the country who were exposed to Roundup (glyphosate) and later diagnosed with B cell or T cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, including many subtypes like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), hairy cell leukemia (HCL), Burkitt lymphoma, and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome).

Most of our clients are individuals who sprayed Roundup around their home or business. We also represent government workers, farmers, agricultural workers, gardeners, landscapers, and others.

Anyone diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after using Roundup for their occupation or on their property (i.e. home and garden use) should consider speaking with a Roundup cancer attorney about filing a claim. Thousands of individuals from all walks of life and from all across America have filed Roundup cancer lawsuits against Monsanto, with more and more people joining the litigation each day.

Have More Questions?

Check out Wisner Baum's Roundup frequently asked questions.

The Only Roundup Cancer Attorneys in America to Serve on the Trial Teams for All Three of the First Monsanto Trials

The first three Roundup cancer lawsuits to proceed to trial resulted in a combined $2.424 billion in jury verdicts. Wisner Baum is the only law firm in the country to serve on the trial teams for all three of the first Monsanto lawsuits to go before juries. In two of those trials, Wisner Baum attorney R. Brent Wisner served as co-lead trial counsel.

Monsanto Hit with Historic $2 Billion Verdict Losing Third Straight Roundup Trial

Brent Wisner Roundup Cancer Attorney

“Monsanto’s history is one full of vast lies. They mislead people, promise that their products are safe and make a lot of money by doing so. And when things get uncomfortable, they simply move on to another product. This strategy has proven successful for over 100 years.” - Brent Wisner

Watch Attorney Brent Wisner Deliver the Closing Arguments in the First Roundup Cancer Trial, Johnson v. Monsanto

  • Best Law Firms 2023
    Best Law Firms 2023

    A ranking in The U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” is widely regarded by both client and legal professionals as a significant honor. It is considered the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere.

  • The Truck Safety Coalition
    The Truck Safety Coalition

    Wisner Baum is proud to be a sponsor of The Truck Safety Coalition, a a group of caring individuals dedicated to reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by truck-related crashes. Our support enables them to help families and save lives.

  • California Powerhouse
    California Powerhouse

    Law360 recognizes law firms that have a strong regional presence, working on important matters within their home state. “[Wisner Baum] possesses a David v. Goliath-sized slingshot while seeking justice for everyday citizens it believes were harmed or killed through corporate wrongdoing.”

  • Elite Trial Lawyers
    Elite Trial Lawyers

    NLJ and American Lawyer Media honor law firms and attorneys as Elite Trial Lawyers for their cutting-edge legal work on behalf of plaintiffs in practice areas ranging from mass torts to securities litigation.

  • Listed in Best Lawyers
    Listed in Best Lawyers

    Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. A listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers.

  • AV Top Ranked Law Firm
    AV Top Ranked Law Firm

    Less than one-half of one percent of firms across the nation have achieved this ranking. A firm must have a high percentage of lawyers who have achieved the prestigious AV® Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell®.

  • Verdicts Hall of Fame
    Verdicts Hall of Fame

    The National Law Journal inducted Wisner Baum into the Verdicts Hall of Fame for obtaining the $2 billion landmark verdict in the Roundup cancer case of Pilliod et al. v. Monsanto. The verdict was #1 in California and #2 in the U.S. in 2019 and is #9 in American history.

  • Super Lawyers
    Super Lawyers

    Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

  • National Trial Lawyers Top 100
    National Trial Lawyers Top 100

    The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 recognized the law firms of Wisner Baum, the Miller Firm and Audet & Partners with the 2019 Trial Team of the Year award (in the Mass Torts category) for their work in the groundbreaking case of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson v. Monsanto Company.

  • AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
    AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated

    An AV® rating reflects an attorney who has reached the heights of professional excellence. The rating signifies the highest legal ability, and very high adherence to professional standards of conduct, ethics, reliability, and diligence.

  • Avvo 10.0 Rating
    Avvo 10.0 Rating

    Wisner Baum is proud to have all of its lawyers listed in Avvo, a legal directory connecting people in need of legal services with lawyers and connecting lawyers to lawyers. Eight of our attorneys have earned a 10.0 perfect rating with Avvo.

  • Top Jury Verdict in <br> CA and USA
    Top Jury Verdict in
    CA and USA

    TopVerdict.com ranks our $2 billion verdict in Pilliod et al. v. Monsanto as the biggest verdict in California and the second largest verdict in the U.S. in 2019. It is the ninth largest verdict in U.S. history.

  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers
    Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers

    Published annually, the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers list recognizes the “best of the best” in this area of the law through nominations, research, and review by a board of their peers.

  • Product Liability Practice Group of the Year
    Product Liability Practice Group of the Year

    In 2020, Law360 honored the law firms ”behind the litigation wins and major deals that resonated throughout the legal industry.” It recognized our success in several landmark cases.

  • Top Personal Injury Jury Verdict in California
    Top Personal Injury Jury Verdict in California

    In 2018, our $289 million Johnson v. Monsanto verdict was the largest personal injury verdict in California. TopVerdict.com also ranked it #2 among all verdicts in California and #10 in the nation.

  • Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
    Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers

    The Bar Register is the definitive guide to the most distinguished law firms in America. It includes only those select law practices that have earned the highest rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and have been designated by their colleagues as preeminent in their field.

/

If I File a Roundup Lawsuit, Am I Joining a Monsanto Class Action?

No, the individual Roundup lawsuits over the link to non-Hodgkin lymphoma are not part of a Monsanto class action. The individual Roundup cancer lawsuits seek remedy for injuries (non-Hodgkin lymphoma) sustained as a result of being exposed to Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate.

Roundup class actions against Monsanto are related to allegations of false and misleading information on the Roundup label and don’t involve personal injury or wrongful death claims. According to the class actions, Monsanto continues to mislead consumers by representing glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, as targeting an enzyme that is “found in plants but not in people or pets.”

The Monsanto class actions (filed in multiple states) allege that the enzyme glyphosate targets exists in people and pets. Per the class actions:

“Glyphosate functions as a biocide by inhibiting the enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (“EPSP”) synthase, disrupting the fifth of six enzymatic steps in the shikimate pathway, which processes aromatic amino acids in certain organisms. Although humans and other mammals themselves do not have a shikimate pathway, the shikimate pathway is present in bacteria, including beneficial bacteria that inhabit the mammalian gut and are essential to overall health. EPSP is therefore “found in . . . people [and] pets. Just like it inhibits EPSP synthase in weeds, the active ingredient in Roundup inhibits EPSP synthase in these human and pet gut bacteria, and just like it targets weeds, the active ingredient in Roundup targets the human and pet gut bacteria.”

What is the Difference Between an Individual Roundup Lawsuit and the Roundup Class Action?

Individual lawsuits against Monsanto seek remedy for personal injuries (non-Hodgkin lymphoma) sustained as a result of exposure to Roundup. Farmers, farm workers, horticulturalists, landscapers, gardeners, government employees, and a host of other people have filed individual lawsuits against Monsanto based on allegations that Monsanto knew about the link between exposure to Roundup and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but failed to warn consumers.

The Monsanto Roundup class action, on the other hand, involves consumers who say they would never have purchased Roundup products had they known that glyphosate targets an enzyme that exists in the human body and the bodies of certain mammals, contrary to Monsanto’s marketing.

Anyone who purchased certain Roundup products and are not participating in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit can participate in the Monsanto class action over the misbranding of Roundup. Claimants are not required to prove that they suffered personal injuries as a result of using the product, only that they purchased the product.

Wisner Baumare not only amazing attorneys, but more importantly they are activists. They are about changing the systems which got us into trouble in the first place. They understand their role in the process of making change. Attorneys have the fortunate ability to go into the company files during the investigative process. They see the companies’ behaviors and work hard at getting confidential documents declassified that have true public health benefit. — Kim Witczak.

Read more from our clients

Does Roundup Cause Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?

Yes. According to numerous studies, exposure to Roundup increases the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Below are some of the studies demonstrating the link between Roundup exposure and NHL:

How Does Glyphosate Cause Cancer?

Studies show that exposure to Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, can cause DNA damage and DNA strand breaks, an important precursor to cancer. IARC specifically assessed the genotoxicity of Roundup (the property of chemical agents that damages the genetic information within a cell causing mutations, which may lead to cancer) and concluded that “[t]here is strong evidence that glyphosate causes genotoxicity.”

Roundup exposure can also induce oxidative stress, which is thought to be involved in the development of numerous conditions, including cancer, autism, and Parkinson’s disease. In addition to DNA damage and oxidative stress, some scientists have suggested Roundup exposure can lead to a chronic inflammatory state in the gut, as well an impaired gut barrier, which can increase the risk of cancer.

Roundup Link to Cancer

In this series of videos, Wisner Baum attorney, R. Brent Wisner, discusses the link between Roundup / glyphosate exposure and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We also feature videos about the tragic case of Jack McCall and other clients who spoke at an important press conference in California, to support the State of California involving its Prop 65 glyphosate cancer warning. You will also see a video of Mr. Wisner delivering the historic closing argument in the first Roundup cancer case to be tried against Monsanto.

Firm Reviews

What Our Clients Are Saying
  • I Can’t Imagine a Better Law Firm

    “Multiple lawyers recommended Wisner Baum to me and I have been consistently impressed with the quality of their work.”

    - Best Law Firms Survey
  • They Are About Changing the Systems...

    “Wisner Baum are not only amazing attorneys but more importantly, they are activists. They are about changing the systems which got us into trouble in the first place. They understand their role in the process of making change.”

    - Kim Witczak
  • Top Legal Minds in the Country

    “The Wisner Baum firm has some of the top legal minds in the country; they are driven, determined, trustworthy, ethical and passionate.”

    - From Best Lawyers® Best Law Firms
  • Diligent & Professional Representation

    “Thanks to your efforts I was able to recover from a tragic experience and turn my life around for the best.”

    - W.T.
  • Our Best Interest Was Always Number One on Your List

    “A special thank you to your Spanish-speaking staff for the extra effort put into this case. The language barrier was never a problem, and we are so very thankful to them. Your name holds much respect in our family.”

    - G.C. & C.C
/

Contact Us Today

No Fees Unless We Win
  • Please enter your first name.
  • Please enter your last name.
  • +1
    Please enter your phone number.
    This isn't a valid phone number.
  • Please enter your email address.
    This isn't a valid email address.
  • Please make a selection.
  • Please make a selection.
  • Please enter a message.