WARNING: This site deals only with the corporate corruption of science, and makes no inference about the motives or activities of individuals involved.
    There are many reasons why individuals become embroiled in corporate corruption activities - from political zealotry to over-enthusiastic activism; from gullibility to greed.
    Please read the OVERVIEW carefully, and make up your own mind.

OPINION ONLY

These Alliances all promoted the idea that devious litigants under the influence of 'ambulence-chasing' lawyers, were falsely and maliciously suing manufacturers, retailers and some medical professionals, over products and services which they claimed had harmed personal health or safety. They said that the high cost of medicine was because doctors were being held to ransom over medical malpractice insurance — and that this was harming the American economy.

The leading national umbrella organisation promoting this line was the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) which was controlled by a coalition of large businesses and trade associations, with the tobacco industry at the forefront. American corporations also had other special committees and collaborative organisations attacking tort-reform, and the tobacco companies often had their fingers in a number of these political pies. [See Product Liability Coordination Committee (PLCC) and Citzens for Civil Justice Reform (CCJR)]

Most of these grassroots 'Alliance' organisations were secretly funded by Philip Morris via ATRA which it dominated, if not totally controlled. ATRA, in turn, had numerous directly-linked state organisations known under the general abbreviation CALA, (Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse — often with a State or Regional name appended). Others used variations on the name, Alliance for ... or Alliance against....

There were some subtle differences. This 'Alliance..." group appears to be less directly influenced by the tobacco industry, and in some cases the operators of these astroturfs may not have been aware of the source of most of their funds. The NFIB often acted as a cut-out for the cigarette manufacturers, channelling the funds through their own accounts to hide tobacco industry's influences.

The dominant supporters of these tort reform Alliances were:
  • the state branches of the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB)
  • the state Chambers of Commerce (or local Business Associations)
  • the state Medical Societies or Associations.
  • some insurance companies or state insurance associations.

These organisations were set up in the 1990s by corporations, industry umbrella groups and medical associations trying to promote 'tort reform', in order to limit the ability of citizens to initiate product or medical liability cases — especially class actions, and punative damages. See tort reform and CALAs also.

1998: This is an ATRA report on the operations of a number of these Alliances. Most are listed below, but the CALAs which were more tightly coupled to ATRA, appear to have been treated separately. Some states did not have a formal tort-reform organisation, and the State Medical Society, National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), or Chambers of Commerce/Business Associations would act on their own with some vague collaboration.

    See also the Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALAs) and National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)

• Alabama Voters Against Lawsuit Abuse run by Skip Tucker, supported by Ms Marty Ellis from the Business Council. Also aligned with Alabama Civil Justice Reform Committee , run by Larry Vinson.
• Alaskans for Liability Reform run by Al Tamagni, Sr. with Jim Jordan from the Medical Association.
• Arkansans for Civil Justice Reform and Arkansas Tort Reform Association , both run by [lawyer?] Bob Wimberley with help from Ken La Mastus of the Medical Society.
• Association for California Tort Reform, with President John Sullivan and Kirk West of the Chamber of Commerce. "The number one priority for the opposition will be to overturn or weaken the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act of 1975 (MICRA)."
• Coalition Against Lawsuit Abuse , in the District of Columbia, run by Larry Mirel and Jan Whitley (Medical Society)
• Tort Reform United Effort (TRUE), Florida, run by Steve Metz, with Bill Herrie (NFIB), Scott Brock (Medical Association), and Jon Shebel (Associated Industries).
• Coalition to Stop Lawsuit Abuse (Hawaii) , run by lawyers Gary Slovin and John McGuire with Bette Tatum (NBIF)
• Idaho Liability Reform Coalition, run by Kenneth McClure and Dawn Justice (Assoc of Commerce & Industry)
• Illinois Civil Justice League run by Ed Murnane, and Suzanne Nelson (Medical Society)
• Indiana Civil Justice Liability Coalition. Jesse Moore (Chamber of Commerce) and Ed Roberts (Mfgs Assn.)
• Iowa Alliance for Liability Reform. Run by Jeanine Freeman (Medical Society) Matt Eide (Assn of Business & Industry) and David Brasher (NFIB)
• Kansas Civil Law Forum. Run by Brad Smoot and Meg Draper (Medical Society)
• Maine Alliance [aka Maine Alliance for Tort Reform .] Run by lawyer-lobbyist/political apparatchik Severin Beliveau who worked for the Tobacco Institute and for the local Chambers of Commerce & Industry.
• Maine Liability Crisis Alliance, run by Peter Gore of the Maine Chamber & Business Alliance with David Clough of the State NFIB and Medical Association
• Michigan Voters against Lawsuit Abuse (Chamber of Commerce) and the Michigan Medical Liability Reform Coalition (Medical Society) worked together on tort reform but remained separate. Nancy McKeague and Kevin Kelly respectively ran these operations.
• Minnesota Civil Justice Coalition was run by Dave Renner (Medical Association), Sandra Neren, Lester Bagley, and Mike Hickey (NFIB)
• Missourians for Civil Justice was run by Daniel Mehan (Chamber of Commerce), Brad Jones (NFIB), Thomas Holloway (Medical Association) and Norbert Plassmeyer (Associated Industries of Missouri).
• Montana Liability Coalition run by Chris Gallus (Chamber of Commerce) Brian Zins (Medical Association) and Jacqueline Lenmark (American Insurance Assn).
• New Yorkers for Civil Justice Reform , run by David Schaffer (Business Council), Mark Alesse (NFIB), and Pat Clancy (Medical Society).
• North Carolinians for Lawsuit Abuse run by legal counsel, John B McMillan and Steve Keene of the Medical Socity.
• Ohio Alliance for Civil Justice Run by Linda Woggon of the local Chamber of Commerce, with Roger Geiger (NFIB) and Tim Mgalione (State Medical Association)
• Oklahomans Against Lawsuit Abuse run by Lyle Kelsey (Medical Board) and Steve Wilkerson (NFIB)
• Pennsylvania Civil Justice Coalition run by Diane Ward, with Danielle Witwer (NFIB) and David Thompson (Medical Society)
• Rhode Island Tort Reform Coalition. run by Paul DeRoche (Chamber of Commerce, Stephen DeToy (Medical Society) Terry Martiesian (NFIB)
• South Carolina Alliance Against Lawsuit Abuse. This was run by a coalition led by Michael Fields (NFIB) and William F Mahon (Medical Association) and Thomas O DeLoach (Chamber of Commerce) with tobacco. Its legal support came from Edward E Pollakoff.
• STOP Lawsuit Abuse in Mississippi. had Heath Hall as Executive Director, with Lincoln Warren (chamber of Commerce) and Charles L Matthews (Medical Association).
• Texas Civil Justice League Run by Ralph Wayne (politician) Art Roberts (Chamber of Commerce), Robert Howden (NFIB) and Kim Ross (Medical Association)
      [Not listed in this document are Texans for Reasonable Legal Fees, Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse and Texans for Lawsuit Reform.
• Tort Reform Assn of Kentucky (TRAK). Run by layer Bill Doll of Jackson & Kelly, with John Brazel and Mike Ridenour (Chamber of Commerce) and William Applegate (Medical Association)
• Washington Liability Reform Coalition , run by Cliff Webster (Seattle lawyer) and Debbie Gjerde (Media consultant) [This organisation i probably tobacco controlled since the Chamber of Commerce, NFIB and Medical Associations are not obviously involved]
• West Virginia Alliance for Civil Justice Reform. This organisation was run by George Carenbauer, who worked for the tobacco lawyers Steptoe & Johnson and George Rider, from the West Virginia State Medical Association. Its president was Steve Roberts of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce.
• Wisconsin Coalition for Civil Justice run by Bill G Smith (NFIB) and Anna Marie Bicha (Medical Society). Tommy Thompson was the governor.
• Wyoming Coalition for Legal Reform run by Jay Schaefer and Wendy Curren (Medical Society)

CONTRIBUTORS:dhf2 gwf2 samf