When public resources are on the line, and the interests of entire communities are at stake, government entities need more than competent legal counsel; they need experienced trial attorneys with the credibility, the resources, and the record to win. Wagstaff & Cartmell represents cities, counties, school districts, regional authorities, and state governments in complex, high-profile litigation where the outcomes carry significant financial consequences and fundamental public policy implications.

We are not a lobbying firm, and we are not a general counsel operation. We are trial lawyers, and we bring the same preparation, persistence, and courtroom capability to government representation that has produced over $2 billion in recoveries across our broader practice.

Why Government Entities Choose Wagstaff & Cartmell

Government clients face a distinctive set of challenges in complex litigation. The opposing parties are frequently large corporations with substantial legal budgets and teams of experienced defense counsel. The cases often involve intricate regulatory frameworks, multi-jurisdiction coordination, and years-long litigation timelines. The stakes, measured in public dollars, public health, and public trust, are rarely abstract.

Wagstaff & Cartmell has been retained by government clients precisely because we are equipped to meet those challenges. Our attorneys have served in court-appointed leadership roles in more than 30 multidistrict litigation proceedings and class actions nationwide. We have litigated on behalf of state attorneys general, counties, and other public entities in some of the most consequential cases of the last two decades. 

We understand the unique obligations and sensitivities that come with representing a public client, and we handle those responsibilities with the seriousness they demand. For government entities that cannot justify the cost of a large national firm’s hourly billing structure, our contingency fee model offers a powerful alternative: experienced, nationally capable litigation representation with no upfront cost and no ongoing legal fees unless we recover on your behalf.

Our Government Representation Experience

State of Kansas: NPM Adjustment Arbitration, Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement

In 1998, the major tobacco companies entered into the landmark Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), a $206 billion global settlement with 48 states and territories. A decade later, those same companies initiated arbitration proceedings against 35 states, claiming entitlement to a $1.1 billion adjustment to their contract payments for the year 2003, a direct challenge to the financial terms states had negotiated and relied upon.

The Kansas Attorney General retained Wagstaff & Cartmell to represent the State of Kansas in that multi-year arbitration. The engagement reflected the confidence state leadership placed in our firm’s ability to handle complex, high-stakes litigation at the highest level, defending the integrity of a settlement that had taken years to achieve and that represented a significant financial commitment to the state’s public interests.

In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, MDL No. 2804 (N.D. Ohio)

The opioid crisis has devastated communities across the country, and the National Prescription Opiate Litigation represents one of the most significant efforts to hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable for its role in fueling that crisis. Wagstaff & Cartmell is actively involved in this landmark multidistrict litigation.

Attorneys Tom Cartmell, Brian Madden, Jon Kieffer, and Ty Hudson pursued case-changing discovery against certain drug manufacturers and dispensers, working alongside a team of lawyers preparing for initial MDL bellwether cases — efforts that resulted in settlements totaling more than $260 million. Attorneys Madden, Sarah Ruane, and Eric Barton continue to represent dozens of county and city government clients in the ongoing phases of the litigation, pursuing accountability and recovery on behalf of communities among the hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, including Buchanan County, Missouri, which has experienced one of the highest rates of opioid prescriptions in the nation.

This litigation exemplifies the kind of work Wagstaff & Cartmell does best: complex, multi-party, multi-jurisdiction cases where the client is a public entity, the defendant is a well-resourced corporation, and the outcome has real consequences for real people.

JUUL Labs, Inc., MDL No. 2913 (N.D. California)

The litigation against JUUL Labs represents another front in the broader effort to hold corporations accountable for the harm caused by their products to public health; in this case, the aggressive marketing of e-cigarette products to minors and the resulting youth nicotine addiction crisis.

Wagstaff & Cartmell founding partner Tom Cartmell was appointed Plaintiffs’ Government Entity Liaison Counsel in the JUUL Labs MDL in the Northern District of California, presided over by the Honorable William H. Orrick. This court-appointed leadership role placed Wagstaff & Cartmell at the center of coordinating government entity claims across the litigation, a direct reflection of the firm’s standing in the MDL community and its recognized ability to lead complex, multi-party proceedings on behalf of public clients.

Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Johnson & Johnson, et al.

Wagstaff & Cartmell represented the Commonwealth of Kentucky in consumer protection litigation against Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Ethicon, arising from the sale of transvaginal mesh products within the state. This engagement, alongside similar representations of Oregon and West Virginia in related Ethicon litigation, reflects our experience prosecuting product liability and consumer protection claims on behalf of state governments against major national corporations.

These cases involve detailed factual records, complex medical and scientific evidence, and the challenge of demonstrating harm at a population level, precisely the kind of litigation environment where Wagstaff & Cartmell’s trial preparation approach and expert resources make a decisive difference.

The Types of Government Entities We Represent

Wagstaff & Cartmell’s government representation practice serves a broad range of public clients, including:

• State attorneys general and state agencies pursuing claims against corporations and other private parties
• Counties and municipalities seeking accountability and compensation in product liability, public health, and consumer protection matters
• School districts and regional authorities involved in high-stakes disputes with significant financial or policy implications
• Public entities participating in multidistrict litigation or other coordinated proceedings involving widespread harm

If your government entity is evaluating legal options in a complex dispute, whether that involves a defective product, a public health crisis, a breach of contract, or another significant matter, we encourage you to contact us to discuss how we can help.

A Contingency Fee Model That Works for Public Clients

Government budgets are not unlimited, and the decision to pursue complex litigation against a well-funded corporate defendant is never taken lightly. Wagstaff & Cartmell’s contingency fee structure removes the financial barrier that often prevents public entities from accessing the quality of legal representation their cases demand.

We are willing to advance all costs of litigation — investigation, expert witnesses, discovery, and trial preparation — and collect a fee only if and when we recover on your behalf. This alignment of interests means our success is directly tied to yours, and it means you can pursue meritorious claims against even the most well-resourced opponents without committing public funds to hourly legal fees.

What Sets Wagstaff & Cartmell Apart in Government Litigation

• Court-Appointed Leadership Experience Our attorneys have held leadership positions in over 30 MDL proceedings and class actions. In government entity litigation specifically, that experience means we understand how to coordinate across jurisdictions, manage large plaintiff groups, and maintain the kind of credibility with the court that produces results.
• Trial-First Preparation We prepare every case as if it will go to trial, because that preparation is what drives favorable outcomes, whether the case ultimately resolves through settlement or verdict. Corporations and their counsel know when they are facing a firm that is genuinely ready to try a case, and that knowledge shapes every stage of negotiation.
• Deep Experience Against Corporate Defendants Pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical device companies, tobacco corporations, consumer product giants — we have litigated against them all, and we have won. That institutional knowledge of how these defendants operate, how they construct their defenses, and where their cases are vulnerable is an asset that directly benefits every government client we represent.
• National Reach with Focused Accountability Wagstaff & Cartmell operates as a litigation boutique, not a sprawling general practice firm. That means your matter is handled by senior attorneys with direct accountability for the outcome, not delegated down to junior associates or managed at arm’s length. Our national litigation footprint means we can represent government clients across jurisdictions without sacrificing the focused, partner-level attention that complex cases require.

Contact Wagstaff & Cartmell About Government Representation

If your city, county, state agency, or other public entity is facing complex litigation or evaluating potential claims against a corporation or other private party, Wagstaff & Cartmell is ready to help. We offer confidential consultations at no cost and no obligation.

Call us or contact us through our website to speak with an attorney about your matter.