Reynolds Attorney in Punitive Phase of $5M Tobacco Suit: The Past Is Gone

In opening statements of the punitive phase of Taylor v. R.J. Reynolds, defense attorney Cory Hohnbaum tells jurors that the tobacco manufacturer’s change in corporate leadership and practices mitigate against the award of punitive damages. The jury awarded plaintiff Helen Taylor $4.478 million in compensatory damages in the first phase of her Engle progeny trial, and ultimately awarded Taylor more than $521,000 in punitives.