The Exxon Valdez Case and the Future of Punitive Damages
February 23, 2009 - Professor Jeffrey Fisher will talk about his work on Exxon v. Baker, a case that grew out of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, one of the most devastating environmental disasters in U.S. history, and the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent opinion for punitive damages law. Fisher will discuss some of the challenges of litigating a case concerning an event that occurred almost 20 years ago and 4,000 miles away against the world's most profitable corporation. Before the Ninth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court, Fisher represented the class of more than 32,000 victims of the spill, including commercial fishermen, private landowners, and Alaska Natives; esteemed Duke Law Professor Walter Dellinger represented Exxon.