PHILADELPHIA – A mass tort lawyer fired by a Philadelphia firm is now suspended from practicing law for three years after lying to clients about their cases.
The state Supreme Court imposed the punishment on Friday against Brian McCormick, Jr., who angered clients who had sued over the weedkiller Roundup and the antipsychotic drug Risperdal.
They were eligible for settlements under mass agreements with defendants in their cases but rejected the amounts, hoping to score extra later. McCormick, while at Ross Feller Casey, led them to believe that was happening but it was not, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel found.
“Via emails, text messages and voice messages over the course of 2023 until at least January 2025, Respondent continued to mislead these clients concerning their matters,” the ODC charged.
“Respondent provided false reasons as to why it was taking so long for the clients to receive their settlement amounts, making them believe that the delay was part of the settlement process.”
Unknown to the plaintiffs, special masters handling the mass settlements had never approved higher amounts than what was originally offered.
A year ago, he sent a status report on Roundup cases to others in the firm, noting nine clients “have signed settlement agreements; however, no settlement was reached within the settlement program. Meaning there is no money pending anywhere for these cases.” He was fired that day.
The same happened to seven clients with Risperdal cases, though McCormick didn’t just fool clients – he made “misleading statements” to companies that fund litigation in an effort to drum up a loan for a client.
The ODC’s charges state that McCormick took full responsibility for his misconduct and had no history of discipline over 27 years of practicing law. In January 2025, he contacted the helpline of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania.
The ODC also noted his history of public service like a spot on the Philadelphia Mayor’s Advisory Task Force on Ethics and Campaign Finance and 12 years on the Philadelphia Board of Ethics.
