The Book
Battling Goliath: Inside a $22 Billion Legal Scandal
Battling Goliath: Inside a $22 Billion Legal Scandal is the compelling true story of one man's quest to hold a corporate giant accountable for the blind greed that put six million lives at risk. Wyeth, the makers of fen-phen, circumvented Food and Drug Administration regulations to push their miracle drug cocktail on overweight consumers. They then engaged in a complex cover-up of dangerous side effects fearing an FDA backlash. Fen-phen was finally pulled from pharmacy shelves but only after the mounting deaths and illnesses became too numerous to ignore.
With his Midwestern work ethic and fighter's spirit, attorney Kip Petroff passionately led the charge in courtrooms across the country despite the toll on his personal and professional life. His aggressive strategy resulted in the first verdict, an historic award that ultimately led to a nationwide settlement. But the corruption that followed would test his early commitment to bring justice to the drugs' victims. The massive class action would drag on for more than a decade, spawning a host of shadowy back-room pacts, threats, allegations, and deceit.
Relying on his principles and leaning heavily on his faith, Petroff persevered for himself and his clients. His inspirational story is proof that each of us has the power to stand up to Goliath, whoever and whatever it may be.
Reviews
"A sobering look behind the scenes of real life mass tort litigation."
Frank Andrews, Special Master, MDL-926 | (Silicone Gel Breast Implant Litigation)
"Battling Goliath is a well-written description by a lawyer with an insider's perspective of one of the major products liability fiascos of the past decade. Kip Petroff's book contains insights on what went wrong with the testing and marketing of fen-phen, and then of the complicated litigation that ensued to provide compensation for the many victims. This book offers valuable lessons for litigators and for the governmental bodies and agencies regulating, or failing to regulate, the pharmaceutical industry, as well as for the public that relies on them to protect our health."
Joseph P. Bauer, Professor of Law | University of Notre Dame Law School
"A deeply moving account of how one lawyer experienced and overcame threats, intimidation, and the near dismantling of his personal life during this inexcusable decade-long debacle."
Lewis J. Rubin, MD | La Jolla, California
"Without Kip Petroff, I would not be alive to read this book. This remarkable, true story serves as a testament that we all have the ability to seize the opportunities for greatness God gives to us. Petroff seized his, and because of that, I am alive to seize mine. I highly recommend this book to anyone who believes in, or aspires to believe in, the power of the pursuit of truth at all costs."
Jim Sartor, Fen-Phen Victim and Petroff & Associates Client
"Sui generis! A new genre of legal writing ... a gripping true story of one lawyer's obsession with seeking justice, revealing the human drama and its personal tolls. Dallas Plaintiff Attorney Kip Petroff's Battling Goliath is a modern-day parable of triumph over deceit and greed in the netherworld of America's mass tort litigation.
Petroff's saga meticulously details his decade-long quest for justice for the hundreds of thousands of injured victims of fen-phen, the inherently dangerous diet drug of the 1990s, manufactured and marketed by a huge and powerful pharmaceutical company. This unique first-person insight into the human tragedies spawned by the drug company provides a classic story of betrayal, downfall, and redemption.
With an engaging narrative in his debut expository storytelling, Petroff skillfully weaves the Byzantine maneuvering of his opposing legal titans confronting his passionate dedication for the victims whose hearts and lungs were irreparably damaged. His brutally honest style spares none, including himself, as he portrays the tragedies, grief, sorrow, and destroyed lives radiating from the wrongdoing of a pharmaceutical Goliath and its masters.
And ultimately, Battling Goliath is a cautionary tale for any society of the moral hazards of concentrated and unchecked power and wealth in the hands of a few. Battling Goliath is a must-read for patients, doctors, governmental regulators, lawyers, and anyone taking prescription medications."
R. Darryl Fisher, MD, JD | Cardiovascular Surgeon & Attorney, Oklahoma City
"For people struggling to lose weight, the promise of a miracle pill is all too enticing. The pharmaceutical giant, Wyeth, took advantage of those desires in the name of profit, bringing the drug fen-phen to market with known deadly consequences to those taking it. This book is a compelling true life tale of the battle to bring justice to those without a voice and the immense toll it took on one man willing to take on Goliath."
Betty Murray, CN, HHC, RYT | Founder Living Well Health & Wellness | Author of Cleanse: Detox Your Body, Mind and Spirit