Florida Panel Reverses Order That Obliged R.J. Reynolds To Pay $4M In Attorney Fees

Mealey's (July 11, 2019, 3:48 PM EDT) -- DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A Florida appellate panel on June 14 reversed a trial court’s order that required R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. to pay the attorney fees, amounting to nearly $4 million including interest, of the widower of a smoker in an Engle progeny case, saying the inclusion of costs related to nontestifying witnesses to determine the legal threshold to trigger payment was in error (R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. James Lewis, Nos. 5D17-773, 5D18-3654, Fla. App., 5th Dist., 2019 Fla. App. LEXIS 9314)....