Baltimore law department reports nearly $700 million in recoveries, seeks funding for environmental and affirmative litigation teams

City Solicitor Ebony M. Thompson told the Baltimore City Budget Appropriations Committee that the Law Department achieved nearly $700 million in financial recoveries this fiscal year and is seeking new funding to expand environmental and affirmative litigation capacity.

Thompson said the department recovered roughly $700,000,000 in total, singled out a $1,200,000 settlement with Polymer80, and said more than $668,000,000 came from a series of settlements and a landmark jury verdict against opioid manufacturers and distributors. She said the city is awaiting an abatement ruling tied to that litigation with a court deadline of June 6. "The law department serves as both sword and shield for Baltimore," Thompson said, adding, "This has been the most successful fiscal year in the law department's history."

The request before the committee includes $750,000 to create an environmental litigation team and $1,000,000 to expand the affirmative litigation team, funded in part by the opioid restitution fund, Thompson said. She also noted three new attorneys joining the department and emphasized the department's recent consumer-protection litigation, naming lawsuits filed against DraftKings and FanDuel for allegedly engaging in deceptive practices under Baltimore's consumer protection ordinance and a suit…