Christiaan Marcum is a member of RPWB’s pharmaceutical litigation team who builds liability cases against pharmaceutical companies on behalf of consumers who suffered serious side effects that were not adequately disclosed by the manufacturer. He also serves on the firm’s Executive Committee.
A history lover at heart, he enjoys the search for the truth about what the company knew about the drug’s side effects, when it knew of them and when it alerted regulators, healthcare professionals or consumers about them.
Marcum, a native of Lexington, South Carolina, graduated with a history degree from the College of Charleston. He spent one year as a paralegal working on pharmaceutical cases with members of RPWB before attending law school.
After graduating from the University of South Carolina School of Law, Marcum clerked for the Honorable Kaye G. Hearn, who was at the time chief justice of the South Carolina Court of Appeals. For four years, Marcum litigated personal injury cases of all shapes and sizes at the law offices of Mark Tanenbaum, P.A. in Charleston, SC. In 2004, he joined RPWB.
Marcum spends a lot of time on the road conducting depositions of pharmaceutical industry employees, physicians and people harmed by drugs. His first day of work at RPWB was spent not in the office, but on a plane, and he’s since logged many more miles.
He and his wife have a daughter. The Marcum family supports several Charleston-area arts organizations. Around the office, Marcum is known for his love of all things food-related, from fine dining to State Fair food, and his eclectic taste in music. He is always good for a restaurant recommendation. When away from work, he can often be found in a room at his house devoted to listening to all kinds of music (but with a definite tilt toward classic rock). He also is a frequent patron of Charleston’s live music venues.
Admissions
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1999, South Carolina
2000, U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina
Education
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University of South Carolina, J.D., 1999
College of Charleston, B.A., 1995
Professional Memberships
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Charleston County Bar Association
Martindale-Hubbell Rated: BV
South Carolina Association for Justice
South Carolina Bar
The American Association for Justice
The National Trial Lawyers Top 100
Best Lawyers in America, 2018 (Product Liability Litigation)
Riley Institute at Furman Diversity Leaders Initiative
Representative Cases
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Fire-Fighting Foam Multidistrict Litigation
In 2019, Marcum was selected to serve on the Plaintiff Executive Committee of the Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) Multi-District Litigation, which has been consolidated in the District of South Carolina. RPWB represents the nation’s largest private water supplier, which is seeking compensation from 3M and Tyco for manufacturing fire-fighting foam that has polluted drinking water sources with PFOAs, which are dubbed “forever chemicals” because of their long half-life. PFOA chemicals are linked to a number of negative health conditions including cancer.
Zyprexa Multidistrict Litigation
The anti-depressant drug Zyprexa, which was aggressively promoted for off-label uses, causes some patients to develop diabetes or worsen their pre-existing diabetes. RPWB served on the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee of the MDL. Marcum conducted depositions of company officials, served on the Law and Briefing Committee and assisted with the representation of roughly 2,000 plaintiffs. As a result of the litigation, Eli Lilly agreed to pay $1.2 billion to 28,500 individuals and $800 million to reimburse governments for public health spending.
Chantix Multidistrict Litigation
The smoking cessation drug Chantix causes serious psychological problems for some patients. Pfizer has settled or is in the process of settling more than 2,700 cases with a total projected settlement amount of $291 million. RPWB was co-lead counsel of the MDL, and Marcum was an integral part of the team that built the liability case against Pfizer and crafted pre-trial motions and legal briefings.
Lipitor Multidistrict Litigation
RPWB is lead counsel in the nationwide Lipitor MDL. Marcum is playing a prominent role in building the liability case against Pfizer and preparing the first cases for trial. The blockbuster drug used to treat high cholesterol is alleged to cause some women to develop diabetes.
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