Athens City Council passed an emergency ordinance to retain a New York law firm to represent its potential interests in the outcomes of three federal lawsuits
Two of the pending cases involve price fixing on insulin and generic drugs; the third addresses injuries and property damages from the presence of PFAS— also known as “forever chemicals” — in water.
City Law Director Lisa Eliason said she learned of the civil claims for price fixing only a week ago from Sunday Creek Horizons, a consulting firm that works with the city on numerous projects.
The ordinance authorized Mayor Steve Patterson to enter a contract with Grossman & Kelly, a New York City firm, to sue firms found liable by the federal government on the city’s behalf. Patterson said the city’s Human Resources director will review the city’s expenditures on insulin and generic drugs since 2003 to determine how much the city was overcharged.