Where MDL 3060 stands
Hair relaxer lawsuits claim that chemical straighteners caused uterine, ovarian or endometrial cancer. Most federal cases are grouped in one multidistrict litigation, MDL 3060. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation created it in February 2023.
| Fact |
Status |
| Court |
Federal court for the Northern District of Illinois |
| Presiding judge |
Mary M. Rowland |
| Pending cases |
12,381 as of Oct. 1, 2026 (16,828 filed in total) |
| Growth |
Up from 11,877 pending on July 1, 2026 |
| Size |
Fourth-largest pending MDL in the country |
| Settlement |
None announced |
| First bellwether trial |
Sept. 7, 2027, per a Sept. 24, 2026 order reported by a docket tracker |
The figures above come from the JPML’s Oct. 1, 2026 report. The trial date and the steps below come from a third-party docket tracker. Confirm them with a lawyer or on the court’s docket.
What happens next in the hair relaxer case
The case is in its science and trial-preparation phase. Here is what the docket tracker reports.
- Science ruling pending. The defendants challenged the plaintiffs’ scientific witnesses on general causation, meaning whether hair relaxers can cause these cancers at all. Briefing finished in June 2026. No ruling had been reported as of Sept. 30, 2026.
- Bellwether pool. Ten cases were in the pool. The parties were due to propose cutting it to five by Oct. 21, 2026. Discovery from scientific and medical witnesses in those five cases closes Dec. 21, 2026. Summary judgment motions and case-specific challenges to witness testimony are due Jan. 11, 2027.
- Second Wave defendants. On July 24, 2026, the court lifted the stay for a second group of defendants. “It is time to litigate,” the court wrote. Beasley Allen reports their general discovery runs through July 15, 2027.
A bellwether trial is a test trial. Its result shows both sides how juries may view similar cases. It often shapes settlement talks, but it does not decide other people’s cases.
Outside the MDL
Two other developments matter for families.
First, in September 2026, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sued L’Oréal in Maricopa County. The suit says L’Oréal hid cancer risks from hair relaxers. No state had sued over this issue before Arizona. L’Oréal denies the claims and says they have no legal or scientific merit.
Second, in October 2026, Reuters reported, citing the Wall Street Journal, that L’Oréal hired restructuring advisers. The advisers are exploring options for U.S. chemical-related tort claims, mainly over talc. The report noted thousands of pending hair relaxer suits but did not say the move targets them.
Who leads the hair relaxer MDL
In an MDL, the judge appoints a team of plaintiffs’ lawyers to run the shared work. That includes discovery, scientific evidence and bellwether trials. Every plaintiff benefits from that work, whichever firm filed the case.
Judge Rowland appointed the MDL 3060 team in March 2023.
| Role |
Lawyers (firm) |
| Co-lead counsel |
Ben Crump; Fidelma Fitzpatrick (Motley Rice); Michael London (Douglas & London); Diandra “Fu” Debrosse Zimmermann (DiCello Levitt) |
| Liaison counsel |
Edward Wallace (Wallace Miller) |
| Executive committee (firms on this page) |
Navan Ward (Beasley Allen); Kelly M. Dermody (Lieff Cabraser); Rene F. Rocha (Morgan & Morgan); Timothy J. Becker (Johnson // Becker) |
| Steering committee (firm on this page) |
EricaRae Garcia (Weitz & Luxenberg) |
Other firms also hold seats. This page lists only the firms we compare across the site.
A leadership seat shows a judge trusted that lawyer with shared work. It does not mean your case gets more attention. Many firms without a seat file cases in MDL 3060.
How to pick a hair relaxer lawyer
Ask each firm the same questions:
- Will your firm file my case, or refer it to another firm?
- Who will be my contact, and how often will I hear from you?
- What records do you need? Think product names, years of use and pathology reports.
- What is the fee, and are expenses taken out before or after it?
- What is the deadline in my state?
Talk to a lawyer about your state’s deadline soon after a diagnosis. Some states start the clock when you learned of the injury, and others when it happened.
For a full list of questions and red flags, see how to choose a defective product lawyer. To see which of these firms also take Roundup, airbag or pressure cooker cases, see product liability law firms compared.
How these firms were chosen
This page lists only firms that advertise hair relaxer cases. Wisner Baum does not, so it is not here. The order reflects our editorial view of fit for hair relaxer cases. It is not a rating of skill. Motley Rice is the only firm here with a co-lead seat. Beasley Allen, Lieff Cabraser, Morgan & Morgan and Johnson // Becker hold executive committee seats, and Weitz & Luxenberg is on the steering committee. Schmidt & Clark holds no MDL 3060 seat and does not publish verdict amounts.
The firms, one by one
Ron Motley and Joseph F. Rice started Motley Rice in South Carolina in 2003, and it handles mass torts. One of its partners co-leads the hair relaxer MDL. The firm also reports co-lead roles in the ARC airbag, GLP-1, social media and opioid MDLs.
Judge Rowland appointed Fitzpatrick co-lead counsel in March 2023. Motley Rice advertises hair relaxer and hair straightener cases.
- Based in
- Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Founded
- 2003
- Fee arrangement
- Contingent fee for most cases
- Case types it advertises
- hair relaxer, Roundup, paraquat, ARC airbags
Court leadership roles
- In March 2023, Fidelma Fitzpatrick was named a plaintiffs' co-lead counsel in MDL 3060, the hair relaxer MDL. Cited source
- Motley Rice states that a court appointed it as one of the co-lead counsel in MDL 3051, the ARC airbag MDL. Cited source
- Motley Rice lists a co-lead counsel role in the 2024 GLP-1 MDL. Cited source
Results it has published
- The firm reports a 2019 settlement of $305 million for 10 California jurisdictions over lead-paint pigment. Cited source
Things to ask
- Joe Rice, a co-founder, died in September 2026. The firm still holds its MDL roles.
Visit site: motleyrice.com
Former Lt. Gov. Jere Beasley founded Beasley Allen, an Alabama plaintiffs' firm, in 1979. It has a long record in auto-defect cases. Today it co-leads the ARC airbag MDL and holds a seat on the executive committee of the hair relaxer MDL.
Navan Ward of Beasley Allen is on the executive committee. In October 2026 the firm said it was still accepting uterine, ovarian and endometrial cancer cases.
- Based in
- Montgomery, Alabama
- Founded
- 1979
- Fee arrangement
- Contingency ("No Win, No Fee or Case Costs")
- Case types it advertises
- hair relaxer, Roundup, airbags (ARC and ZF-TRW)
Court leadership roles
- In March 2023, Demet Basar was named co-lead counsel in MDL 3051, the ARC airbag inflator MDL in the N.D. Ga. Cited source
- Navan Ward holds a seat on the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in MDL 3060, the hair relaxer MDL. Cited source
- Dee Miles was named to the plaintiffs' steering committee in the ZF-TRW airbag control unit MDL in the C.D. Cal. Cited source
Results it has published
- The firm reports a $162 million settlement tied to a 2021 van crash in which the tires had the wrong load range. Cited source
Things to ask
- In March 2026, Beasley Allen said it was reviewing new Roundup cases. Confirm it is still taking them.
Visit site: beasleyallen.com
Founded in 1972, Lieff Cabraser handles class actions and mass torts from San Francisco. Its lawyers hold leadership roles in the hair relaxer MDL and in the Takata, ARC and ZF-TRW airbag cases.
Kelly M. Dermody of Lieff Cabraser is on the executive committee. The firm reports filing suits against L'Oréal, Revlon, Strength of Nature, House of Cheatham and others.
- Based in
- San Francisco, California
- Founded
- 1972
- Fee arrangement
- Not listed on its About page
- Case types it advertises
- hair relaxer, airbags (Takata, ARC, ZF-TRW)
Court leadership roles
- A court named David Stellings co-lead counsel in both the ARC airbag MDL in Atlanta and the ZF-TRW airbag MDL in Los Angeles. He also serves on the leadership team in Takata MDL 2599. Cited source
- Kelly M. Dermody holds a seat on the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in MDL 3060, the hair relaxer MDL. Cited source
Results it has published
- More than $1.5 billion in total from Takata airbag economic-loss settlements with Honda, Toyota, Ford, Nissan, BMW, Subaru and Mazda. Cited source
- The firm reports a $54.4 million verdict in Mraz v. DaimlerChrysler, a death case over a known defect that was never fixed. Cited source
Things to ask
- A large share of its airbag work is economic-loss class litigation. Ask how it handles claims for individual injuries.
Visit site: lieffcabraser.com
Schmidt & Clark is a plaintiffs' firm that represents injured people from every part of the United States. Its work centers on mass torts: defective products, medical devices, dangerous drugs and toxic exposure.
Schmidt & Clark takes hair relaxer cases from clients across the U.S. It holds no MDL 3060 leadership seat, so ask whether your case would be filed by the firm itself or with co-counsel.
- Based in
- Washington, DC
- Founded
- 2005
- Fee arrangement
- Free case review; phone line open 24/7
- Case types it advertises
- Roundup, hair relaxer, airbags, pressure cookers, other defective products
Recognition
- The firm says Best Lawyers put it on the "Best Law Firms" list for 2026. Cited source
- C.L. Mike Schmidt, a partner, is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in both Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Trial Law. The National Board of Trial Advocacy also certifies him in Civil Trial. Cited source
- The firm says Super Lawyers has picked it for 19 straight years. Cited source
Things to ask
- Its website lists no individual verdict or settlement amounts. Ask the firm about outcomes in cases that look like yours.
- Ask if your case would remain with the firm or go to co-counsel. Mass torts often work that way.
Visit site: schmidtandclark.com
Founded in 1988 and based in Orlando, Morgan & Morgan is a national personal-injury firm. It reports more than 1,100 attorneys and about 140 offices.
Rene F. Rocha of Morgan & Morgan was appointed to the executive committee. The firm states a contingency fee.
- Based in
- Orlando, Florida
- Founded
- 1988
- Fee arrangement
- Contingency ("The Fee Is Free Unless You Win")
- Case types it advertises
- Roundup, hair relaxer, airbags, general defective products
Court leadership roles
- Rene F. Rocha was named to the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in MDL 3060, the hair relaxer MDL. Cited source
Results it has published
- In June 2026, a Florida jury awarded $603 million to the family of a woman who died when a counterfeit airbag inflator exploded. The defendant skipped the trial. Cited source
- A $20 million verdict over motorcycle brakes in Winckler v. Suzuki, upheld on appeal in April 2026. Cited source
Things to ask
- The firm has about 140 offices. Find out which lawyer, and which office, would handle your file day to day.
Visit site: forthepeople.com
Johnson // Becker is a product-liability firm in St. Paul. It represents plaintiffs in most federal pressure cooker injury suits. It also holds leadership roles in the hair relaxer, Suboxone and infant formula MDLs.
Timothy J. Becker is on the executive committee. Johnson // Becker lists hair relaxer cases on its homepage and charges no fees or costs unless it recovers money.
- Based in
- St. Paul, Minnesota
- Fee arrangement
- Contingency (no fees or costs unless the firm recovers money)
- Case types it advertises
- pressure cookers, hair relaxer, general product liability
Court leadership roles
- Timothy J. Becker holds a seat on the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in MDL 3060, the hair relaxer MDL. Cited source
- In March 2024, Timothy J. Becker was named one of four co-lead counsel in MDL 3092, the Suboxone film MDL in the N.D. Ohio. Cited source
Results it has published
- A Law Street Media analysis found it represented plaintiffs in 61% of the 292 federal pressure cooker suits filed between 2019 and January 2024. Cited source
Things to ask
- It lists no pressure cooker verdict amounts. Most of its cases end in settlements that stay confidential.
Visit site: johnsonbecker.com
Weitz & Luxenberg is a New York mass-tort firm that grew out of asbestos litigation. It served as a co-lead firm in the federal Roundup MDL. It has a seat on the steering committee of the hair relaxer MDL.
EricaRae Garcia of Weitz & Luxenberg was appointed to the steering committee in March 2023. The firm advertises uterine, ovarian and endometrial cancer claims.
- Based in
- New York, New York
- Founded
- 1986
- Fee arrangement
- Free case evaluation; fee terms not listed
- Case types it advertises
- hair relaxer, Roundup, paraquat, talc, consumer products
Court leadership roles
- Robin Greenwald was a plaintiffs' co-lead counsel in MDL 2741, the Roundup MDL in the N.D. Cal. Cited source
- In March 2023, EricaRae Garcia was named to the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in MDL 3060, the hair relaxer MDL in the N.D. Ill. Cited source
Results it has published
- It took part in the June 2020 Roundup settlement with Monsanto, which covered almost 100,000 claimants. Cited source
- The firm reports a $190 million asbestos verdict from 2013. Cited source
Things to ask
- Weitz & Luxenberg says it did not serve as counsel in Bayer's proposed 2026 Roundup class settlement.
Visit site: weitzlux.com
Each result above comes from the firm's own published record or from court filings. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.