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City Attorney announces $230 million settlement with Walgreens after victory in opioid litigation

SAN FRANCISCO (May 17, 2023) — San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu announced today that he has reached a nearly $230 million settlement agreement with Walgreens following the City’s win in federal court against the pharmacy chain and opioid distributor. Under the agreement, Walgreens will pay $229,610,000 over the course of 14 years, with the vast majority coming in the first eight years. Settlement funds will go towards addressing the opioid crisis in San Francisco.

This settlement stems from landmark litigation San Francisco brought in 2018 on behalf of the People of the State of California against the opioid industry for fueling the opioid epidemic. San Francisco sued multiple opioid manufacturers, distributors, and dispensers, but by the end of the liability trial in 2022, all defendants except Walgreens had settled.

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Climate Change The San Francisco City Attorney and Oakland City Attorney Barbara J. Parker filed separate lawsuits on behalf of their respective cities against the top five oil and gas companies, asking the courts to hold them responsible for the costs of the infrastructure necessary to protect their cities from the consequences of climate change caused by their massive production of fossil fuels.

Reproductive Rights The City Attorney’s Office has worked with public and private partners to defend access to reproductive healthcare and ensure all people understand that abortion remains safe and legal in California. We worked with our City clients to launch a webpage to help people navigate abortion care in San Francisco. Learn more here.

Gun Safety Five online suppliers that had been flouting both state and San Francisco law by selling illegal large-capacity magazines as “repair kits” to customers in California have agreed to a wide-ranging injunction that compels them to follow the law. The settlement agreement improves safety in California communities and ensures that rogue companies comply with the law.

Affordable Housing In efforts to combat the affordable housing crisis in San Francisco, the City Attorney’s Office has taken broad actions ranging from filing lawsuits against unscrupulous slumlords and landowners like Academy of Art University to cracking down on affordable housing fraudsters.

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Accepting Internship Applications

The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office’s Law School and Paralegal Internship Program is a unique and competitive educational offering that draws applicants from across the nation.  Participants are chosen based on their promise to emerge as leaders and difference-makers in government and public-interest law, and they work closely with mentors on a wide range of meaningful cases.

Report a Complaint Consumer protection is a top priority of the City Attorney’s Office. We investigate and prosecute businesses that deceive or defraud consumers, and property owners that maintain properties in substandard conditions or violate housing laws. If you would like to report a complaint about a business or property owner, please find more information here.	Political activities The City Attorney’s Office’s annual political activities memo offers a useful overview of basic rules that city officials and employees must follow if they choose to take part in activities for political campaigns.  There is also helpful guidance for commissions and departments.
Good Government Check out the extensive resources that the City Attorney’s Office offers to help ensure adherence to good government practices by city officials and employees. Most of these are also helpful for residents, to further their understanding of local law and government. There is also helpful guidance for commissions and departments.	About the Office Learn why the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office has been honored by the American Bar Association for “outstanding excellence,” and praised as “one of the most aggressive and talented city law departments in the nation” by American Lawyer magazine.