Public Health

On March 25, 1966 in Chicago, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. observed at press conference held before the Medical Committee for Human Rights, that “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman because it often results in physical death.

At Leung Law, we believe in promoting health equity and ensuring access to quality healthcare for all. Through collaborative efforts and strategic litigation, we strive to make a meaningful impact, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive and live a healthy life.

Relevant Work

African Am. Tobacco Control Leadership Council v. U.S. Dep’t of Health and Human Services, No. 4:20-cv-04012 (N.D. Cal.)

African Am. Tobacco Control Leadership Council v. U.S. Dep’t of Health and Human Services, No. 4:24-cv-1992 (N.D. Cal.)

In 2020, Christopher Leung brought a groundbreaking lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for their undue delay in (a) deciding whether to add menthol to the list of banned characterizing flavors in cigarettes, and (b) responding to Plaintiffs’ 2013 Citizen Petition, which had asked FDA to start the rule-making process for banning menthol cigarettes in the marketplace. The initial Plaintiffs African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council and Action on Smoking & Health were later joined by the American Medical Association and National Medical Association.

At the time of the lawsuit’s filing, Doug Blanke, the Executive Director of Public Health Law Center stated, “This landmark litigation is the culmination of a decade of pioneering work by the health champions of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership and other Black-led organizations, and it has the potential to reverse the leading cause of death in the Black community.”

Following the filing of Plaintiffs’ lawsuit (see Complaint), the FDA made the historic decision to propose a new final rule that would ban menthol cigarettes from the marketplace. Such a rule would save thousands of lives each year and save billions in medical costs. As a result, the Plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their suit in 2022.

By 2024, however, the FDA had failed to follow through on its commitment to promulgating and publishing this final rule. Accordingly, on April 2, 2024, the Plaintiffs African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, Action on Smoking & Health, and National Medical Association filed a new lawsuit against the Defendants for their unlawful delay, and alleged similar violations of the Administrative Procedure Act and Tobacco Control Act. See Complaint.


Kathleen Keeter v. Gerber Products Company, No. 21-cv-00269 (E.D. Va.)

Nicole Stewart v. Hain Celestial Group, No. 21-cv-00678 (E.D.N.Y.)

In Re: Beech-Nut Nutrition Company Baby Food Litigation, No. 21-cv-00133 (N.D.N.Y.)

Myjorie Philippe v. Nurture, Inc., No. 21-cv-06632 (S.D.N.Y.)

In 2021, Christopher Leung together with co-counsel brought a series of federal class action lawsuits against baby food manufacturers Gerber Products Company, Beech Nut Nutrition Company, Hain Celestial Group, Inc., and Nurture, Inc. for failing to disclose the presence of toxic heavy metals in their baby food products.

Representing the parents who unknowingly fed their children the tainted products, the complaints alleged state law violations in a number of jurisdictions.


Rose Acre Farms Inc. v. North Carolina Dep’t of Environment and Natural Resources et al., No. 10 EHR 6501 (N.C. Ofc. of Admin. Hr’g)

In 2011, Christopher Leung filed a motion to intervene with the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission. That motion aimed to defend the State of North Carolina’s decision to issue a Clean Water Act permit to Rose Acre Farms, a concentrated animal feeding operator of over 3 million hens.

The permit would allow Rose Acre Farms to continue operating while at the same time safeguard the nearby Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, a 115,000-acre wetlands area, previously described by one court as “home to some of the most unspoiled habitat along the East Coast.” At the time of filing, Christopher noted that the case “raises important issues of environmental justice. The poultry industry is challenging the state’s authority to protect the health and environment of the community in Hyde County, where the population is more than 40 percent African American.”

In 2013, a North Carolina Superior Court later upheld the State-issued permit, providing an important win for the Pocosin Lakes Wildlife Refuge and its surrounding community.