Contributing Writers
Denis Stearns
Denis Stearns, a partner at Marler Clark, earned a BA in philosophy from Seattle University, and his law degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He graduated from both schools with high honors, and won numerous awards for service and academic excellence. Prior to being a partner at Marler Clark, Denis worked as one of the lead attorneys on the defense team that represented Jack in the Box against the hundreds of claims and lawsuits arising from the historic 1993 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. In this role, he obtained extensive knowledge of the meat and foodservice industry, health and safety regulations, HACCP and other food safety systems, epidemiology, and foodborne illness. He is a frequent speaker and writer on issues related to food safety law, administrative regulation, and public health policy.
Articles Written by Denis Stearns
"A Future Uncertain: Food Irradiation from a Legal Perspective" was written for the Institute of Food Technologists' book, Food Irradiation Research and Technology. The book's publisher states: Food Irradiation Research and Technology appeals to a broad readership: industry food scientists involved in the processing of meat and fish, fruits and vegetables; food microbiologists and radiation processing specialists; government and industry...
Marler Clark epidemiologist Patti Waller and I collaborated to write, "Where's the Meat? The Need for Full Public Disclosure in Meat Recalls" for the Journal of Environmental Health's June 2006 issue. The article focuses on the USDA's proposed rule on changing policy regarding public disclosure of the names of retail outlets that received potentially contaminated meat during a meat recall. ...
"Intentional Contamination: The Legal Risks and Responsibilities" was written for the Journal of Environmental Health. In the article, I address who is legally responsible for injuries sustained after a person becomes ill after consuming a product that was intentionally contaminated before it was purchased. Beyond the political implications of the use of food products as weapons, there is also...
"Contaminated Fresh Produce and Product Liability: A Law-in-Action Perspective," appears in Microbial Safety of Fresh Produce: Challenges, Perspectives, and Strategies, an IFT Press publication to be released in 2009. According to the publisher, "[the book] covers all aspects of produce safety including pathogen ecology, agro-management, pre-harvest and post-harvest interventions, and adverse economic impacts of outbreaks. The book examines the current...
"The Courage to Criticize," is a commentary on foodborne illness outbreaks and the key role criticism from the right people could play in preventing them. Public outcry is always present surrounding any outbreak; however, the food and restaurant industries, or public health officials involved in outbreak investigations often do not speak up....
In this 2002 commentary for the July/August edition of Food Protection Report, I write about the Federal Meat Inspection Act and USDA's rule-making process. The commentary, "USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service Should Say What It Means, Mean What It Says--and Say It Clearly," concludes, "[I]f federal law is going to sweep aside state law, then let it do so...
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