“We can get a trial setting faster in St. Louis,” Onder said. “I said, ‘It’s a very efficient place to do cases, so let’s do them here.’”

His firm has served as local counsel in the five St. Louis trials so far; he said his firm was involved with an additional 1,700 plaintiffs in Missouri, 800 in California and 200 in New Jersey where Johnson & Johnson is headquartered. He said 1,700 other cases had been moved to federal courts.

The claims in all of the cases are similar: Plaintiffs believe Johnson & Johnson knew for years that its talcum powder products were linked to ovarian cancer and failed to warn customers. The company has consistently said its products are safe and continues to defend legal claims in court.

Each of the five trials held so far in St. Louis has lasted about a month, with plaintiffs going one by one in what is called a “bellwether” approach designed to predict how future trials could play out.

“If you have a client who’s dying, you’d want to file your suit in a place and go to trial before your client dies,” Onder said.