O'Dea, et al. v. Reckitt Benckiser, LLC — 9th Cir. (argued September 2, 2026)
The Ninth Circuit hears two consolidated appeals over acne treatments that consumers say formed benzene as their benzoyl peroxide degraded. The district court dismissed their suits as preempted by federal drug law. Preemption asks whether federal law displaces state-law claims. The consumers say their claims parallel federal manufacturing requirements; the manufacturers say no binding two-parts-per-million limit applies and federal law reserves enforcement to the FDA. Trenton Kashima will represent the consumers. He will ask the court to revive their claims.
O'Dea, et al. v. Reckitt Benckiser, LLC (No. 25-3240 / 25-3271) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, argued September 2, 2026.
Sources
Argument audio — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (public domain, 17 U.S.C. § 105):https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/media/2026/09/02/25-3240.mp3
Argument record — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/cases/streams-videos/archive?case=25-3240&hearingDate=2026-09-02
Argument calendar — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/cases/calendar/calendar-day/?date=2026-09-02&loc=SF
RB Health appellate docket — Justia:https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca9/25-3240
Alchemee appellate docket — Justia:https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca9/25-3271
District-court dismissal order — FindLaw:https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-dis-crt-cd-cal/117212600.html
21 U.S.C. § 379r — U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel:https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title21-section379r&num=0&edition=prelim
21 U.S.C. § 337 — U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel:https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title21-section337&num=0&edition=prelim
21 U.S.C. § 351 — U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel:https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title21-section351&num=0&edition=prelim
Benzene contamination alert — U.S. Food and Drug Administration:https://www.fda.gov/drugs/pharmaceutical-quality-resources/fda-alerts-drug-manufacturers-risk-benzene-contamination-certain-drugs
Trenton R. Kashima — Bryson Harris Suciu DeMay:https://brysonpllc.com/People/trent-kashima/
Trenton Ross Kashima — State Bar of California:https://apps.calbar.ca.gov/attorney/Licensee/Detail/291405
David M. Zionts — Covington & Burling:https://www.cov.com/en/professionals/z/david-zionts
David M. Zionts court record — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ca9-18-56256/pdf/USCOURTS-ca9-18-56256-0.pdf
Res ipsa loquitur — Cornell Legal Information Institute:https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/res_ipsa_loquitur
Sweeney v. Erving — U.S. Reports via GovInfo:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USREPORTS-228/pdf/USREPORTS-228-233.pdf
Opinion search — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:https://rf9ecr1p0i.execute-api.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/prod/opinions/search?q=25-3240
Memorandum search — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:https://xcglumg9bj.execute-api.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/prod/memoranda/search?q=25-3240
Companion opinion search — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:https://rf9ecr1p0i.execute-api.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/prod/opinions/search?q=25-3271
Companion memorandum search — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:https://xcglumg9bj.execute-api.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/prod/memoranda/search?q=25-3271
- 0:00Introduction
- 25:26David M. Zionts — Defendants
- 32:49Res ipsa loquitur