New Book Chronicles Islander Marlers Work

Investigative journalist Jeff Benedict's book "Poisoned: The True Story of the Deadly E. Coli Outbreak That Changed the Way Americans Eat" chronicles Marler's journey from frustrated third-year associate to the nation's leading food safety lawyer through the landmark 1993 Jack in the Box case. The outbreak killed three children and sickened 500 people, with Marler winning a $15 million settlement that propelled him into the national spotlight and changed how Americans think about food safety. Benedict was "hooked" by Marler's story after every major recent outbreak led back to Marler Clark. "Here was this fledgling, frustrated, no-name lawyer who in the end becomes the most sought after lawyer, to the king of the heap. There are few people who you could identify as being No. 1 in his field," Benedict explains. The book traces Marler's rise from living in a one-bedroom cabin near Suquamish to championing children against large corporations, enabling him to buy a waterfront Bainbridge Island home with cash. Marler's advocacy extends beyond litigation. He supports the "slow food" movement's goals of sustainable, regionalized food production, stating "Our food system is based on direct oil input from pesticides and fertilizers and the corn-based society really needs to change." Yet he also warns foodie communities that "if food is local, sustainable, organic and non-GMO it is by definition safe?" His testimony was instrumental in passing the Food Safety Modernization Act (S-110) in January. Marler travels the country making his "put me out of work" speech without compensation and runs nonprofit organization Outbreak to disseminate food safety information. "I'm pretty sure I could find something else to do," he says, though his commitment remains evident after visiting China, where three of four lawyers representing tainted infant formula victims were arrested and jailed.