Bill Marler: The Lawyer Who Changed the Way America Thinks About Food Safety

December 11, 2025 – About Insider

When most people think about food safety, they picture government agencies, health inspectors, or warning labels on packaging. But behind some of the biggest changes in America’s food system is one man whose pursuit of justice turned tragedy into nationwide reform: Bill Marler, widely regarded as the most influential food safety lawyer in the United States.

Marler didn’t set out to become the face of foodborne illness litigation. After earning degrees in Political Science, Economics, and English from Washington State University, then a law degree from Seattle University, he entered the legal world in the early 1990s focused on personal injury and product liability cases. Everything changed in 1993, when a devastating outbreak linked to undercooked hamburgers at Jack in the Box swept across the West Coast.

The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak sickened more than 700 people and claimed the lives of four children. One of the most severely affected was nine-year-old Brianne Kiner. Marler took her case, securing a landmark $15.6 million settlement, the largest of its kind at the time. The tragedy exposed gaps in food safety standards and propelled Marler into national prominence. It also marked the start of his mission: fighting for victims and pushing the food industry to improve.

In 1998, he co-founded Marler Clark, the first law firm dedicated exclusively to representing victims of foodborne illness. Over nearly three decades, the firm has handled almost every major outbreak in the United States, taking on corporations like McDonald’s, Dole, Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Chipotle, Taco Bell, and others. Marler’s work has led to over $750 million in settlements for victims.

Some of his most heartbreaking and influential cases include:

• Stephanie Smith, a young dancer who became paralyzed and brain damaged after eating an E. coli-contaminated hamburger.
• Linda Rivera, a Nevada mother who spent over two years hospitalized with one of the worst E. coli infections ever documented.

Stories like theirs captured national attention and helped spark reforms, including the Food Safety Modernization Act, the most sweeping update to U.S. food safety laws in over 70 years.

But Marler’s influence reaches far beyond courtrooms.

He has petitioned for stricter USDA regulations on dangerous strains of E. coli, spoken before Congress, and addressed international conferences on food safety. He travels often, usually at little or no cost to organizers, to educate food industry leaders and public health professionals. He has also donated to science programs and scholarships, believing education is a powerful tool to prevent future outbreaks.

His online platforms extend his mission even further.

Marler publishes Food Safety News, a respected outlet for food safety journalism, and his award-winning Marler Blog has become a go-to resource for experts, policymakers, and industry leaders. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, ABC News, and documentaries on foodborne illness.

Marler’s long list of awards—from the NSF Food Safety Leadership Award to being named one of Best Lawyers in America for decades—reflects the far-reaching impact of his work. Yet he often says he wishes his job didn’t have to exist at all. In his words, “Put me out of business.” His ultimate goal is a food system so safe that no consumer ever needs a lawyer like him again.

From a small Seattle law office to global recognition, Bill Marler’s journey shows what can happen when one person turns outrage into action. Through high-stakes litigation, relentless advocacy, and dedication to victims, he has reshaped how America eats and inspired a movement for safer food.

In a world where contaminated food can change lives in an instant, Bill Marler remains one of the strongest voices ensuring that companies are held accountable, victims are heard, and families are protected.

Bill Marler: The Lawyer Who Changed the Way America Thinks About Food Safety

Republished with permission from Bill Marler and Marler Clark. Copyright (c) Marler Clark LLP, PS. All rights reserved.

Source: https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/bill-marler-the-lawyer-who-changed-the-way-america-thinks-about-food-safety/