Asbestos Litigation

Lewis Brisbois' innovative approach and litigation strength has placed us in the forefront of Toxic Tort and Environmental litigation.

Pioneers In Toxic Tort & Environmental Litigation

By actively participating and shaping case law in mass tort litigation, including the asbestos and chemical exposure arena, Lewis Brisbois has established itself as a preeminent Toxic Tort and Environmental firm. In the 1980s we tried the Stringfellow case to verdict, and were significantly involved in cases focusing on BKK, OII, McColl, Love Canal and Diablo Nuclear facility, to name a few. In 1992, Lewis Brisbois tried the longest civil jury trial in Ventura County history to a defense verdict where it represented a developer of residential property sued for allegedly exposing the residents to harmful chemicals. In that case, the firm successfully eliminated the plaintiffs’ personal injury claims prior to trial in the landmark appellate decision of Cottle v. Superior Court. The Cottle case is now the model followed by trial courts in California in massive tort cases and has been successfully used to avoid costly trials in a number of toxic tort matters. The firm went on to try the first sick building syndrome case to verdict (Call v. Prudential) in 1999. Our success continued into mold litigation, with our firm receiving a top defense verdict award from the Los Angeles Daily Journal for defending the first mold exposure case claiming personal injury damages in California (Allison v. DelAmo HOA, 2001).

Lewis Brisbois has also been one of the pioneers in asbestos litigation, representing asbestos defendants as early as 1980 in California state courts. The firm’s asbestos practice has grown over the years to represent asbestos defendants in state and federal courts throughout the country acting as national coordinating counsel, regional counsel and local counsel in various jurisdictions. We have represented clients in virtually every sector of the asbestos industry including manufacturers, distributors, contractors and premises owners, shipyards, refineries, power plants, schools, home construction or remodel, industrial sites, and home and commercial garages and auto repair shops. Currently, 80% of our practice involves the chrysotile defense in representing friction defendants, asbestos fiber suppliers, boiler manufacturers and construction product defendants. Lewis Brisbois’ success in California Courts in mass tort cases has transcended to a national level as demonstrated by the number of jury trial verdicts we have achieved on behalf of our asbestos clients in more than 14 venues across the country.

Favorable Verdicts & Trial Results
Lewis Brisbois has overseen asbestos litigation since the 1980’s. During this time, the firm has handled thousands of asbestos cases. Our attorneys have been in trial against the various plaintiffs’ firms through out the country. We have tried all varieties of asbestos matters from disputed asbestosis cases to the lung cancer/smoking cases to the more challenging living mesothelioma bystander/take home exposure cases with young plaintiffs. More recently, we have taken to trial the non-traditional mesothelioma cases such as peritoneal mesothelioma and testicular mesothelioma. Since 2003, we have gone to verdict no less than 25 times. However, we have also begun trial in hundreds of cases where they resolved, by way of a favorable settlement or dismissal, prior to verdict.

Chairs

Asbestos Litigation