DALLAS, June 30 LAWFUEL – Law News Network — Attorneys from the Dallas law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., have been named as finalists for the prestigious “Trial Lawyer of the Year Award” presented by Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.
The lawyers from Baron & Budd and attorney Richard “Rick” Gonzales of
Tucson, Ariz.-based The Gonzales Law Firm, P.C., earned consideration for
this year’s award based on their work in two separate cases involving
groundwater contamination in the Tucson area. The current and former Baron & Budd attorneys named as finalists include Fred Baron, Misty Farris, Steve Baughman Jensen, Renee Melancon, Janice Robinson Pennington, Jane Saginaw
and Thomas Sims.
“The attorneys who worked on this team are extremely gratified to be
considered for such a remarkable honor,” says Russell W. Budd, Managing
Shareholder of Baron & Budd. “These cases exemplify the very reason that
many of our lawyers decided to practice law in the first place.”
The lawsuits drawing the attention of TLPJ involved claims against an
aircraft manufacturer, the City of Tucson and the Tucson Airport Authority over groundwater contamination caused by the use of industrial solvents
containing trichloroethylene, or TCE, which is classified as a probable and suspected carcinogen. Baron & Budd’s clients suffered a variety of injuries – – including cancer — due to their exposure to TCE through the city’s
water supply.
The litigation reached its conclusion in June 2006 when insurers agreed
to fund settlements for more than 1,600 Tucson-area residents who filed
their original claim in 1985. The 21-year legal battle resulted in
recoveries of more than $150 million for Baron & Budd’s clients and helped
define Arizona laws on pollution coverage issues. The litigation is widely regarded among the most important cases in U.S. history involving personal injuries caused by water pollution.
Trial Lawyers for Public Justice presents its “Trial Lawyer of the Year
Award” to the trial attorney or attorneys who have made the greatest
contribution to the public interest within the past year by trying or
settling a precedent-setting case or cases. TLPJ describes finalists and
recipients as exemplifying “how trial lawyers use their skills and
determination to create a more just society.”
About Baron & Budd, P.C.
Since 1977, the law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C. has championed the
rights of people and communities harmed by corporate misconduct. With more than 80 attorneys and offices in Texas, Ohio, Louisiana, and New York, Baron & Budd enjoys a national reputation as a leader of the plaintiffs’
bar.
The firm represents individuals with mesothelioma and other diseases
caused by asbestos; leukemia caused by benzene; injuries caused by other
toxic substances and unsafe pharmaceuticals; water authorities seeking
clean-up costs for drinking water contamination; securities investors
defrauded by corporate wrongdoing; and consumers in class actions.
For more information about Baron & Budd, call 1-800-222-2766 or visit
http://www.baronandbudd.com .
