February 9, 2010

"CSX Chases Plaintiff Firm Over Asbestos"

"A railroad company's dogged pursuit of conspiracy and fraud charges against an asbestos law firm is unfolding in a federal appellate court and with a major assist from business and tort reform groups." [Marcia Coyle, NLJ]

January 29, 2010

Around the web, January 29

Tour of the states edition:

• "It Is New Jersey, But Business to Business Sex Harassment?" [Michael Fox]
• California as "litigation magnet"? State high court hears asbestos venue case [CalLaw "Legal Pad", Cal Biz Lit]
• New York wins big round in $13 billion wholesale pricing suit against drug makers [Longstreth, AmLaw Litigation Daily]
• Florida state Sen. Dave Aronberg praises trial lawyers' response to drywall problem, three guesses as to what's his day job [Broward-Palm Beach New Times]
• Pennsylvania lawyer: "I like the idea, and I will be shot for this, of a cap on damages'' [Paul Carpenter/Allentown Morning Call]
• Class action connections in the New Mexico AG's office: "Ex-Associate's Suit Proceeds Against Labaton Over Origination Fees" [NYLJ]

January 25, 2010

Beau Biden drops out of Delaware Senate race

Which means there'll be less attention to the curious world of asbestos lawyering over the next election cycle. Michelle Malkin has more.

January 18, 2010

Around the web, January 18

• Massachusetts Senate race could give Republicans the added vote they need to block EFCA [Cal Labor Law] New poll shows union members opposing card check [Workforce Fairness Institute via Eric B. Meyer]
• ObamaCare demonstration projects: "Oregon Seeks $300,000 Tort Reform Grant" [Lund Report]
• Employers advised to make staff "sign and acknowledge receipt" of not-so-favorable performance reviews [Schwartz]
• Any and all tactics? Website of Center for Justice and Democracy offers "kudos" for disruption of Detroit Auto Show [Pop Tort]
• Market for directors' and officers' insurance on the rise in Europe as lawsuit risks mount [Kevin Lacroix]
• Kirk Hartley of the Global Tort blog, a key stop for coverage of asbestos and bankruptcy issues, is switching law firms.
  

January 7, 2010

Albany: Senate boss joins plaintiff's firm Belluck & Fox

"[John] Sampson, the state Senate Democratic leader, quietly accepted a job last month as 'counsel' to Belluck & Fox, a politically connected Manhattan law firm that specializes in asbestos litigation and that claims to have won $220 million in judgments." Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver, of course, has long been on board at one of the city's biggest tort firms. "Like Silver, Sampson won't say how much his job pays. And, as is the case with Silver's firm, Weitz & Luxenberg, a founding partner of Sampson's firm, Joseph W. Belluck, sits on the board of the state Trial Lawyers Association." One veteran lobbyist said "the trial lawyers are now covered in both houses". [NY Post via NY Civic]

December 17, 2009

Los Angeles jury rejects $26 million asbestos suit

Did the plaintiffs ask for too much? What they got was a defense verdict: "The jury found that William James Goebel, who died at age 78, was exposed to asbestos from Kaiser Gypsum and Ford, but that there was no defect in the design of those defendants' products. The jurors concluded Goebel was not exposed to asbestos from Daimler Trucks." Five other defendants had settled out earlier. [Cynthia Lambert, California Civil Justice]

December 11, 2009

"California Economic Recovery Taking Hold -- For Asbestos Lawyers"

"Out-of-state plaintiffs' firms that file high-dollar asbestos claims are opening offices in California. The state's plaintiff-friendly asbestos litigation rules, combined with recent legal reforms in other states, are drawing big-name asbestos firms to the Los Angeles and San Francisco courts, where big-dollar success beckons." [California Civil Justice]

November 19, 2009

Waiting for pleural plaques in the UK

The UK government has yet to announce a decision on compensating for pleural plaques other than "as soon as possible." [h/t GlobalTort]

A picture is worth a thousand words or several thousand dollars

Someone has kindly posted pictures of various asbestos-containing products. [h/t GlobalTort]

The Litigation Industry - 1 Lung Cancer and 17 Mesothelioma Lawsuits - A Week's Worth of Madison County New Asbestos Case Filings

From Global Tort, a summary of asbestos case filings from the week of July 27-31.