I grew up in Cincinnati Ohio, where I attended the University of Cincinnati College of Arts and Sciences. I graduated with high honors in 1970.
In 1972, I received my education in law from the University of California in Los Angeles, where I served on law review and graduated in 1975.
From 1975 to 1978, I worked with the Law Offices of Kenneth L. Knapp in Los Angeles in a general personal injury practice.
In 1978, I joined the firm of Voorhies, Greene, O'Reily and Agnew in Los Angeles, and became a partner in 1980 in the firm then known as Greene, O'Reilly, Broillet, Paul, Simon, and Wheeler.
While at the Greene firm, I worked exclusively in asbestos litigation, and obtained the first plaintiffs' verdict in the United States against a brake lining defendant (Richard Hedlom v. Raybestos Manhattan).
Some of my other notable verdicts included Chester Fairchild v. Owens Corning Fiberglass, et al. (a 1986 verdict of $3.3 million for an 83-year old former Navy ship repairman) and
George Lai v. Raymark (a 1987 $1.25 million verdict for a 64 year-old former Pearl Harbor pipe fitter; $500,000 in punitive damages).
In 1990, I moved to Oakland, California, and became a partner in the law firm of Kazan, McClain, Edises & Simon. While at the Kazan firm, over the ensuing decade, my practice was primarily in asbestos litigation. I was lead counsel in numerous asbestos plaintiffs verdicts over $1 million.
I was also the lead trial counsel in Rosario v Diamond Shamrock Corp. (1992) (Alameda Superior Court 687219-1) involving a chemical plant worker with lung cancer from exposure to bischloromethylether (BCME) wherein the jury rendered a verdict for Mr. Rosario after 16 weeks of trial testimony in the amount of $4,656,000.
Other verdicts include:
Robert Morton v. Owens Corning Fiberglas (1993)
33 Cal.App.4th 1539. Mr. Morton, age 52, worked at the New York Shipbuilding Yard in New Jersey during construction of the USS Kitty Hawk. The jury returned a verdict in his favor in the amount of $3,484,170.00. The defendant, Owens Corning Fiberglas, appealed. The appellate court held that the "consumers expectation" test was sufficient to prove that OCF's asbestos was defective and that "state-of-the-art" evidence was neither necessary nor relevant.
George Alfaro v. Owens Corning Fiberglas (1994) Alameda County Superior Court 727494-4. Mr. Alfaro had been a US Navy boiler repairman and a process operator at the Tosco Oil refinery. The jury found that Owens Corning Fiberglas' "Kaylo" asbestos products were defective and a cause of Mr. Alfaro's mesothelioma. The jury awarded $6,939,279.01, which included punitive damages in the amount of $4,500,000.01.
Salazar, Francom, and Hockenhull v. Owens Corning Fiberglas (1994) Alameda County Superior Court 645254-8 (consolidated). These three wrongful death cases were consolidated for trial. The Court found that Owens Corning Fiberglas' "Kaylo" asbestos products were defective,. In a subsequent phase, plaintiffs were awarded damages of $6,665,500 in Salazar (Mr. Salazar was a laboratory technician at a uranium mill and suffered from peritoneal mesothelioma); $3,685,000 in Francom (Mr. Francom had pleural mesothelioma and was a career shipyard worker); and $5,245,000 in Hockenhull (Mr. Hockenhull was a laborer, who was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma.) The award included punitive damages of $1 million per case, for a total of $16,595,500.00.
John Treadway v. Owens Corning Fiberglas (1995)
Alameda County Superior Court 738601-1. Mr. Treadway was exposed to Owens Corning Fiberglas' "Kaylo" asbestos products while serving in the Navy. The jury found that Kaylo products were a cause of Mr. Treadway's mesothelioma, and returned a verdict in the amount of $4,245,763.00.
Cecil Vavak v Owens-Corning Fiberglas (Westinghouse Elect. Co) Alameda Superior Court 768022-7 (1996) involving an electrician at PG&E who developed mesothlioma. The jury returned a verdict in the amount $1.4 million.
Additionally, I co-tried the first latex glove allergy trial in the United States, McGinnis v. Baxter Healthcare (1996) Baxter Healthcare was a maker of latex gloves. The plaintiff was a respiratory therapist in Stockton, California, and developed a latex allergy from exposure to and use of latex gloves on the job . The verdict was $1.5 million.)
In 1997, I was chosen one of the Lawyers of the Year by California Lawyer magazine for my involvement in litigation involving cancer caused by bischloromethylether (BCME).
Also in 1997, I was a Trial Lawyer of the Year finalist of the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.
In 2002, I partnered with Ronald J. Shingler here in Antioch. My current practice consists primarily of asbestos-related cancers and other toxic torts.
In 2003, I was co-counsel in the case of Soule v. John Crane, which resulted in a verdict of $2,593,221.00 for a man who developed mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure which occurred while he was a machinist's mate in the Navy.
Professional Memberships include the Alameda Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Governors (In 2000, I served as their president); Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Consumer Attorneys of California. I was also a member of the Plaintiffs' Creditors Committee in the Johns-Manville bankruptcy proceeding.
