I represent people, not corporations. I handled my first mesothelioma case in 2008, and mesothelioma litigation has been the focus of my practice ever since. I live in Houston, Texas, with my wife and three kids (and our rescue dog).
Background & Motivation
I first became involved in mesothelioma litigation while I was still in law school. I talked my way into a position as a research assistant and law clerk for a firm that represented people with mesothelioma in courtrooms across the country. Knowing literally nothing about asbestos or mesothelioma – even pronouncing it was difficult at first – I became fascinated with the basic story of almost all mesothelioma cases: asbestos is poisonous, and the companies knew it. I can remember reading cases as a clerk, as well as company records and testimony about the asbestos disaster, and thinking: “How can this be?” I was a “true believer” in cases brought by mesothelioma victims by the time I graduated from law school, but representing people with asbestos cancer as their lawyer put things into a whole new perspective.
I met my first mesothelioma client shortly after I became a lawyer in 2008. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised (almost confused) when he answered the door with a smile. He did not look sick. I met him at a warehouse where he kept boxes of old stuff. The thought was that somehow, somewhere, he might have something in the boxes relating to his case (even if it was a long shot). Digging through musty boxes of stuff belonging to a person I’d never met in a place I’d never been, looking for things I knew nothing about. This was my introduction to being a mesothelioma lawyer.
More importantly, meeting my first client – this once-upon-a-time stranger – put a human face on mesothelioma that I had not yet seen. Great guy. Worked hard all his life. Loving family. He was enjoying the retirement he earned when his symptoms began. When I drove away at the end of the day, the thought wouldn’t leave: “This isn’t fair.”
I’ve represented many people with mesothelioma since that first case. On the one hand, I feel grateful to be part of a profession that allows you to be a true believer as your profession. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to meet and do whatever I can to help people who find themselves in a circumstance they did not request or deserve. On the other hand, I often tell clients that part of me wishes we had never met, or that we had met under different circumstances, because it would mean they would not know what it’s like to deal with mesothelioma.
The reason I remain committed to representing people with mesothelioma goes back to the thought that wouldn’t leave my mind after meeting my first client at the warehouse: Fairness. My clients are in an inherently unfair situation. They have cancer due to the conduct committed by the companies that harmed them decades ago. It’s unfair to ask cancer patients to remember specific details that seemed unimportant 10 to 20 to 30 years earlier or more. It’s unfair that, when they bring a lawsuit, they enter a playing field against companies with far greater resources and years of experience defending mesothelioma cases. It’s unfair that I can’t heal my clients. But I can do my best to make sure that, in court, their voice is heard and that someone has their back. That they see and know the companies that harmed them will be held accountable. That they matter. I do everything I can to bring fairness to an unfair situation. That’s my job.
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