Toxic Tort

Adams and Reese has defended global manufacturing companies in complex toxic tort and environmental litigation throughout the United States.

Our lawyers are recognized with a Tier 1 National ranking in Mass Tort / Class Actions Litigation and a Tier 2 National ranking in Oil and Gas Law in U.S. News – Best Lawyers Best Law Firms ranking (2018, U.S News & World Report and Best Lawyers® (by BL Rankings, LLC) for their work representing Fortune 50 oil, gas, and petrochemical manufacturers as well as manufacturers whose operations have seen the use of alleged toxic substances such as asbestos, plastics, benzene, MTBE and NORM.

Our lawyers serve as national counsel – managing mass tort dockets in the hundreds of cases across multiple jurisdictions – as well as national trial counsel – defining trial strategy – and local trial counsel.

Oil, gas and petrochemicals. We represent multiple global petroleum and petrochemical companies in mass tort actions, including class actions, as well as Superfund matters and government investigations and regulatory actions. We have defended against claims of injury and illness resulting from the use or storage of DDT, benzene, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and other substances.
Asbestos. Adams and Reese has defended clients in asbestos matters for more than 25 years – handling more than 10,000 cases – and continues to do so. Recently, when a global petrochemical company faced a wave of mass tort filings in Mississippi and Louisiana, including allegations of asbestos injuries, we fielded trial teams to try cases in the most plaintiff-friendly jurisdictions in the United States. We tried multiple cases – and some simultaneously – to favorable verdicts.
NORM. Adams and Reese lawyers currently work as part of a multi-faceted trial team focused on complex litigation related to damage claims resulting from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in oil and gas operations.

We are a regional firm that handles national toxic tort dockets. We have a commitment to entrepreneurial and preventive resolution of cases and alternative fee arrangements. We seek solutions and approach billing in ways that bring both predictability and cost-effectiveness to our defense of clients. – Christopher Derden, Toxic Torts Team Leader

Summary

The Adams and Reese Toxic Tort Team is with you in the moments following a catastrophic incident, and we see you through to its resolution. We work to obtain as much information as possible in those first critical hours, in order to give you the best chance of understanding the cause and responsible parties as well as your rights under the law. Our decades-long experience handling toxic tort matters enables us to move quickly, resulting in cost-effective representation in what can be a high-risk environment.

In addition to handling complex toxic tort litigation, our lawyers have represented clients in all types of environmental permitting, transport, and disposal matters, drafting and reviewing environmental agreements, and advising on compliance with a full range of local, state and federal regulations. We represent clients in administrative hearings and enforcement proceedings before local, state and federal environmental agencies.

Our attorneys have engineering, science, medical and military backgrounds, and members of our team collaborate across offices to collect the proper documentation, testimony and evidence and to staff motions practice and trial teams. Involvement in leading litigation defense organizations such as DRI helps us to keep pace with the latest strategies and theories from the plaintiff’s side.

Comparative Cost Effectiveness

In multiple cases where we have been local counsel in major litigation managed by national firms, our clients have realized that we bring comparable value at more competitive rates.