Baron & Budd, P.C., Attorneys Earn Trial Lawyer of the Year Award

DALLAS – Attorneys from the Dallas law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., have earned the prestigious “Trial Lawyer of the Year Award” presented by Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.

The lawyers from Baron & Budd and Richard “Rick” Gonzales of Tucson, Ariz.-based The Gonzales Law Firm, P.C., were chosen for this year’s award based on their combined work in two cases involving groundwater contamination in the Tucson area.

Attorneys Fred Baron, Misty Farris, Steve Baughman Jensen, Renee Melancon, Janice Robinson Pennington, Jane Saginaw and Thomas Sims earned individual recognition during the awards presentation held July 18 at TLPJ’s annual meeting in Seattle.

“The dedication of the attorneys and our clients’ persistence produced a result in these cases that will benefit future generations for many years to come,” says Russell W. Budd, Managing Shareholder of Baron & Budd. “We are very proud of the firm’s work, and we are very grateful to be recognized for this incredible honor.”

Baron & Budd represented more than 1,600 Tucson-area residents in claims against an aircraft manufacturer, the City of Tucson and the Tucson Airport Authority over groundwater contamination. Much of the contamination was caused by 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 residents who had filed their original claim in 1985. The 21-year legal battle helped define Arizona laws on pollution coverage issues, and is widely considered among the most important litigation 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 www.baronandbudd.com.