Our law firm has been selected for inclusion on the Law 360 Most Feared Plaintiffs Firm list for our accomplishments in the past year. The list identifies law firms nationwide that have secured the largest awards for their Plaintiff clients. Eleven firms were selected for inclusion on the List. We are honored to be selected to the Law 360 Most Feared Plaintiff’s Firms list. Our lawyers and support staff are dedicated to our firm’s mission of “helping those who need it most,” and make it our goal to secure justice for our clients.
The firms selected had huge wins for their clients in complex cases that have a wide impact on the law and legal business. The firm was selected based on cumulative wins over the last year, but the following cases in particular set the firm apart from others and earned it a spot on the list:
• In the BP Oil Spill litigation, Alabama lawyers from our firm helped resolve the state’s claims against BP PLC for economic loss. This accounted for about half the state’s compensation in the record-breaking settlement. Alabama received $2 billion of this year’s proposed $18.7 billion settlement with BP over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
• Working alongside Georgia lawyer Lance Cooper, the firm helped secure a settlement for the parents of Brooke Melton, the 29-year-old nurse who died in an accident in 2010 while driving her 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt. The case was critical in uncovering the GM ignition switch defect, which led to the creation of an MDL and the criminal investigation and fine.
• In March, Beasley Allen secured a nearly $19 million verdict against truck dealer Empire Truck Sales, in favor of a man who became paralyzed when the freightliner he was driving spun out of control after Empire serviced the truck.
• The firm’s Mass Torts section, under the leadership of section head Andy Birchfield, helped secure a $2.4 billion settlement for victims of diabetes drug Actos, which has been linked to bladder cancer.
• The most recent verdict was earlier this month when a Georgia Federal court found in favor of Cheryl Bullock and awarded $8 million against Volkswagen AG in a sudden unintended acceleration crash that caused her serious injuries.
Rhon Jones, head of the firm’s Toxic Torts section, worked on the Plaintiffs’ steering committee for the BP oil spill litigation. He told Law 360 that hard work has its own rewards, in addition to courtroom victories. Rhon said:
I know it may sound strange, but it is fun to work on these high-profile cases that are on the cutting edge of the litigation that’s going on in all of our country. Being a lifelong Alabamian, it’s a real privilege to be able to represent your state and work for your governor in a case this important.
While I don’t mind our firm being “feared,” by huge corporations that put defective and dangerous products on the market, I believe it’s also very important to be “respected.” Lawyers in our firm try their best to do things both well and in the right way. Both are very important. I have to believe that’s why our firm is both feared and respected.
