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MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Report shows Gori firm files most asbestos cases in Madison County and nationwide

Asbestos 09

Madison County's asbestos court remains the most active docket in the country, according to mid-year figures compiled by Washington-based consulting firm KCIC.

And while asbestos filings through June 30 are down by 2 percent nationwide compared to the same period last year, the number of new cases filed in Madison County through June 30 are up by 10 percent.

As of June 30, there were 619 cases filed in Madison County compared to 563 filed as of June 30, 2015.

Edwardsville-based Gori, Julian and Associates had a 34 percent increase this year through June 30 compared to the first half of last year - from 134 last year to 179 this year.

The mid-year report also places the Gori firm as the nation's leading asbestos filer, outpacing Weitz & Luxenberg of New York.

Top 15 plaintiff firms through June 30, 2016 compared to filings through June 30, 2015:

Gori Julian: 267; 231

Weitz & Luxenberg: 228; 213

Simmons Hanly Conroy: 203; 202

Peter G. Angelos: 163; 162

Maune Raichle Hartley French & Mudd: 115; 111

Goldberg, Persky & White: 104; 105

Cooney Conway: 93; 90

SWMK: 66; 57

Peter T. Nicholl: 49; 110

Shrader & Associates: 43; 41

Napoli Shkolnik: 40; 4

Savinis & Kane: 32; 6

Lipsitz & Ponterio: 30; 21

Belluck & Fox: 29; 34

Motley Rice: 28; 25

The Gori firm, which has added offices in St. Louis, New Orleans and Los Angeles, was ranked second nationally in a KCIC report issued earlier this year, after the number one national asbestos filer, Baltimore-based Peter Angelos.

In Madison County, the Gori firm has leaped ahead of the Simmons firm of Alton, which for years has dominated filings here.

"Simmons Hanly Conroy still shows the second most filings in this jurisdiction, though at this point they are slightly below their filings in the first half of 2015," the report states.

Also of note in KCIC's analysis of Madison County is an acceleration of filings from asbestos firm Cooney Conway of Chicago. The report indicates that through June 30, Cooney Conway has filed 25 lawsuits here, compared to only one in the first half of 2015.

Before this year, the firm primarily filed cases in Cook County.

Top filers in Madison County through June 30, 2016 compared to figures through June 30, 2015:

Gori, Julian & Associates: 179; 134

Simmons Hanly Conroy: 160; 62

Maune Raichle Hartley: 107; 101

SWMK: 54; 44

Shrader & Associates: 41; 37

Cooney Conway: 25; 1

Richardson, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman: 9; 10

Napoli Bern Ripka Shkolnik/Napoli Shkolnik: 8; 1

Flint Law: 6; 34

Lanier Law: 6; 4

Goldenberg Heller Antognoli & Rowland: 6; 3

Karst & Von Oiste: 5; 4

Bailey Peavy Baily: 4; 2

Bullock Campbell Bullock & Harris: 3; 8

Walton Telken Foster: 2; 2

O’Brien Law: 1; 9

Morgan & Morgan: 1; 3

Goldberg, Persky & White: 1; 0

Paul Mcinnes: 1; 0

Carver, Cantin & Grantham: 0; 3

Dubose Law Firm: 0; 1

Berman Law: 0; 1

Pintas & Mullins: 0; 1

Through mid-year, the report indicates that cases filed in Madison County make up 29 percent of total filings nationwide, and 48 percent of mesothelioma cases.

KCIC analysis shows a "significant increase" in suits filed in other jurisdictions, including St. Louis which experienced a 23 percent increase over last year's mid-year filings.

Other courts that experienced increases over last year's mid-year position were Allegheny, Pa. at 52 percent; Los Angeles at 46 percent and New Orleans at 53 percent.

By contrast, some experienced significantly fewer filings than in the first part of 2015. Most notably, the report indicates, are St. Clair County with 47 percent fewer and Cook County with 23 percent fewer.

Top jurisdictions through June 30, 2016, compared to figures through June 30, 2015:

Madison County: 619; 563

New York: 184; 193

Baltimore City, Md.: 182; 233

St. Louis: 133; 108

Philadelphia: 90; 93

Wayne, Mich.: 86; 125

New Castle, Del.: 74; 71

Cook County: 73; 95

Los Angeles: 57; 39

Kanawha, W.V.: 55; 55

Allegheny, Pa.: 50; 33

Middlesex, N.J.: 46; 35

St Clair Co.: 30; 57

Orleans Parish: 29; 19

Alameda Co., Calif.: 24; 29

Total: 1,732; 1,748

The report shows a comparative decrease in all disease types except for mesothelioma, which according to KCIC showed an increase of 10.7 percent through June 30.

It states that the most notable decrease is in non-malignant filings, which are down 24.3% from this point in 2015.

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