Weitz & Luxenberg -- a mass tort and personal-injury litigation law firm in New York -- announced the hiring of Texas 'Super Lawyer' James A. Morris, Jr. Weitz & Luxenberg said Morris is a strong addition to the firm -- over the years, he has won millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for his mesothelioma and defective-drug injury clients.
New York, NY (PRWEB) June 25, 2012
Texas plaintiffs' attorney James A Morris, Jr., – who, over the span of his career, won millions for his clients by nimbly waging courtroom battles to protect their rights and deliver justice – has joined Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C., it was today announced by the New York-based mass tort and personal-injury litigation law-firm.
Morris will work from Weitz & Luxenberg's offices in Manhattan. He will serve as counsel to individuals injured by asbestos exposure or by use of defective drugs, the firm said.
The harm most often arising from asbestos exposure is mesothelioma, a nearly always fatal cancer that carries with it exorbitant costs the victim must bear during treatments intended to postpone death and quell excruciating pain, the firm explained.
Asbestos-exposure cases are expected to present Morris with the most twists and turns in the runups to trial for the reason that these litigations typically require extensive detective work in order to uncover all potentially liable parties, the firm said, adding that "Mr. Morris is particularly well-suited to this task."
With regard to defective drugs, Morris has consistently won pivotal bellwether trials at critical junctures, the most significant occurring in 2008 when he won $29 million for a Little Rock, Ark., woman who developed breast cancer after using Prempro – an award affirmed by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (Scroggin v. Wyeth 586 F.3rd 547 2009 ), Weitz & Luxenberg indicated.
Other key Morris triumphs: In 2007, he obtained the first verdict against Pharmacia and Upjohn – $1.5 million for a woman whose breast cancer was caused by use of the drug Provera (Simon v. Wyeth 2009 PA Super 263 Atlantic 2009); in 2004, he won the first Fen-Phen intermediate opt-out case in the country against Wyeth Pharmaceuticals – $1.4 million for a plaintiff who suffered heart damage (Hayes v. Wyeth, 09-04-00135-CV 9th Court of Appeals, Texas), the firm said.
"Mr. Morris brings with him to our firm an impressive record of successful litigations against defendants whose conduct caused innocent victims to suffer costly physical and emotional harm," Weitz & Luxenberg said. "We welcome the addition of his formidable legal skills to our team of nearly 100 attorneys, knowing that the biggest beneficiaries will be our clients."
Before joining Weitz & Luxenberg, Morris was managing attorney of Morris Law Firm, an Austin, Tex., a practice he founded. Earlier, he acted as managing attorney of the Austin office of Brent Coon and Associates, this after serving as an equity partner in the Beaumont, Tex., firm of Provost & Umphrey, according to Weitz & Luxenberg.
The son of a successful trial lawyer, Morris is admitted to practice law in the states of Texas, Colorado and Pennsylvania, and he is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in personal-injury trial law, the firm said. According to the objective Martindale-Hubbell peer-reviewed attorney rating system, Morris's ethical standards and professional ability are of the highest order ("AV Preeminent"). Additionally, every year since 2007, Law & Politics Magazine has conferred upon him "Super Lawyer" status, Weitz & Luxenberg said.
Morris, the firm noted, is the coauthor of a chapter in a 2005 Fen-Phen litigation textbook, entitled Drug Injury: Liability, Analysis and Prevention (2nd edition, with Kip Petroff), and is active with the American Association of Justice and the Texas Trial Lawyers Assn.
Weitz & Luxenberg said Morris began his career in law soon after receiving in 1986 a juris doctor degree from South Texas College of Law, and indicated he holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Baylor University.
About Weitz & Luxenberg:
Founded in 1986 by attorneys Perry Weitz and Arthur Luxenberg, Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C., today ranks among the nation's leading law firms. Weitz & Luxenberg has secured more than $6.5 billion in verdicts and settlements for its clients. The firm's numerous practice areas include: asbestos and mesothelioma, defective medicines and devices, environmental pollutants, accidents, personal injury, and medical malpractice. Victims of accidents are invited to rely on Weitz & Luxenberg's more than 25 years of handling such cases – begin by contacting the firm's Client Relations department at 1-800-476-6070 or at clientrelations(at)weitzlux(dot)com and ask for a free legal consultation. More information: http://www.weitzlux.com
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/6/prweb9633568.htm
