NEW YORK, June 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ClassAction.com is proud to announce that renowned environmental attorney Jan Schlichtmann, of Civil Action fame, has joined the Morgan & Morgan firm as Of Counsel. Attorney Schlichtmann is internationally recognized for his pioneering work fighting for communities whose health and safety have been endangered by toxic waste.
Beginning in the early 1980s, Attorney Schlichtmann came to international attention for his cutting-edge work representing eight Woburn, Massachusetts families whose children were afflicted with leukemia. Mr. Schlichtmann brought to court two of the largest corporations at the time, W.R. Grace & Co. and Beatrice Foods, for allegedly contaminating the local water supply with chemical waste. The case gained worldwide attention as the subject of Jonathan Harr's bestselling book A Civil Action, which was later adapted into a 1998 Touchstone film starring John Travolta.
In 1997, Attorney Schlichtmann once again took up the cause when he represented 69 families in Toms River, New Jersey whose children were suffering from an epidemic of childhood cancer. Under Attorney Schlichtmann's leadership, the companies implicated in the pollution of the community's drinking water—Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Union Carbide, and United Water Resources—eventually entered into a first-of-its-kind settlement that avoided what could have been years of protracted litigation. His standard-setting work was the subject of Dan Fagin's Pulitzer Prize-winning book Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation (Bantam Books, 2013).
Outside the courtroom, Attorney Schlichtmann has devoted himself to sharing with others the hard-earned lessons from his fight for environmental justice. Attorney Schlichtmann has lectured at many of the nation's finest law schools, universities, and colleges; spoken before numerous national and regional professional and civic groups; appeared on a number of the country's major radio and television shows; and has participated in an array of public forums on issues of law, public policy, and the environment. In addition, Attorney Schlichtmann has consulted with and testified before several governmental agencies and legislative committees on issues regarding the environment, science, and civil justice.
After his Woburn odyssey ended, Attorney Schlichtmann served on a special legislative committee to revise the Massachusetts Hazardous Waste Cleanup Statute, which went into effect in 1992. In 2004, Attorney Schlichtmann co-founded the Legal Broadcast Network to help bring public attention to important issues of law, justice, and the environment.
But it's his reputation for winning major verdicts and settlements for his injured clients that precedes him.
"Jan's passion for environmental justice is legendary and ClassAction.com is thrilled to have him by our side working to fight for the people whose lives have been devastated by toxic waste and corporate greed," said attorney Scott Weinstein.
Mr. Schlichtmann will work alongside a team of attorneys at ClassAction.com—including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—who are similarly committed to public health and safety, working every day to hold corporations accountable for environmental pollution. Recently the firm filed class action lawsuits on behalf of victims afflicted by the Calumet lead crisis in East Chicago and those impacted by the Mosaic sinkhole in Florida.
"It is an honor to join the ClassAction.com team," Attorney Schlichtmann said. "I look forward to helping carry out its mission to fight for environmental justice and the right of communities to be free of contaminated water, soil, and air."
About ClassAction.com
ClassAction.com is sponsored by Morgan & Morgan, one of the largest and most successful plaintiffs' law firms in the nation.
The firm has taken on some of the biggest, most powerful companies in the world—including Big Tobacco, drug and device makers, insurance companies, automakers, and energy companies—and recovered more than $4 billion for over 200,000 clients.
ClassAction.com's endeavors are rooted in Morgan & Morgan's core mission: always fight "For the people, not the powerful."
Media Enquiries:
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SOURCE ClassAction.com
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