Below are summaries of our trials from 2025
John Shannon and Elizabeth Shannon v. Carrier Corporation; CAL-Steam, Inc; IMO Industries LLC; Red-White Valve Corporation; The William Powell Company; et al.
Civil Jury Trial
State of California, City and County of San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Samuel K. Feng
Trial Type: John Shannon, born in 1946 in County Carlow, Ireland, worked initially in the pipefitting trade beginning in 1962 in England based at the Yorkshire Switchgear Factory in Leeds, then, after moving to Canada, completed his apprenticeship. He next moved to San Francisco, initially working at Todd Shipyard before continuing to work as career journeyman pipefitter, Union UA Local 38, throughout the Bay Area including at Alameda Naval Air Station, BART, Bethlehem Shipyard, Triple A Machine Shop (Pier 64), PG&E, Sir Francis Drake Hotel, Citicorp Bank Building (1 Sansome), San Quentin State Prison, Kaiser Hospital – San Francisco, San Francisco City Hall, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and Metreon. Mr Shannon was exposed to various asbestos-containing products in his jobs and was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare form of mesothelioma cancer in the abdominal cavity.
Case settled as to all case defendants after jury selection following the Court ruling on all Motions in Limine and denying defendants Motion for Reverse Bifurcation of the trial in excess of $6,500,000.00.
October – November 2025
Damon Lee Raines et al v. Ameron International Corporation, et al.
Civil Jury Trial
State of California, City and County of San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Samuel K. Feng
Trial Type: Since the mid 1970s decedent Christopher (“Chris”) Baker was a well known Union 230 Forman pipefitter/welder working at numerous projects throughout Southern California including San Diego at major jobsites (San Onofre, Diablo Canyon, Southern California Edison, Bechtel) with pumps, valves, piping systems, spent fuel containers, Byron Jackson pumps and various asbestos-containing products including gaskets, packing, insulation, pipes, refrigeration and furnace roving, spiral wound seals and other products made by Garlock, Flexitalic, Lamons Gasket Company. Mr Baker developed cancer and passed away in 2022.
Case resolved as to all case defendants on the eve of hearings on motions in limine and jury hardshipping/selection in excess of $2,000,000.00.
October 2025
Margarita Guzman, as Successor-in-Interest to and as Wrongful Death Heir of Rodolfo Guzman Jr, Deceased; Cindy Guzman, Katie Oliver and Margarita Jo Guzman as Wrongful Death Heirs of Rodolfo Guzman, Jr, Deceased v. Boss Manufacturing Company et al.
Civil Jury Trial
State of California, City and County of San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Samuel K. Feng
Trial Type: Wrongful Death case brought by certain heirs of retired 85-year old career ironworker and welder Rudolfo Guzman Jr who, after service in the US Marine Corps aboard ships as a Cannoneer, worked at various locations first in and around San Antonio, Lubbock and Austin, Texas then later in the San Francisco Greater Bay Area from 1952 through 1985 who developed asbestos-related fibrotic lung disease and later lung cancer discovered at autopsy. Case defendants were manufacturers and distributors of asbestos-containing building products.
Case resolved as to all case defendants on the eve of pre-trial motions before jury selection in excess of $1,000,000.00 as to all case defendants.
October 2025
Timonthy Murray & James Murray, as Wrongful Death Heirs of Joseph Murray, Deceased v. Amcord Inc., Stockton Putty Plant aka Valley Stucco & Putty Plant, Inc., et al.
Civil Jury Trial
State of California, City and County of San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Samuel K. Feng
Trial Type: Wrongful Death case brought by the two sons of retired 85-year old career Lather, Joseph Murray, who, after serving in the United States Marine Corps as an Anti-Aircraft Gunner from 1945-1946 at Parris Island, South Carolina, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Camp Pendleton, California and Treasure Island, California, worked with and around asbestos-containing products in the lathe and plaster trade from 1946 to 1988 throughout Central California at hospitals, including St. Joseph’s Hospital and Stockton State Hospital, churches, apartments, single-family homes, schools, including Delta College in Stockton, California, shopping malls including Vintage Faire Mall in Modesto, California, banks and office buildings. He developed mesothelioma and died from the spread of that debilitating and incurable asbestos-caused cancer.
Case resolved as to all case defendants on the eve of pre-trial motions before jury selection in excess of $1,500.000.00 as to all case defendants.
September 2025
John Burns and Christine Burns v. Ace Property and Casualty Company, Westchester Fire Insurance Company with Respect to Policies Novated from United States Fire Insurance Company as Potential Insurers of DC Distribution Corporation, a Suspended Corporation successor to Heieck & Moran Supply Company and Moran Supply Company, et al.
Civil Jury Trial
State of California, County of San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Samuel K. Feng
Trial Type: Retired career plumber, age 83, who worked throughout the San Francisco Bay Area for over 40 years at various locations and jobs including at Indian Valley College for Cooper Brothers Plumbing between 1972-1974 where he installed, cut and beveled Johns-Manville transite pipe used for water lines delivered to the job by trucks marked with the names Heieck and Moran on the truck doors. Lung cancer personal injury case with asbestos radiologic markers of occupational exposure to asbestos. Loss of consortium case for his wife.
Case resolved during pre-trial hearings before jury selection in excess of $2,500,000.00 as to all case defendants.
August 2025
Janis Hardeman, as Successor-in-Interest to and Wrongful Death Heir of Stanford Hardeman, Deceased, et al. v. Westburne Supply, Inc. (fka P.E. O’Hair Supply Co.) et al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Christopher C. Hite
Trial Type: Wrongful death from sarcomatoid mesothelioma of 74-year old former laborer and sprinklerfitter exposed to asbestos from spray-applied direct-to-steel fireproofing, gaskets, packing, controls, industrial pumps, cements and thermal insulations while working at construction sites and City of San Francisco building renovations including City Hall from 1964 through 2022. The products were sold and supplied by local distributors throughout San Francisco.
Case resolved in excess of $3,500,000.00 after pre-trial motions in limine were ruled upon prior to commencement of jury selection.
July-August 2025
Anonymous v. Caesarstone, U.S.A, Cambria Company LLC, EIDP, Inc. (fka E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company), Francini, Inc., et al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court of the State of California, Los Angeles County
Judge: Hon. Maurice A. Leiter, Judge Presiding
Trial Type: Accelerated Complicated Silicosis with Pulmonary Massive Fibrosis (PMF) 51-year old Oxygen-Dependent Pre-Lung-Transplant Stone Slab Fabricator working from 2000-2022 cutting, sawing, polishing and finishing natural and artificial stone slabs for use as kitchen and bathroom countertops using dry and water-fed bridge saws at Morales Marble, Sun Valley, California; Carillo’s Marble, Sun Valley, California; Ixoye Marble and Granite, Burbank, California; Bradeskoval Fabrication Shop, Sun Valley, California. Negligence, Products Liability and Personal Injury.
Case resolved as to all case defendants during jury selection in excess of $26,000,000.00.
Jan-Feb 2025
David Kindley, Jr. (Deceased: Glenna Kindley) et al v. Pneumo Abex LLC; Johnson & Johnson (LTL Management LLC) et al.
Civil Jury Trial>
Superior Court for the City and County of San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Suzanne R. Bolanos, Judge Presiding
Trial Type: Wrongful death – 47-year old mesothelioma victim – Decades before Plaintiff’s decedent Glenna Kindley was born in 1973, Defendant Abex knew asbestos caused cancer dating back to its medical director Dr Lloyd Hamlin in 1948 and including its later medical director Dr Charles Blackwell in 1964 who testified Abex knew mesothelioma to be a typically fatal form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, a mineral ingredient Abex used in manufacturing brake shoe and linings products it sold throughout the United States. Mrs Kindley’s exposure to asbestos dust occurred as a youngster when she visited her father’s automotive repair shop – she would see her father work with Abex brake linings as a car mechanic and sometimes helped him do the repairs. Mrs Kindley also was exposed to asbestos from the J&J Baby Powder used by her mother when she was a baby and later when she was a teenager throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In 2020 Mrs Kindley was diagnosed with mesothelioma (cancer of the serosal pleural membrane that surrounds the lungs in the chest cavity immediately underneath adjacent ribs) and died of that disease on October 12, 2021.
Case resolved at the start of Motions in Limine prior to jury selection in excess of $10,000,000.00 as to all case defendants.
January 2025
Alleta Bonner (Deceased: Wendell B. Bonner) et al v. Westburne Supply, Inc. for P.E. O’Hare Company, et al.
Civil Jury Trial
Superior Court for the City and County of San Francisco
Judge: Hon. Braden C. Woods, Judge Presiding
Trial Type: Wrongful death - 86-year old retired U.S. Naval Reservist/Seaman serving aboard Henry W. Tucker (DDR-875) and Journeyman Sheetmetal Mechanic throughout Northern California – Wendell B. Bonner Heating & Air Conditioning (Placerville, California) - Mesothelioma caused by decades long occupational exposure to asbestos products.
Case resolved at jury selection in excess of $300,000.00 as to all case defendants.
January 2025
