Veteran Firm Has Track Record of Making Big Oil Pay Up and Clean Up

DALLAS (May 5, 2010) – Veteran law firm Baron & Budd, P.C. is mobilizing its highly experienced environmental team in preparation for the legal battle surrounding the massive Gulf Coast oil spill and is filing claims on behalf of local groups. The firm is ideally suited to do this work having fought and won multiple cases against BP and other oil industry behemoths.

Baron & Budd has a 30-year track record of holding oil companies accountable for pollution and injuries to people and communities caused by toxic substances. The firm has successfully litigated cases of widespread water contamination against most of the major oil refiners, representing towns, communities and water providers struggling to clean up their water.

Over the years the firm, dubbed the “lawyer’s lawyer,” has been selected repeatedly by attorneys of water districts, municipalities and states to represent them in water cases. Through this work, Baron & Budd has obtained timely recoveries in excess of $1 billion dollars against BP and other major oil companies, including commitments not just to pay up, but to clean up.

“This is a wakeup call for the oil industry. We are not going to allow them to put profits before safety, nor are we going to allow them to risk the sanctity of our shores,” said Burton LeBlanc, Shareholder, Baron & Budd, P.C. “We have opposed BP before in multi-jurisdictional groundwater cases across the country and we have witnessed their methods at trial. That experience gives us the insight and resources to take on the complex issues that will arise from the BP spill.”

Baron & Budd attorneys are available to discuss legal rights and concerns and evaluate claims. The following experts are available for interview:

• · Scott Summy, water contamination legal specialist: Summy leads Baron & Budd, P.C.’s water contamination legal practice. In 2008, he successfully litigated the first multi-jurisdictional MTBE groundwater cases in the U.S. Working on behalf of over 150 plaintiff public water systems in 17 states, he won nearly $450 million in cash to settle and to pay future clean-up costs from defendants. Held to account were nearly all of the world’s largest oil companies, including BP.
• · Burton LeBlanc, environmental legal specialist: LeBlanc runs Baron & Budd, P.C.’s Louisiana practice from his office in Baton Rouge. His practice concentration is environmental law and he has represented the state of Louisiana in cases against the oil and gas industry. He has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for injured workers in Louisiana, including multiple jury verdicts over $1 million.

• · Bruce Steckler, Gulf Coast legal specialist: Steckler is a lead attorney representing individuals, municipalities and businesses in cases involving large-scale disasters and is a legal expert on the Gulf Coast area’s trio of economic drivers – tourism, fishing and drilling. He is currently involved in Chinese Drywall litigation in Louisiana.

About Baron & Budd

Since it was founded in Dallas in 1977, Baron & Budd has garnered national acclaim for championing the rights of people and communities harmed by corporate misconduct. With over 60 attorneys and 200 staff, Baron & Budd's size and resources have enabled the firm to take on some of the largest and most complex cases of their kind. The cornerstone of the firm is toxic tort litigation, representing individuals, municipalities and water providers seeking redress from manufacturers of hazardous products and corporate polluters. The firm handles cases for injuries caused by exposure to asbestos, benzene and other toxic substances. Baron & Budd’s work includes representation of securities investors defrauded by corporate wrongdoing and consumers and businesses in class actions and insurance litigation. For more information visit http://baronandbudd.com/.

Contact: Greg Schmalz, Kalligeros Communications, 732-785-9317, gschmalz@kalligeros.com,