Baron & Budd President and Managing Shareholder Russell Budd Honored with Texas Lawyer Lifetime Achievement Award

DALLAS – The nationally recognized law firm Baron & Budd is pleased to announce that President and Managing Shareholder Russell Budd has been recognized by Texas Lawyer and Law.com as a Texas Legal Awards Lifetime Achievement honoree. The award recognizes Budd’s decades-long career and his significant contributions to his clients, his community, and the legal profession.

“I am honored to receive this award from Texas Lawyer and to have spent my career representing people and communities that often would not have a voice without the legal system,” said Budd. “The cases we take on can be difficult and consequential, but they can also bring accountability and meaningful resources to people who have been harmed. I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished together and grateful to everyone who has been part of that journey. I’m especially grateful to have spent my career doing work that I believe matters.”

Budd has been a trailblazer and a leading member of the plaintiffs’ bar for more than 45 years, representing victims of corporate wrongdoing in some of the largest and most consequential cases litigated in the United States.

In the early 2000’s, Budd participated in negotiating multibillion dollar settlements for the various asbestos trusts to protect present and future asbestos victims. His work as a chief negotiator in the Halliburton bankruptcy resulted in a $4 billion national settlement and established the largest asbestos trust fund of its kind anywhere in the world.

More recently, Budd led a $774 million nationwide settlement with Albertsons Companies, Inc., resolving claims related to the company’s alleged role in the opioid epidemic. The agreement directs substantial funds to states, local governments and Native American tribes to support abatement and recovery efforts. The settlement builds on Budd’s longstanding leadership in opioid litigation, including his work on behalf of the State of New Mexico, where he helped secure more than $1 billion in recoveries.

Collectively, these efforts, together with settlements involving opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies, have contributed to more than $60 billion in nationwide recoveries, providing critical resources to communities across the United States. 

These cases are evidence of his enduring commitment to protecting what’s right. Throughout his career, Budd has also remained engaged in public policy discussions, particularly in response to proposals that would limit the rights of injured individuals to pursue legal claims. 

Outside the courtroom, Budd and his wife, Dorothy, are deeply committed to their community. Together, they endowed the Budd Innocence Center at the University of Texas School of Law, supporting efforts to prevent wrongful convictions and advance criminal justice reform. Budd also contributes to initiatives focused on expanding educational opportunities in underserved communities.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

With more than 40 years of experience, Baron & Budd has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation throughout the United States. As a law firm that takes pride in remaining at the forefront of litigation. Baron & Budd has spearheaded many significant cases for hundreds of public entities and tens of thousands of individuals. Since the firm was founded in 1977, Baron & Budd has achieved substantial national acclaim for its work on cutting-edge litigation, trying cases to verdict and settling cases in areas of litigation as diverse and significant as dangerous and highly addictive pharmaceuticals, defective medical devices, asbestos and mesothelioma, wildfires, environmental contamination, fraudulent banking practices, e-cigarettes, motor vehicles, federal whistleblower cases, and other consumer fraud issues.