The 44th Annual Public Justice Gala & Awards Presentation

Garcia-Rosas v. Architectural Surfaces, Inc.

A countertop fabricator who developed fatal silicosis from exposure to dust from crystalline silica artificial stone secured a $26 million settlement from artificial stone manufacturers and suppliers, in one of the first legal victories to highlight a growing public health crisis caused by a uniquely toxic product.

Legal Team: Alan R. Brayton, Gilbert Purcell, David Donadio, James Nevin, Jason Rose, Hugh Cook, Charley Velasco Ariza, and Eric Solomon of Brayton Purcell LLP; and Raphael Metzger and Brian Barrow of Metzger Law Group

Garcia-Rosas v. Architectural Surfaces, Inc.

After nearly a decade of litigation, three Sudanese refugees representing more than 23,000 Sudanese survivors of mass atrocities secured a verdict against BNP Paribas of $20.75 million, the first U.S. jury verdict holding a major international bank civilly liable for materially supporting mass human rights abuses and assisting in genocide.

Legal Team: Bobby DiCello, Kenneth P. Abbarno, Carrie Syme, Greg G. Gutzler, Scott Gilmore, Mark A. DiCello, and Adam J. Levitt of DiCello Levitt LLP; Michael D. Hausfeld, Amanda Lee-DasGupta, Claire Rosset, Percy Metcalfe, James D. Gotz, and Mary Sameera Van Houten Harper of Hausfeld LLP; Kathryn (Lee) Boyd, Maxim Price, Kristen Nelson, Michael Eggenberger, and David L. Hecht of Hecht Partners LLP; and Cy Smith, Aitan D. Goelman, and Josh Mathew of Zuckerman Spaeder LLP.

Mayor and City Council of Baltimore v. Polymer80, Inc.

This $62 million verdict holding a gun dealer accountable for trafficking and violence arising from its ghost guns is the largest-ever jury verdict against a gun dealer, sending a message that the industry is not completely immune from liability.

Legal Team: James Hannaway of Berger Montague; Saba Bireda of Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight; Philip Bangle and Jenna Klein of Brady: United Against Gun Violence; and Thomas Webb of Baltimore City Department of Law.