About Us

By: Chris Placitella @ Oct 21, 2009

The MesotheliomaLegalBlog.com was created as a place to provide information on mesothelioma and asbestos litigation and case law, to the public and to other attorneys across the U.S.

For over twenty-five years attorney Christopher Placitella has dedicated himself to representing injured parties in mesothelioma and class action cases. His experience representing victims who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and his dedication and commitment to not only the representation of his clients, but also to the representation of their causes, volunteering his time to numerous consumer advocacy groups to fight for the rights of people who suffered because of corporate misconduct. His commitment to his clients, not just to their cases but to their causes as well along with his commitment to supporting the local community and its residents, it what sets their law firm apart from all other law firms. His recognition by other attorneys, the community, and the public, along with his wide breadth knowledge of mesothelioma litigation has led him to become an expert in mesothelioma and asbestos case law.

He, along with attorney’s William Kuzmin and Michael McMahon created the MesotheliomaLegalBlog.com as a place to provide commentary and to provide information on current mesothelioma litigation to the public and the legal community. David Lenrow, M.D. serves as medical editor, along with nurse practitioner, Deborah Robbins, to ensure that the information provided is valuable to the community. The attorneys have all played an active role in litigating countless multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts. Due to a high degree of attorney satisfaction and his successful record, Christopher Placitella has been able to maintain ongoing relationships with many exceptional law firms and provide co-lead counsel to many attorneys whom represent mesothelioma victims across the US.

Legal Editors

Christopher Placitella, Esq., has a well deserved reputation for participating in a number of crucial landmark cases, many of which were, and still are, unprecedented. Examples include:

• Serving as a key member of the legal team representing the State of New Jersey against the tobacco industry and helped achieve the largest settlement of any kind in the history of New Jersey totaling $7.6 billion dollars.

• Helping negotiate what is believed to be the largest settlement in the nation involving a single company in a product liability case. The $3.75 billion-dollar settlement involved the diet drugs Pondimin and Redux.

• Serving as trial counsel in the largest consolidated asbestos trial in New York City history, as well as obtained the largest punitive damage verdict against an asbestos company in New Jersey’s history.

• Serving as one of the lead trial counsel in the largest environmental tort settlement on behalf of individuals in New Jersey history to $38.5 million dollars.

Michael E. McMahon, Esq., earned his Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2004, and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Mary’s College of Maryland in 1998. During law school, Mr. McMahon served as Research Assistant to Professor Robert J. Martin, a sitting state senator at the time. After law school he served as Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable John J. Hughes in the United States District Court, District of New Jersey. He is currently an attorney at the law firm of Cohen, Placitella & Roth. In addition to his professional work, Mr. McMahon serves as trustee to Project U.S.E., a not-for-profit outdoor experiential education program.

William L. Kuzmin, Esq. is a 2000 graduate of the Rutgers School of Law in Newark, New Jersey. A 1997 graduate of Rutgers University in New Brunswick with a degree in political science, Mr. Kuzmin focuses his practice on mass torts, with a concentration on asbestos cases. In addition to his professional work, Mr. Kuzmin serves on the Atlantic Highlands Environmental Commission as well as the Planning Board. He also serves as the Public Relations Chairman for the Rutgers Touchdown Club and has been active on behalf of the Genevieve Hawley Foundation.

Medical Editors

David Lenrow, M.D. is a distinguished physician who practices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at one of the area’s top hospitals. His peer reviewed medical journal articles, book chapters, and editorial expertise has been provided in several medical books. His published topics span the areas of research, medical ethics to disorders and rehabilitation issues. He has been recognized by Philadelphia Magazine’s Top Docs issue and is an active member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Deborah Robbins, N.P. is a dedicated nurse practitioner who is well-equipped to help families with a range of physical illness. As an editorial contributor, her goal is to educate the public on mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases. She is an active advocate of disease prevention.