James Scadden and Jeffrey Coons, attorneys in Gordon & Rees’ Environmental Toxic Tort Group, successfully defended client, Leslie Controls, in a recent trial. This is the second asbestos defense verdict Mr. Scadden has attained since joining the firm four months ago.

The trial, held in Los Angeles over four weeks, involved a wrongful death claim alleging decedent was exposed to asbestos products associated with Leslie Controls during 20 years service as a Machinist for the United States Navy. Decedent had died from mesothelioma. After about five hours of deliberations, the jury returned a special verdict finding that, while the decedent had in fact been exposed to Leslie Controls’ products, those products were not defectively designed and Leslie Controls was not negligent.