The Kazan Law Difference

Kazan Law has been fighting for the rights of asbestos victims since 1974 and is regarded as one of the best asbestos law firms in the U.S. The Oakland, Calif.-based firm, whose principals are pioneers of asbestos litigation, has helped thousands of people across the country suffering from asbestos-related illnesses, particularly mesothelioma, secure the justice and compensation that they deserve.

Kazan Law has represented asbestos victims in some of the most high-profile cases in history, such as those against Johns-Manville, Fibreboard and most recently, Johnson & Johnson. In the J&J case, the firm won a verdict of $117 million in compensation and damages to Stephen and Kendra Lanzo. Stephen Lanzo has mesothelioma and was lifelong user of J&J’s baby powder. Kazan Law proved that his mesothelioma was contracted from asbestos contained in the powder.

Kazan Law gives advice to more than 1,000 potential clients each year. The firm’s team of exceptional attorneys has won precedent-setting rulings by the California Appellate and Supreme Courts. All of the principals and many of the associates have extensive trial experience. The firm employs a staff of more than 70, including 25 attorneys and a team of paralegals and professional investigators, who work on cases involving products liability, premises liability, and negligence and punitive damage causes of action.

To ensure that its clients receive outstanding representation, Kazan Law limits the number of new cases it takes to 20 – 25 each year. Every case is individually developed and handled by a small team of attorneys, paralegals and investigators. “We treat each client as though he or she is a member of our family,” said Kazan Law founder, Steven Kazan.

Civic and Pro Bono Work

In addition to redressing the wrongs done to asbestos victims and their families, Kazan Law also works to improve workplaces, which is where many people are exposed to asbestos.  The firm does this through public education about occupational health and safety, legislative advocacy and active participation in Worksafe, a California coalition that supports occupational safety and health.

In 1994, Kazan Law founded Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation, Inc., to provide grants to a wide array of community and civic organizations and support mesothelioma research.  To date, the foundation has given out more than $20 million in grant money to help make a difference in people’s lives.

Kazan Law also does pro bono work for unions and other work organizations to provide advice on worker rights and safe and healthy work environments. The firm’s pro bono work aims to prevent more people from becoming sick due to work-related injuries or illnesses.

Awards

Kazan Law has won numerous prestigious awards for its groundbreaking work. The firm’s attorneys have been named to the Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers lists, and the firm made the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Top 15 Asbestos Litigation Firms.”

Steven Kazan, Founder

Kazan Law was founded by Steven Kazan, one of the nation’s preeminent and most experienced asbestos litigation attorneys. Steven’s asbestos litigation work began when he filed lawsuits against Johns-Manville on behalf of workers who developed asbestosis after working for many years at one of the company’s manufacturing plants in California.

At that time, companies could invoke workers’ compensation as the exclusive remedy for employee health issues, thus protecting them against employee lawsuits. Steven, however, argued that Johns-Manville and all of its subsidiaries committed fraud and conspiracy, because documents showed they all had known for decades about the hazards of asbestos. This case was precedent setting, prompting the California Supreme Court to rule that workers could sue under those circumstances.

From November 1981 to February 1982, Steven tried the case of a Johns-Manville plant worker and won a verdict of $150,000. This case was considered a “threshold in asbestos litigation” that helped push Johns-Manville into bankruptcy in August 1982. Steven went on to represent nearly 400 Johns-Manville employees, and his legal strategy was widely copied by other asbestos lawyers.

At the same time Steven was trying cases against Johns-Manville, he also filed many lawsuits against Fibreboard Corp. In 1983 he went to trial on behalf of three Fibreboard Emeryville, Calif., plant workers who suffered from asbestosis or lung cancer. Pitts, Miller, Bell v. Fibreboard Corp. was one of the first Fibreboard plant worker cases, having been filed in 1978. The historic verdict resulted in the first punitive damages verdicts against Fibreboard in the United States.

Currently, Steven is appealing the bankruptcy plan of Energy Futures Holdings Corp. (EFH), the biggest bankruptcy since Enron. In the EFH case, the court approved the company’s plan to only compensate victims who filed a claim by December 2015, preventing future victims from ever filing claims.

Steven is also chair of the asbestos creditors’ committee working on appealing the bankruptcy plan of Bestwall LLC. Bestwall LLC is an affiliate of Georgia-Pacific LLC, which sought bankruptcy protection after years of asbestos-related lawsuits against the parent company, Georgia Pacific, Inc.

The bulk of Steven’s time is dedicated to advising on the bankruptcy reorganization of asbestos companies and the management of asbestos bankruptcy trust funds. These funds were created as part of the bankruptcy plan for asbestos manufacturers that were sued multiple times for asbestos exposure and were forced to reorganize their assets to continue operating. About 50 corporations have set up asbestos trust funds. Currently, Steven serves on two dozen committees for advising these trusts, including Owens Corning/Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust, Celotex Asbestos Settlement Trust and W.R. Grace Asbestos PI Trust.