Jordan, Lynch & Cancienne PLLC is pleased to announce it has secured a take-nothing defense verdict in a Louisiana living mesothelioma lawsuit filed against Graybar Electric Company, Inc.
In the lawsuit, Willard Masters III sought approximately $14 million in damages against Graybar Electric, an electrical, communications and data networking products distributor, alleging he had been exposed to asbestos in his work for the company beginning in 1970. He claimed that exposure contributed to cause his malignant mesothelioma.
After six days of trial and two days of deliberations, the New Orleans jury found Graybar was in no way responsible for Mr. Masters’ mesothelioma.
The Graybar defense team was led by Jordan, Lynch & Cancienne Partner Walter Lynch, who was retained to try the case three days before trial.
“We want to thank the jury for its diligence in this case,” said Mr. Lynch. “I also want to thank this team of lawyers for the incredible work they did preparing this case for trial. The support of both local counsel and my team was invaluable and made this great result possible.”
The defense win comes just a few months after Mr. Lynch and a Jordan Lynch & Cancienne trial team secured a multimillion-dollar verdict from a Houston jury in favor of plaintiff Rigzone.com in a theft of trade secrets dispute.
“We are so pleased for Walter and this team,” said Jordan, Lynch & Cancienne Partner Kevin Jordan. “Two very different cases – one for the defense, one for the plaintiff – both tried under pandemic protocols and both with positive results. I think that definitely speaks to the breadth of our capacities and the hard work this firm puts in for all our clients.”
Mr. Lynch was assisted in trial by Jordan, Lynch & Cancienne attorney Amir Halevy and by the Lewis Brisbois law firm, including help from both Tom Cortazzo and Todd Schwartz.
The New Orleans case is Willard Masters v. Graybar Electric Company, Inc., et al., Cause No. 2021-03714 in the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, Louisiana. The Houston case is DHI Group et al. v. Kent Jr. et al., Cause No. 4:16-cv-01670.