SimmonsCooper LLC Names Seven New Partners with Experience in Asbestos Litigation
East Alton, Ill. (PRWEB) January 26, 2009 -- SimmonsCooper LLC, a national leader in helping victims and their families in the fight against mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, today announced the addition of seven new partners to the firm.
The new partners are Nicholas Angelides, Brian Cooke, Amy Garrett, Christopher Guinn, Shane Hampton, Robert Phillips, and Shelby Reed. Each has extensive experience in asbestos litigation.
SimmonsCooper is a national law firm with more than 50 attorneys, including 17 partners, and offices in Illinois and California. The firm has represented more than 2,000 patients and families affected by mesothelioma in nearly every state in the country. The firm also has pledged more than $10 million to cancer research and works with top mesothelioma medical experts throughout the country, supporting their work toward a cure.
"Each of the lawyers promoted to partner this year have made outstanding contributions to the firm and have provided invaluable assistance to patients and their loved ones," founding partner John Simmons said. "They truly are among the best in the business and help position SimmonsCooper as a leading law firm in asbestos litigation and as a champion in the ongoing fight against mesothelioma.
"These new partners are more than innovative and aggressive litigators. They are also clientoriented, passionate, and caring."
The SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois University serves people throughout the world through a comprehensive approach of education, research, and patient services; and the firm's Mesothelioma Video Library is an educational outreach program designed to educate and assist victims and families.
"SimmonsCooper, along with its partners, is dedicated to one day finding a cure for mesothelioma," Simmons said.
Nicholas Angelides has worked with mesothelioma victims since 2003 and is currently part of the mesothelioma and asbestos litigation team that prepares the scientifically and legally complex cases for trial. He previously represented victims of sexual abuse, medical malpractice, consumer fraud, and catastrophic injuries in Missouri and Illinois State and federal courts. He graduated magnum cum laude from Saint Louis University School of law in 1999.
Brian Cooke is a member of the firm's mesothelioma and asbestos litigation team. His experience as a commanding officer and prosecutor for the U.S. Marine Corps made him one of the first western attorneys to appear and argue before the Central Criminal Court of Iraq. He was a prosecutor with the Marine Corps and handled cases involving terrorism, political corruption, and organized crime. Cooke graduated from the University of Missouri School of Law in 1999.
Amy Garrett is not only an important part of the firm's mesothelioma and asbestos litigation team, but she also spearheads the firm's pro bono efforts. She was an assistant state's attorney at the Madison County State's Attorney's Office and an associate attorney at Mendenhall & Selby. Her service as a member of the board of directors for a local woman's shelter demonstrates Amy's commitment to helping others. She graduated from Washington University School of Law in 1998.
Christopher Guinn is part of the firm's mesothelioma and asbestos litigation team. Before joining SimmonsCooper, Guinn was a linguist with the Air Force and served two years as assistant prosecuting attorney for the St. Louis County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney. He graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2002.
Shane Hampton's extensive courtroom experience and civil litigation background of medical liability, environmental and toxic torts, business litigation, and insurance law have made him a great asset to the firm's mesothelioma and asbestos litigation team. He graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Law and received several awards, including the SIU Law Journal Best Editor Award.
Robert Phillips' experience as a bankruptcy lawyer has brought value to the SimmonsCooper practice, especially in regards to asbestos litigation. Before joining SimmonsCooper, he worked for a large national law firm and represented several large companies, including the big three automakers, in commercial litigation and bankruptcy matters. Phillips' extensive experience has made him a popular speaker at business and legal conferences around the world. Robert graduated Summa Cum Laude from University of Arkansas' Leflar Law Center.
Shelby Reed practiced public school law and governmental law in Texas where he represented some of the fastest growing school districts in the state before joining SimmonsCooper. Reed now is a dedicated member of the firm's mesothelioma and asbestos litigation team. He is a graduate of Southern Methodist University School of Law in Dallas.
About SimmonsCooper LLC:
For nearly a decade, SimmonsCooper has been making a difference by fighting legal battles on behalf of thousands of individuals throughout the country diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare and deadly cancer known only to be caused by asbestos exposure. In 2003, the firm recovered $250 million on behalf of a U.S. Steel worker with mesothelioma, the single largest asbestos verdict in U.S. history. SimmonsCooper has donated over $10 million to cancer research and was recently recognized for offering free legal services to homeless veterans. The firm also has strong practices in defective drug litigation, as well as intellectual property and business-to-business litigation. Since 1999, SimmonsCooper has recovered more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for more than 10,000 clients.
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