Together in the Fight
Our three firms are proud to have the IAFF recommending our legal services to its members hurt by exposure to toxic levels of PFAS.
Why are we working with the IAFF and making our teams available to represent its members?
Our three litigation firms have decades of experience in representing fire fighters and other hardworking people. After we responded to the IAFF’s call for proposals, the IAFF chose to recommend us based on our expressed commitment to serving fire fighters and their families, available resources, decades of related experience, and ability to handle litigation at this level.
Motley Rice and Simmons Hanly Conroy are two of the largest law firms in the U.S. representing plaintiffs against large corporations, and Sullivan Papain has decades of experience representing fire fighters.
“The health and safety of our members is non-negotiable, period. If manufacturers or regulatory groups refuse to acknowledge and work to remove these toxic chemicals from the protective gear fire fighters wear, our members have no other viable remedies than to challenge these practices in court. We will take this battle wherever we need to.”
– IAFF General President Edward A. Kelly
Motley Rice LLC
Motley Rice is one of the nation’s largest plaintiffs’ litigation firms. Rooted in protecting worker’s rights and fighting for occupational safety and health, the firm and its attorneys have represented fire fighters in matters related to asbestos exposures, wrongful death, personal injury, pension fund securities fraud, data privacy and Sept. 11, 2001. Headquartered in Mt. Pleasant, SC, they were involved with the investigations and led litigation efforts after the tragic events at the Sofa Super Store fire on June 18, 2007.
Their lawyers are known for their experience against asbestos companies, the tobacco industry, September 11, 2001 financiers, and the entire opioid supply chain. Today, the firm litigates complex cases for individuals, families, workers, communities, governmental entities, and investors in a variety of areas, including representing plaintiffs in class actions and individual lawsuits that allege contamination caused by PFAS as well as litigation involving other toxic torts, environmental contamination, securities fraud, mesothelioma, workplace injuries and wrongful death.
Anne McGinness Kearse, Executive Committee Member Attorney (licensed in DC, SC, WV)
Joe Rice, Co-founding Managing Member Attorney (licensed in DC, SC)
David Hoyle, Member Attorney (licensed in DC, FL, GA, SC)
James Ledlie, Member Attorney (licensed in DC, NY, SC, WV)
Motley Rice LLC, a South Carolina Limited Liability Company, is engaged in the New Jersey practice of law through Motley Rice New Jersey LLC. Esther Berezofsky is the attorney responsible for New Jersey practice. Motley Rice attorneys are not admitted to practice in Canada.
- More than 130 attorneys and 350 support staff
- Offices in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington, DC, and West Virginia
- Extensive work with a variety of unions in the United States and Canada. We represent Canadians in U.S. courts only.
- Representing fire fighters and other front line emergency workers in numerous complex legal matters and resolutions
Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC
Simmons Hanly Conroy is veteran-owned and one of the nation’s largest mass tort law firms dedicated to helping victims of mesothelioma and asbestos-related cancers. Headquartered in the Midwest with nearly 250 employees, including 80 attorneys practicing nationwide, Simmons Hanly Conroy is committed to holding corporations responsible for wrongdoing.
The firm has represented thousands of patients and families across the country. Additional areas of litigation include prescription opioids, environmental contamination, pharmaceutical and medical devices, sexual abuse, consumer protection and personal injury.
Simmons Hanly Conroy is proud to have served as legal representative of several thousand victims and families impacted by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Daniel P. Blouin, Partner (licensed in LA, NY, PA)
Jayne Conroy, Named Partner (licensed in DC, MA, NY)
Laurence V. Nassif, Managing Partner (licensed in NJ, NY, PA)
Justin Presnal, Partner (licensed in TX)
- Over 20 years of experience
- More than $9.8 billion recovered nationwide
- Offices in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Alton, IL
Sullivan Papain Block McManus Coffinas & Cannavo P.C.
Sullivan Papain Block McManus Coffinas & Cannavo P.C. is a New York litigation firm founded in 1927 with a proud history of representing fire fighters injured, and families of those who have died, in the line of duty. The firm has represented the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York Local 94 as general counsel for nearly 40 years.
Sullivan Papain was a leader in the efforts to establish the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and to enact other legislation to serve the families of first responders killed or seriously injured in the 9/11 terrorist attacks or by reason of its toxic aftermath. The firm recovered $611 million from the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund for 900 fire fighters and their families, pro bono, for no legal fees.
The firm was also one of just six firms chosen to represent the State of New York in its lawsuit against the major tobacco companies which resulted in a record $25 billion recovery for the State. Sullivan Papain has extensive experience representing individuals injured by defective products and exposure to toxic substances.
Thomas McManus, Managing Partner (licensed in NY, PA)
Nicholas Papain, Senior Partner (licensed in NY)
Craig Silverman, Counsel/Chair Mass Torts Practice (licensed in NY, MD)
Robert G. Sullivan, Senior Partner (licensed in NY, FL, and admitted to United States Supreme Court)
- Founded in 1927
- Over $2 billion recovered in the last 10 years
- Headquartered in Manhattan with offices around New York and New Jersey
- Counsel for Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York Local 94 for nearly 40 years
Fighting for IAFF Members
Fire fighters and first responders put their lives on the line to keep communities safe. Now, IAFF members have IAFF-recommended firms who can fight for them if injured by PFAS.
Together, the PFAS Law Firms will work to hold the corporations that manufacture dangerous PFAS products and others accountable — and push them to create safe alternatives.
Let’s work together to extinguish cancer in the fire service.
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