November 30, 2020, DALLAS — The Environmental Litigation Group (ELG) at Baron & Budd, P.C. has been named to Law 360’s 2020 Practice Group of the Year. The award honors law firms with litigation wins and major deals that resonated throughout the legal industry in the past year.

The environmental practice was nominated for the award based on their work last year involving wildfire and water contamination cases. The ELG obtained a $360 million settlement with Southern California Edison on behalf of 23 public entities for taxpayer, public, and environmental losses caused by the 2017 Thomas and Koenigstein Fires, the 2018 Montecito Debris Flows and the 2018 Woolsey Fire.

The ELG also obtained a nationwide class action settlement with Monsanto Company, Pharmacia, LLC and Solutia, Inc. that is pending approval for $648 million resolving national PCB water contamination claims for a class of 2,528 governmental entities. This case was significant because it is the first case in U.S. history where a product manufacturer was held liable in tort for damages to stormwater. The ELG also obtained a $95 million settlement with Monsanto Company, Pharmacia, LLC and Solutia, Inc resolving PCB water contamination claims in the state of Washington. Another settlement of $52 million was obtained from Monsanto Company resolving claims of PCB water contamination in Washington, D.C.

The group was also recognized for its historic $1 billion settlement against PG&E for taxpayer losses caused by the 2015 Butte Fire, 2017 North Bay Fires, and 2018 Camp Fire. Baron & Budd attorneys not only successfully litigated the case against PG&E, but also navigated the case’s resolution in one of the largest bankruptcy cases in U.S. history.

“On behalf of everyone who works in the Environmental Litigation Group, we are honored to be recognized by Law360 for our work this year,” said Baron & Budd shareholder and leader and founder of the Environmental Litigation Group, Scott Summy. “It is a privilege to bring justice and relief to the victims of wildfires and water contamination. We look forward to continuing this work and protecting our environment from corporate negligence.”

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

Baron & Budd, P.C. is among the largest and most accomplished plaintiffs’ law firms in the country. With more than 40 years of experience, Baron & Budd has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation throughout the United States. As a law firm that takes pride in remaining at the forefront of litigation, Baron & Budd has spearheaded many significant cases for hundreds of entities and thousands of individuals. Since the firm was founded in 1977, Baron & Budd has achieved substantial national acclaim for its work on cutting-edge litigation, trying hundreds of cases to verdict and settling tens of thousands of cases in areas of litigation as diverse and significant as dangerous and highly addictive pharmaceuticals, defective medical devices, asbestos and mesothelioma, California wildfires and environmental contamination, fraudulent banking practices, e-cigarettes, motor vehicles, federal whistleblower cases, and other consumer fraud issues.