August 10, 2010 16:54 ET

BP Case Consolidation Moves Victims One Step Closer to Recovery

HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwire - August 10, 2010) -  One of the lead attorneys in the national litigation over the Deepwater Horizon environmental disaster says his clients are one step closer to recovery following a federal court decision to consolidate the country's pending cases before U.S. District Judges Carl J. Barbier and Keith P. Ellison.

Earlier today, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered that all the injury and economic damages claims related to the oil well blowout will be heard by Judge Barbier of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The Judicial Panel also ordered that all investor lawsuits be heard by Judge Ellison of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

The selection of Judge Barbier and Judge Ellison follows a July 29 hearing in Boise, Idaho, before a panel of judges where The Lanier Law Firm founder Mark Lanier argued for some consolidation of cases against BP, Transocean, Cameron International, Halliburton Energy Services and others.

Mr. Lanier filed the motion for national consolidation, and told the panel that efficiency, economies of scale and fairness are achieved by consolidation. Mr. Lanier says today's ruling "enables streamlined proceedings that will benefit every person and business suffering from the impact of one of the worst man-made disasters in history."

The Lanier Law Firm represents hundreds of individuals and business owners in claims against the companies responsible for the April 20 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Lanier was one of the first attorneys in the nation to file suit against BP following the blast.

"This is one of the most complicated lawsuits in U.S. history," says Mr. Lanier. "By putting these cases in the experienced hands of Judge Ellison and Judge Barbier, the MDL panel has ensured that every claim will be handled fairly and as quickly as justice will allow."

Mr. Lanier is widely recognized as one of the top courtroom attorneys in the United States. Since the start of 2010, he has been named as one of "The Decade's Most Influential Lawyers" by The National Law Journal and as one of "The 25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of the Past Quarter-Century" by the editors of Texas Lawyer newspaper.

Since the explosion and fire onboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, more than 300 lawsuits have been filed in various state and federal courts over financial damages and environmental problems caused by the rush of oil into the Gulf.

About The Lanier Law Firm

With offices in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Houston and New York, The Lanier Law Firm is committed to addressing client concerns with effective and innovative solutions in courtrooms across the country. The firm is composed of outstanding trial attorneys with decades of experience handling cases involving asbestos exposure, pharmaceutical liability, intellectual property, business litigation, product liability, toxic exposure, and maritime law.

For more information, please contact J.D. Cargill at 713-659-5200.