Attorney Perry Weitz says that he got into the practice of law because he always wanted to help “the little guy.” And as one of the foremost asbestos attorneys in the country, he has certainly achieved that goal.

Shortly after graduating from Hofstra University Law School, Weitz was became involved with the AFL-CIO union when they were looking for a lawyer willing to take on asbestos companies. At the time, many attorneys were reluctant to take on such a powerhouse of an industry, and with the statute of limitations on asbestos exposure at the time being far shorter than the latency period for mesothelioma and asbestosis, handling these cases was considered an impossible task.

But that changed in 1987 when the state of New York amended the statute of limitations, leading to a surge in asbestos litigation at which Perry Weitz was at the helm. It was Weitz’s unyielding sense of duty to the thousands of victims that helped secure verdict after verdict, eventually leading to a multi-billion dollar federal fund to help the people who had suffered from exposure to asbestos, even to this day.

Of this work, Weitz says, “I found it immensely rewarding to help these people change their lives by taking on powerful corporations that other attorneys were afraid to go after. I decided to dedicate myself and my career to helping mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestos victims.”

Challenging the norm with his asbestos litigation doesn’t even begin to tell the entire story of Weitz’s career. Over the years, he has taken on numerous Fortune 500 companies who have wronged both their employees and the public, and he has consistently been listed in “Best Lawyers In America.” He also has repeatedly and consistently earned the title of “Super Lawyer” from a prestige organization that gauges the performance of attorneys across the nation. In 2011, the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice proclaimed him the recipient of its “Champion of Justice” award. In 2012, he was New York City “Lawyer of the Year” in the category of mass-torts litigation and class-action lawsuits on the plaintiffs’ side.

 

Weitz & Luxenberg