Fred Baron
Fred Baron has represented toxic tort clients since the early 1970's. He helped build Baron & Budd into one of the largest and most successful Plaintiffs’ toxic tort firms in the United States. Widely recognized as a trailblazer in the area of toxic tort law, one reporter noted, “[i]f the field of toxic torts were the frontier of the American West, Baron would have been driving the first wagon onto the plains.” G. Taylor, “Outspoken Texan, Baron Establishes Toxic Tort Domain,” Legal Times, Vol. VI, No. 25, at p. 10 (Nov. 21, 1983).
As a result of his work to protect the rights of victims of toxic substances and his active role in National Democratic politics, The National Law Journal has again listed Fred as one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in the U.S.” (The National Law Journal 2006). He has been honored as a lawyer who helped shape Texas law during the 20th century in “Legal Legends: A Century of Texas Law and Lawyering” (Texas Lawyer commemorative publication, June 2000) and has been named one of Dallas’ top lawyers by D Magazine. The University of Texas School of Law has honored him by establishing the Frederick M. Baron Chair in Law, which is held by a senior professor of the law school engaged in original research on lawyering and the civil justice system.
A life-long advocate of the environment, the consumer, and working people, Fred Baron has served as lead attorney in complex tort cases involving MTBE and TCE water contamination, radiation contamination, community lead contamination, toxic waste, and pesticide exposure.
Fred Baron has also been credited for his efforts in challenging abusive class action settlements in which defendant corporations attempted to settle mass tort claims for a fraction of what individuals would otherwise be entitled to recover through the legal system. Fred has twice led successful battles to convince the United States Supreme Court to de-certify nationwide class action settlements involving the “future claims” of asbestos-related injuries, or claims that might someday be brought by people who develop asbestos-related illnesses in the future. As a result of the United States Supreme Court’s opinions in Amchem Products v. Windsor, 521 U.S. 591 (1997) and Ortiz v. Fibreboard Corp., 527 U.S. 815, 119 S. Ct. 2295, 144 L.Ed. 2d 715 (1999), future victims of toxic injuries can no longer have their rights compromised by class action settlements in which they have no voice.
Some of his most notable cases include his representation of 1,600 residents of Tucson, Arizona who became sick because of their exposure to TCE-contaminated water (Baron was recently awarded the prestigious “2006 Trial Lawyer of The Year” award by the TLPJ Foundation for his role in the Tucson case); several hundred West Dallas children who lived under the shadow of a lead smelter that polluted their neighborhood; several hundred Costa Rican farm workers sterilized by their exposure to the pesticide DBCP; and residents of the town of Apollo and Parks Township, Pennsylvania who were exposed to radioactive emissions for an area nuclear plant.
Fred’s efforts to protect the rights of common citizens extend beyond his legal representation of his clients. He is a past President of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, an organization for which he has also served on the Board of Governors, as Chairman of the Public Affairs Committee, and as Chairman of its Section on Toxic, Environmental and Pharmaceutical Torts. Fred is also a founder and past president of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit public interest legal services organization.
Fred Baron is a member of the prestigious American Law Institute. He also serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Toxic and Hazardous Substances and Environmental Law Subcommittee for the American Bar Association and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and Dallas Bar Foundation. Fred is a Trustee of the University of Texas Law School Foundation and also serves on the Board of Advisors to the Toxic Law Reporter (B.N.A.); the Class Action Law Reporter (B.N.A.); as a Director of the Texas Law Review Association.
Education
University of Texas (J.D. 1971, B.A. 1968); Associate Editor, Texas Law Review (1969-1971)
Bar & Court Admissions
Texas
United States Supreme Court
United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fifth, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits
United States District Courts of the Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas