While some derisively dismiss empathy as a weakness, I am stronger for it.
At 18, I found a job at a rural industrial park outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, making concrete beams out of a novel formulation of “fibers” and “binders.” It paid better than fast food, and the company didn’t require any prior experience. All they needed was your strong back to show up on time. I worked long days in dusty conditions taking orders from an ex-con. We’d add the secret “kicker” chemical to get the concrete beams to set up just right. I’d go home reeking of styrene. Ask me about occupational exposures to toxins.
At 21, I had cancer. Was it coincidence? Maybe. My retro-peritoneal lymph node dissection (that’s a scar that gets some looks at pool parties) knocked me down for a while. The tumors in my lymph nodes and lungs demanded attention. I don’t even remember how many rounds of chemotherapy, but I can still remember the cocktail of Cisplatin, Bleomycin, and VP-16. I am happy to report that I’ve been a survivor since 1997. Knock on wood!
No one asks to be injured by toxins carelessly introduced into the workplace. Our clients wanted to work hard, earn a living, and get home safely. Decades later they are paying a terrible price for the corners cut by companies that knew or should have known better. When people come to us at their lowest points, scared and angry and tired, I am motivated to lift their burdens guided by my empathy for what they are going through.
Before I found my way to toxic tort litigation, I spent years working on general civil litigation and business matters. I drafted contracts, advised executives, and helped build businesses from the ground up. That experience gave me a deep understanding of how companies operate, how decisions get made, how risks get weighed, and how corners get cut. When I sit across from a company that chose profits over people’s safety, I understand exactly how those choices were made. That perspective makes me a better advocate for my clients.
Since 2016, I have focused on representing workers and families harmed by toxic exposures.. I was recently part of one of the first national firms to pursue stone silicosis cases. My focus at Dean Omar Branham Shirley is on providing excellent client service and communication at every stage because the people we represent deserve to know what is happening in their case, why it matters, and that we are fighting for them.
