- Content Reviewed by:
- Darron E. Berquist
- Page Last Updated:
- February 6, 2026
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- 1. Specialty Knowledge and Dedicated Focus on Asbestos Exposure Litigation
- 2. History of Success: Significant Mesothelioma and Asbestos Case Results
- 3. Nationwide Legal Representation for Asbestos and Mesothelioma Victims
- 4. Experience in Taking Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure Cases to Trial
- 5. Resources to Prove Asbestos Exposure and Support Your Claim
- 6. Contingency Fee Arrangements
- 7. Recent Attorney and Law Firm Awards and Recognitions
- 8. Commitment to Asbestos Awareness
- 9. Personal Involvement, Attention, and Client Support
- See Why Clients Choose Us: Get Your Free Mesothelioma Case Review
If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you and your family are likely feeling lost and stressed, weighed down by the tragic circumstances you’re enduring. A compassionate attorney can ease your burden and help you enjoy the time you have left with your loved ones, but finding the right lawyer can add another layer of difficulty to your situation.
On this page, the experienced attorneys with The Lanier Law Firm explain how to choose a mesothelioma lawyer and what traits you should look for, including the following:
- A primary focus on mesothelioma cases
- A track record of strong results
- National presence
- Trial experience
- Access to resources
- No upfront fees
- Peer recognition
- Advocacy for asbestos exposure victims
- Personalized service
In this video, founder Mark Lanier discusses the traits that mesothelioma claimants should look for in their attorney.
Transcript:
If you want to know who’s a great mesothelioma lawyer, you want to try and get the total package. You want to step into a law firm that’s got mesothelioma lawyers that, first of all, have the fierce dedication to themselves, look out for your interests, not to sign you up and send you to other lawyers. You want someone that’s personally going to be involved, personally going to work with you, someone you can call on the phone and actually speak to, knowing they know about your case.
So, that personal involvement is one leg of the stool that’s gonna make for a great mesothelioma lawyer. Second leg is experience. There are a lot of mesothelioma lawyers that may be really good at running an ad on TV or putting together this, that, or the other to sell themselves to potential clients, but you want one that’s got actual experience, that’s going to leave no stone unturned because here’s the key, your recovery in a mesothelioma case depends entirely upon which defendants produced a product that caused or contributed to your disease. And if there are 10 defendants, you may have 10 sources of money. If there are 10 defendants, but your lawyer’s only careful enough to get to 3 of them or only has enough experience to recognize 5 of them, you could be leaving a substantial amount of money on the table.
So, leg number 1 on the stool is personal involvement, personal attention. Leg number 2 is experience. Leg number 3 is trial skill. You want a lawyer that will try your case and get an incredibly just verdict for you, and this becomes extremely important because defendants will always try to pay you as soon as they’re afraid of what you might do to them in court. And so you want that firm, you want that lawyer with that trial pedigree that shows a fierce willingness to go to court and to extract justice, but you get those three legs on the stool and you’ve got a good mesothelioma lawyer.
— Mark Lanier
1. Specialty Knowledge and Dedicated Focus on Asbestos Exposure Litigation
Question to Ask: “Do your attorneys focus exclusively on asbestos exposure and mesothelioma cases?”
When choosing a mesothelioma lawyer, the first thing you should look for is specialty knowledge of asbestos exposure cases and a personal focus on this area of law. A lawyer experienced in mesothelioma cases understands the legal intricacies involved in handling these claims and the long-term challenges clients often face.
The decades-long latency period between exposure and the development of related diseases sets asbestos-related litigation apart from other types of personal injury claims. Your lawyer will need to know how to establish historical asbestos exposure using your work history, product details, and other evidence. The right attorney understands all the different avenues available to pursue compensation for mesothelioma, including:
The Lanier Law Firm has been handling mesothelioma and asbestos exposure claims since the 1990s. Our experienced attorneys have the resources to build a strong case and the specialty knowledge needed to identify and pursue all available compensation.
In plain language, this video explains why relevant experience is important when choosing a mesothelioma lawyer.
Transcript:
Sometimes you go to the doctor and you just go to a general doctor and say, you know, I need a checkup or I need something for a sore throat or I’ve got this cough and that works great, but if you need brain surgery, you don’t go to just an everyday doctor and say hey could you take off early today? I need you to cut on my brain. You go to a brain surgeon.
Some things require special knowledge, and that’s the way it is with mesothelioma. There are lots of people who can run ads on TV. That just takes money to run ads. There are lots of people who can put together a mesothelioma booklet. That just takes paying someone to put together a mesothelioma booklet.
But if you’re really gonna go into court, you want a legal team that specializes in mesothelioma cases actually at that law firm, not just someone you sign up with who sends it to another firm. You wanna get to the best of the best of the best. You wanna get to the people who really know how to do this work.
We’ve been doing mesothelioma work, the actual nuts and bolts work, since well back into the 90s. We have been a law firm who’s been on the leading edge not only of the trials and the verdicts, but the research that goes in behind it. And that type of specialty knowledge is what you really want if you’ve got a mesothelioma claim or one of your loved ones has that claim because it makes a huge difference.
2. History of Success: Significant Mesothelioma and Asbestos Case Results
Question to Ask: “What results have you achieved in past mesothelioma and asbestos lawsuits, including verdicts and settlements?”
A strong track record of successful recoveries shows that a mesothelioma lawyer knows what it takes to get results for asbestos clients. A firm with billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements has shown it can take on complex cases involving powerful corporations and emerge victorious.
The Lanier Law Firm has recovered over $20 billion in settlements and verdicts for mesothelioma and asbestos exposure victims. Some of our most notable mesothelioma litigation case results include:
- A $4.69 billion verdict against Johnson & Johnson in a first-of-its-kind trial linking asbestos-containing talc and ovarian cancer.
- A $115 million verdict for a group of 21 steelworkers who were exposed to asbestos while working in an Alabama steel mill.
- A $39 million verdict for a Utah resident who was exposed to talc during surgery and later developed mesothelioma.
- An $8.3 million settlement for the son of a truck mechanic who was exposed to asbestos dust from his father’s clothing, leading to a mesothelioma diagnosis.
- A $7.1 million settlement for a Navy veteran exposed to asbestos in multiple ways during his service.
- A $7 million settlement for an automotive mechanic who developed mesothelioma after working with asbestos-containing parts and components.
- A $6.3 million settlement for a man exposed to asbestos during his time as a construction worker.
3. Nationwide Legal Representation for Asbestos and Mesothelioma Victims
Question to Ask: “Can you represent me no matter where I was exposed to asbestos or where I live now?”
Mesothelioma cases often involve a complex web of jurisdictions, especially when dealing with large corporations and victims exposed to asbestos in multiple regions. Having national reach allows a mesothelioma lawyer to file lawsuits in the best jurisdiction for each claim, travel to meet with clients from across the country, and access a broad network of resources to build the strongest possible cases.
The Lanier Law Firm is a leading national mesothelioma law firm that represents asbestos exposure victims in all 50 U.S. states. Our trusted attorneys are ready to travel to you for in-person consultations from our office locations in Houston, New York City, and Los Angeles, ensuring that you receive the best legal support no matter where you’re located.
4. Experience in Taking Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure Cases to Trial
Question to Ask: “Do you have real courtroom experience with mesothelioma cases if the other side won’t offer fair compensation?”
To choose the best mesothelioma lawyer, look for an attorney who is ready and willing to take your case to trial. Courtroom experience will show the other side that your lawyer means business, helping you reach the best possible settlement faster. Since mesothelioma progresses quickly, resolving your case early is vital.
Our seasoned attorneys have extensive experience bringing mesothelioma cases to trial and winning. When big corporations refuse to pay fair compensation, we’ve proven our ability to hold them accountable in court and maximize our clients’ recoveries. Our team will begin preparing your case for trial from day one, showing the other parties that offering a fair settlement from the start is their best option.
If your lawyer knows how to build a strong case but isn’t willing to go to trial, the defendant always has the option to call your bluff. The following video explains how.
Transcript:
Most mesothelioma lawyers are going to be good at talking to you. The question you’ve got is, are they good at talking to a jury? They will send their best to try to convince you to hire them, but what you want to see from them is an actual track record. Is this a law firm? And are these lawyers that know how to try a case because in mesothelioma worlds, you’ve got to not only know how to prepare the case, which is critical, but you’ve got to know how to try the case because if the defendants don’t fear you trying the case, you will never maximize your recovery.
5. Resources to Prove Asbestos Exposure and Support Your Claim
Question to Ask: “How will you prove my asbestos exposure?”
Proving asbestos exposure is critical to a successful mesothelioma case. The best mesothelioma attorneys will be familiar with the employment records, industry-specific databases, and product use records needed to find evidence of asbestos exposure. Top mesothelioma law firms also have access to specialized resources that can strengthen a case, including asbestos exposure databases and expert witnesses.
Our team has the experience, knowledge, and resources necessary to track down and establish asbestos exposure through your past workplaces, military service, consumer asbestos products and materials, or any other source.
Our firm maintains a proprietary database of companies that used asbestos, job sites where workers were exposed, and troves of corporate documents gathered during decades of successful mesothelioma litigation. We’ve also built a large library of asbestos-containing products and reference materials.
6. Contingency Fee Arrangements
Question to Ask: “How much does it cost to hire your mesothelioma law firm?”
A mesothelioma diagnosis places enough strain on your family and finances. On top of your treatment costs and everything else, you shouldn’t have to worry about coming up with the money to pay an attorney. That’s why it’s important to choose a mesothelioma lawyer who works on a contingency fee basis.
Under a contingency fee arrangement, you won’t have to pay any upfront fees. Many top asbestos law firms work on contingency, offering access to experienced legal representation regardless of income while signaling high confidence in their ability to win any case they take.
Our mesothelioma lawyers work on a contingency fee basis and advance the cost of any resources we need to build your case, allowing you to focus on your health and your family without any lingering financial worries. You only pay us if we win.
7. Recent Attorney and Law Firm Awards and Recognitions
Question to Ask: “Has your law firm earned any well-regarded national recognition for its legal work?”
The best mesothelioma law firms are typically recognized in their field. Peer reviews and accolades from legal organizations signal trust and respect throughout the legal community.
Some of The Lanier Law Firm’s recent honors and awards include:
- We received a national Tier One ranking for mass tort litigation and plaintiff class actions from Best Law Firms
- 17 of our attorneys were recognized as 2025 Texas Super Lawyers, including Mark Lanier
- Lawdragon named six of our lawyers to its 2026 list of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America.
8. Commitment to Asbestos Awareness
Question to Ask: “How does your law firm support asbestos awareness?”
Choosing a mesothelioma lawyer with a passion for asbestos awareness advocacy will ensure your attorney has a deep understanding of the issue and a genuine commitment to justice. The best lawyer will fight both to maximize your compensation and to minimize and prevent future asbestos harm.
Our firm has a strong commitment to asbestos advocacy, raising awareness about the long-term dangers of exposure and the devastating impacts caused by mesothelioma and other diseases. We’re dedicated to supporting victims of asbestos exposure in places like Libby, Montana, where thousands of residents have suffered the disastrous consequences of asbestos contamination from a massive vermiculite mine.
9. Personal Involvement, Attention, and Client Support
Question to Ask: “Who will personally handle my case, and will I be able to speak directly with my mesothelioma lawyer?”
The best mesothelioma lawyer for you will be dedicated to your best interests throughout the legal process. You’ll want to choose a lawyer who will give you the personalized attention and support you deserve, who can answer your questions over the phone whenever you need reassurance.
At The Lanier Law Firm, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality legal care to our clients. We’re willing to do whatever it takes to minimize your stress and maximize your compensation, going above and beyond to care for you and your family while providing serious and sound representation. We’re grateful for the reviews and testimonials we receive from clients we’ve helped, and for having had the opportunity to make a difference in their lives.
See Why Clients Choose Us: Get Your Free Mesothelioma Case Review
If you’re looking for help with your asbestos exposure claim, our top mesothelioma attorneys are ready to put their experience, knowledge, and resources to work for you. Contact The Lanier Law Firm online or call us today at 800-723-3216 for a free consultation with our compassionate legal team.
