Dean A. Hanley

Dean A. Hanley, a founding partner of Paul & Hanley LLP, Berkeley, California is a nationally recognized trial attorney focusing in the areas of asbestos wrongful death and personal injury.

In 1993, Mr. Hanley shifted his New York practice focus in consumer products liability and elder rights law to asbestos wrongful death and personal injury because of his strong belief in protecting the legal rights of workers who have been harmed by products and materials such as those laden with asbestos.  Mr. Hanley limits his practice to approximately 50 cases per year, helping individuals who are suffering from mesothelioma, lung cancer, colon cancer, esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, lymphoma, asbestosis and other asbestos-related diseases.  In fact, unlike many other legal firms that do not directly represent their clients, Mr. Hanley and the other lawyers at Paul & Hanley, LLP are proud to personally represent each client and screen any necessary referral attorney should the client be unable to file a claim in California.

 

Dean Hanley, Partner
1608 Fourth Street,
Suite 300
Berkeley, CA 94710
phone (800) 933-2244
fax (510) 559-9970
Email

Mr. Hanley helps manage over twenty attorneys and 150 staff members to produce some of the most notable verdicts and highest settlement values in U.S. history.  Throughout his career, Mr. Hanley has negotiated hundreds of millions of dollars of settlements for his clients.  When a favorable settlement is not possible, a trial is necessary.  During his career, Mr. Hanley has personally tried more than 25 of his clients' cases to successful verdicts.  Notable verdicts to his credit as lead trial counsel have included:  Clinton vs. Union Carbide Corporation, an 11.2 million dollar jury verdict, for which he was selected as a final Nominee for California Trial Attorney of the Year in 2005; Newman vs. Lorillard, Inc., only the second verdict in the country against the cigarette maker for its asbestos-containing cigarette filters made during the 1950s; Rose vs. Owens Corning, for which the 2.8 million dollar verdict is one of the highest on record for a victim of asbestosis; and Morrison v Copeland, for which the 5.2 million dollar verdict was the first against the compressor maker for having caused lung cancer in an HVAC mechanic.

Areas of Practice:
Toxic Torts: Asbestos, Lead, Benzene, Manganese, Beryllium
Products Liability Law
Consumer Protection
Environmental Law
Litigation & Appeals
Medical Malpractice
Personal Injury -- Plaintiff

Bar Admissions:
New York, 1993
California, 1993
U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1994

Mr. Hanley's wrongful death and personal injury practice is uniquely positioned in California.  He and his team use the California expedited trial rules to get trials into court quickly so that clients can receive maximum benefits in a timely fashion.  He works with his clients to pursue the highest possible settlements and verdicts; he also works tirelessly to help ensure the utmost care of his client's medical condition.  As a supporter of healthcare advocacy, Mr. Hanley works closely with the nation's most reputable hospitals and doctors to help his clients access the best care.  It is not uncommon for Mr. Hanley to fund preliminary CT scans or ensure that healthcare funding is available for clients suffering from an asbestos-related disease.  Several Paul & Hanley clients credit their lawyers with having helped them discover their cancer at an early stage when treatment options were best.

Mr. Hanley also supports consumer advocacy programs, including lobbying efforts to prepare clients for Congressional Testimony and coordinating with US senators on matters of importance to Paul & Hanley clients and other victims of asbestos. Mr. Hanley has discussed his clients' interests with a number of Senators, some of which include Pat Murray of Washington State, Ron Widen of Oregon, Maria Cantwell of Washington State, John Kerry of Massachusetts, and Joseph Biden of Delaware.  Paul & Hanley also provides financial grant support for Dr. Gill and the USC Keck School of Medicine mesothelioma clinical research projects, helping to advance the latest treatments for mesothelioma victims.  Mr. Hanley is also very active in the American Trial Lawyers Association and the Consumer Attorneys of California, where, among other leadership roles, he is actively involved in public education programs and serves on the Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys of California.  Firmly believing that limited bankruptcy dollars should go to the most deserving, Paul & Hanley is also deeply involved in representing its clients in the establishment of national bankruptcy trust programs.

Notable Verdicts

• James Morrison v Copeland Corp.
• Bobby Clinton v UCC (link to clinton.doc)
• Jackie Robinson v A. P. Green Industries, et al. (link to robinson.doc)
• PH&H Group 4 v Certainteed Corp. & Turner & Newell
• Everet Murray v Pacific Mechanical Corp.
• Christine Perez, et al. v Owens-Illinois
• Charles Palmore v Aero-Jet General Corp.
• Paul Leysen v Combustion Engineering, Inc. et al.
• Cain, Fuller, Motto-Ros, Stockman v Asbestos Corp. Ltd.
• Brayton Group 123 v Owens Corning Fiberglas, Dinweddie and Asbestos Corp. Ltd.
• Clapper Group 6 [Lawrence v Owens Corning]
• Manners v Owens Corning Fiberglas
• BHC Group 116 v Owens Corning Fiberglas
• Jevene Newman v Lorrillard and Hollingsworth & Vose
• Donald and Julie Rose v Owens Corning Fiberglass

Born in 1964, Dean A. Hanley grew up in Portland, Oregon where he began his college years at the University of Oregon as an honors student.  In 1989, Mr. Hanley completed his undergraduate training at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative Literature. In 1992, Mr. Hanley obtained his degree in law at the State University of New York, Buffalo. During his tenure in law school, Mr. Hanley was a member of the National Lawyers Guild, the Human Rights Organization, and completed an internship at the United Nations in Geneva. In 1993, Mr. Hanley was admitted to the New York bar and the California bar.  In 1994, he was admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit bar.

Recognized for his track record of achievement, Mr. Hanley has been requested to present lectures and author articles for professional audiences nationwide, including continuing litigation and trial courses on the following topics:  Consumer Advocacy, Human Rights Issues, Jury Selection, Trial Preparation, Building on Scientific Data to Prove the Validity of Wrongful Death and Asbestos Claims, and Preparing Clients for Depositions.  His lectures, research and instructional activities were introduced through numerous organizations, including:  the American Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA), the Consumer Attorneys of California, and Mealey's Conferences.  Presently, Mr. Hanley works closely with the Consumer Attorneys of California and maintains an active membership in the following organizations:  the American Trial Lawyers Association, the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, the Bar Association of San Francisco, the National Lawyers Guild and Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.  Mr. Hanley is also a founding member of the Jury Education Project for the state of California.

Mr. Hanley's practice is limited to the areas of wrongful death, asbestos occupational injury and personal injury (Plaintiff), including:  Product Liability Law, Consumer Protection, Environmental Law, Litigation & Appeals, Medical Malpractice and other toxic torts such as Asbestos, Lead, Benzene, Manganese, Beryllium.

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