lawyer who fought dupont

by Verna Schumm 8 min read

Robert Bilott

How much did rob Bilott make from DuPont settlement?

$671 million dollars
His litigation efforts yielded more than $671 million dollars in damages for approximately 3,500 people. DuPont also settled with the EPA, agreeing to pay a mere $16.5 million fine for failure to disclose their findings about C8, a toxin that is now estimated to be present in 98 percent of the world's population.Jul 12, 2021

Does Rob Bilott still work for Taft?

It wouldn't surprise anyone that a lawyer dogged as Bilott is continuing the same work. He remains at the same law firm he began at, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, having become a partner back in 1998.Nov 22, 2019

Who was the lawyer that sued DuPont over Teflon?

recently split into the trio of publicly traded companies. Dubbed by The New York Times Magazine as “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare” in an article published on Jan. 6, 2016, Bilott has represented a diverse array of clients, nationwide, who have been harmed by PFAS substances.Jan 26, 2021

What did Robert Bilott do?

Rob has gained international prominence in connection with uncovering and disclosing the world-wide impact of environmental contamination by the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances), particularly PFOA and PFOS.

Is C8 in my blood?

According to a 2007 study, C8 is in the blood of 99.7% of Americans. It's called a "forever chemical" because it never fully degrades.Jan 7, 2020

How much did Wilbur Tennant get from DuPont?

In a follow-up case in 2017, he won a $671 million settlement on behalf of more than 3,500 plaintiffs in personal-injury claims against DuPont. And here's where the story could end, the hero with his fist aloft.Feb 28, 2020

Is Rob Bilott alive?

Robert Bilott (born August 2, 1965) is an American environmental attorney from Cincinnati, Ohio. Bilott is known for the lawsuits against DuPont on behalf of plaintiffs from West Virginia.

Is dark waters a true story?

Dark Waters mostly stays true to the real story

"Dark Waters" is extremely accurate when compared to the true events, which makes it all the more upsetting. The script is based on the 2016 New York Times article "The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare," written by journalist Nathaniel Rich.
May 31, 2021

Did Wilbur Tennant get a settlement?

Wilbur Tennant and his wife, Sandra, won a legal settlement from DuPont two years ago after they accused the company of sickening their family and killing their cattle by dumping C8 into a landfill near their farm.

Is DuPont still in Parkersburg WV?

The Parkersburg facility was owned by DuPont until it spun off its chemical division into Chemours, in 2015. For decades, DuPont dumped PFAS into the Ohio River in West Virginia, killing farm animals and poisoning the water of surrounding communities.Oct 26, 2020

Is Teflon still made by DuPont?

Teflon is made by Chemours, a chemical manufacturer that was spun out of DuPont in 2015.May 24, 2018

What does DuPont say about dark waters?

In a statement, DuPont defended its safety and environmental record, and said that it does not produce PFAS chemicals, though it does use them. “We are leading the industry by supporting federal legislation and science-based regulatory efforts to address these chemicals,” the company wrote in an email.Nov 25, 2019

Who played the lawyer in Dark Waters?

The Todd Haynes-directed movie Dark Waters, now playing in theaters, tells the story of how the lawyer, played by Mark Ruffalo, switched allegiances. As happened in real life, the movie depicts Ruffalo’s Bilott as a lawyer who defends large chemical companies before he is approached for help in 1998 by Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp), ...

Who is Philippe Grandjean?

Philippe Grandjean, a professor of environmental health at Harvard, conducted a study that appeared to suggest that babies exposed to PFAS could suffer impaired immune-system development. “I fell off the chair,” says Dr. Grandjean. “When I looked at those data it was mind-boggling.”.

What is the name of the chemical used in Teflon?

He works, at first, on Tennant’s behalf, then pursues a class action suit representing around 70,000 people living near a chemical plant that allegedly contaminated drinking water with PFOA, a toxic chemical used in the production of Teflon.

What is PFAS used for?

PFAS chemicals are used in products ranging from waterproof jackets to shaving cream, and they can leach into water supplies in areas where they are disposed of or used in fire suppression (in particular on military bases, where they have been used for years ).

Can PFAS affect the immune system?

Philippe Grandjean, a professor of environmental health at Harvard, conducted a study that appeared to suggest that babies exposed to PFAS could suffer impaired immune-system development.

Where did Bilott start his law practice?

Bilott was admitted to the Bar in 1990 and began his law practice at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio For eight years he worked almost exclusively for large corporate clients and his specialty was defending chemical companies. He became a partner at the firm in 1998.

Who plays Bilott's wife in Dark Waters?

Bilott's story also became the basis for Dark Waters, a 2019 film starring Mark Ruffalo as Bilott, and Anne Hathaway as Bilott's wife, Sarah Barlage.

Who is Robert Bilott?

Robert Bilott is the author of the acclaimed memoir Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont, published in 2019 by Atria Books. The audio book version (also available through Atria Books) is narrated by Jeremy Bobb with the first chapter narrated by Mark Ruffalo.

Who plays Robert Bilott in Dark Waters?

Mark Ruffalo plays corporate lawyer Robert Bilott in the 2019 movie, "Dark Waters.". Twenty years later, people today are still fighting and still getting diagnosed with cancer, Bilott said. "It's being found in drinking water all over the country," Bilott said.

Who is Robert Bilott?

Corporate lawyer Robert Bilott is seen here during an interview for "Nightline.". According to Bilott, DuPont’s internal documents revealed that the company failed to disclose the dangerous effects of producing Teflon for years while the company made the product. "It was rather disturbing, frankly," Bilott said.

Is Dark Waters based on a true story?

Mark Ruffalo and Rob Bilott discuss true story of new film 'Dark Waters.'. The film is inspired by Bilott's real-life saga. The corporate attorney battled chemical giant DuPont over PFOA toxins, which West Virginia native Bucky Bailey and his family say impacted their lives. Mark Ruffalo, the man behind the Marvel superhero the Hulk, ...

What is the Hulk movie about?

The film is inspired by Bilott's real-life saga. The corporate attorney battled chemical giant DuPont over PFOA toxins, which West Virginia native Bucky Bailey and his family say impacted their lives. Mary Cybulski/Focus Features via AP. Mark Ruffalo, the man behind the Marvel superhero the Hulk, is taking a new battle to Capitol Hill: sounding ...

Where are forever chemicals found?

"These chemicals don’t respect political boundaries. They’re found in the blood of people in Oatman, Arizona, and they’re found in the blood of people in Fargo, ...

Who is the lawyer who became Dupont's worst nightmare?

In 2016, the New York Times published an article about Bilott's work, The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare. Of those who read the article, actor Mark Ruffalo, who was curious enough to reach out to Bilott directly about turning his story into a movie. Speaking to Variety, Ruffalo said, "I felt like the article probably couldn’t get ...

Who is Robert Bilott?

November 22, 2019. Robert Bilott always specialized in environmental law , but before 1998 he worked with large corporate clients, helping them understand and obey legislation relating to toxic materials and their release.

Who is the CEO of Dupont?

In 2019, DuPont completed its spin off from DowDuPont. In February 2020, DuPont announced that it is bringing back Edward D. Breen as its CEO after removing former Chief Executive Mark Doyle and CFO Jeanmarie Desmond less than a year after they assumed their roles.

Where is Dupont located?

DuPont is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, in the state where it is incorporated since the founding of the old DuPont in 1802. Within 18 months of the merger the DowDupont was split into three publicly traded companies with focuses on agriculture (Corteva), materials science (Dow Inc.), and specialty products (DuPont).

How much is DowDuPont worth?

The merger has been reported to be worth an estimated $130 billion. With 2018 total revenue of $86 billion, DowDuPont ranked No. 35 on the 2019 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States public corporations.

Who was the former Secretary of Agriculture during the Clinton administration?

According to former United States Secretary of Agriculture during the Clinton administration, Dan Glickman , and former Governor of Nebraska, Mike Johanns, by creating a single, independent, U.S.-based and - owned pure agriculture company, Dow and DuPont would be able to compete against their still larger global peers.

What is the European Commission's investigation?

The Commission investigated whether the deal reduced competition in areas such as crop protection, seeds and petrochemicals.

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Overview

Robert Bilott (born August 2, 1965) is an American environmental attorney from Cincinnati, Ohio. Bilott is known for the lawsuits against DuPont on behalf of plaintiffs from West Virginia. Bilott has spent more than twenty years litigating hazardous dumping of the chemicals perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).

Early life

Bilott was born on August 2, 1965, in Albany, New York. Bilott's father served in the United States Air Force, and Bilott spent his childhood on several air force bases. Because the family moved frequently, Bilott attended eight different schools before graduating from Fairborn High School in Fairborn, Ohio. He then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and urban studies from the New College of Florida. He then earned a Juris Doctor from the Ohio State University Mor…

Career

Bilott was admitted to the bar in 1990 and began his law practice at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio For eight years he worked almost exclusively for large corporate clients and his specialty was defending chemical companies. He became a partner at the firm in 1998.
Bilott represented Wilbur Tennant of Parkersburg, West Virginia whose cattle were dying. The farm was downstream from a landfill where DuPont had been dumping hundreds of tons of perfluoroo…

Awards and recognition

• 2005 Trial Lawyer of the Year. Presented by The Trial Lawyers For Public Justice Foundation.
• 2006 Super Lawyer Rising Star. Selected by Cincinnati Magazine.
• 2008 100 Top Trial Lawyers from Ohio. Named by American Trial Lawyers Association.

Personal life

In 1996, Bilott married Sarah Barlage. They have three children, Teddy, Charlie and Tony.

See also

• Dark Waters (2019 film)
• The Devil We Know

External links

• Exposure at simonandschuster.com
• Exposure at kirkusreviews.com
• Robert Bilott at osu.edu
• Robert Bilott at theintercept.com