John LaBoon

Since 1993, Mr. LaBoon has focused his trial practice on tort defense with an emphasis on asbestos and silica litigation involving products liability, contractor liability and premises liability claims. Over the past 20 years, he has developed substantial experience in the state-of-the-art defense, medical causation and epidemiology.

Mr. LaBoon represents numerous manufacturers, premises owners and construction contractors in asbestos and silica cases. He has served as National Coordinating Counsel for a respirator manufacturer in silica cases across the country. He has also served as state trial counsel for multiple asbestos defendants and was part of the national trial team for two major asbestos manufacturers.  As lead and co-counsel, Mr. LaBoon obtained defense verdicts in numerous asbestos personal injury and wrongful death cases, as well as general personal injury and products liability cases across Texas.

In addition to his extensive toxic tort practice, Mr. LaBoon has represented clients in many other types of litigation including personal injury, products liability, medical devices, Jones Act and maritime personal injury and death, clinical drug trials, trucking accidents, medical malpractice, construction defect and employment discrimination cases. He has defended manufacturers of stoves, washing machines, oxygen concentrators and other products in fire-cause-and-origin cases. Mr. LaBoon counseled a Fortune 100 multinational company in products liability lawsuits for claims involving personal injury, wrongful death and property damage related to household appliances, commercial equipment and medical devices. He has also represented hospitals, physicians and nurses involved in medical malpractice litigation and has defended insureds and self-insured companies in employment cases involving claims of wrongful termination and employment discrimination.

Mr. LaBoon has considerable experience defending general personal injury and wrongful death cases, and he has defended a governmental transit authority in personal injury and death lawsuits filed pursuant to the Texas Tort Claims Act.

LEGISLATIVE WORK

During the 2009 Texas legislative session consulted with State Representatives, Senators and medical experts to oppose S.B. 1123 which attempted to lower the causation standard in mesothelioma cases. During the 2013 legislative session he served as defense liaison counsel for State Representatives Tyron Lewis (Chairman of the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee), Doug Miller and Travis Clardy against the Texas Trial Lawyers Association to enact H.B. 1325 which provided for the dismissal of thousands of asbestos and silica cases. The bill was signed into law by Governor Rick Perry on May 24, 2013. During the 2013 legislative session he again served as defense liaison counsel for State Representatives Doug Miller and Travis Clardy (House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee) against the Texas Trial Lawyers Association to enact H.B. 1492 which required plaintiffs in asbestos and silica cases to be transparent in their filings of claims against asbestos and silica bankruptcy trusts.  The bill was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 11, 2015.

Awarded an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating™ from Martindale-Hubbell®

Clients

Civic

Member, Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas, 2004 – present

Texas Industries for the Blind and Handicapped, Board of Directors, 2012 – present

Westlake Youth Soccer Association, Head volunteer soccer coach U4/U5/U6, 2009 – 2011

President of the Overlook at Treemont HOA, 2005 – present

Lighthouse for the Blind of Houston, Board of Directors, 1998 – 2004

Children’s Fund of Houston, 2001 – 2004

Professional

State Bar of Texas

State Bar of New York

American Bar Association, 1993 - Present

American Association for Justice, 1993 - Present

Austin Bar Association, 2004 - Present

Defense Research Institute, 1993 - Present

Houston Bar Association, 1993 - Present

New York Bar Association, 2015 - Present

Texas Association of Defense Counsel, 1993 - Present

Texas Bar Association, 1993 - Present

Professional Presentations:

• DRI – Asbestos Medicine Seminar, Las Vegas, NV, “Where’s There’s Smoke, There’s Fire: Hot New Issues in the Lung Cancer Debate” (November 5-6, 2015)

• Asbestos Defense Strategic Summit, San Francisco, CA, “Lung Cancer Experts and Medical Articles”
(November 5, 2014)

• Resolute Management and Liberty Mutual National Counsel Seminar, Boston, MA, “Lung Cancer, Asbestosis and Smoking: Expert Cross-Examination and Medical Literature” (September 25, 2014)

• Perrin Conferences, Asbestos Mock Trial: Travelers Special Liability Group, Dallas, TX (January 8, 2014)

• Asbestos Defense Strategic Summit, New Orleans, LA, “New Plaintiffs’ and How to Handle Their First/Early
Deposition(s)” (November 6, 2013)

• Perrin Conferences, Benzene Mock Trial: Travelers Special Liability Group, Houston, TX (February 28, 2013)

• “Asbestos Bankruptcy Trusts and Tort Compensation” by Lloyd Dixon and Geoffrey McGovern, RAND Corporation (2011) (Contributor)

• Asbestos Defense Strategic Summit, Las Vegas, NV, “Asbestos Risk Assessment: Epidemiology and Health Effects” (November 9, 2011)

• National Counsel Presentation: I-Flow Pain Pump Litigation, Chicago, IL, “I-Flow Medical and Regulatory Experts” (May 5, 2011)

• Asbestos Defense Strategic Summit, San Diego, CA, “Update on New and Old Plaintiffs’ Medical Experts”
(November 10, 2010)

• National Counsel Presentation: I-Flow Pain Pump Litigation, San Francisco, CA “Epidemiology, General Causation & Daubert” (May 20, 2010)

• Asbestos Defense Strategic Summit, Miami Beach, FL, “Plaintiffs’ Low Dose and Industrial Hygiene Experts and Literature” (November 11, 2009)

• CNA National Counsel Presentation, Chicago, IL, “The Role of Expert Testimony in Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Cases” (January 29, 2009)

• Asbestos Defense Strategic Summit, Las Vegas, NV, “Update on New and Old Plaintiffs’ Medical Experts”
(November 10, 2008)

• DRI – Asbestos Medicine Seminar, San Diego, CA, “The Epidemiology of the Other Cancers: A Review of the IOM/NIH Study” (November 8 – 9, 2007)

• Mealey’s – National Asbestos Superconference, Scottsdale, AZ, “Mock Trial: Duty to Warn for External Insulation” (September 26 – 28, 2007)

• Harris Martin’s – Texas Asbestos & Silica Litigation Conference, Houston, TX, “Ramifications of Bankruptcy Trust Submissions” (March 28, 2007)

• Mealey's – The New Face of Asbestos Litigation Conference, Washington D.C., "Dynamic Trial & Settlement Techniques" (February 8 – 9, 2007)