National Law Journal Names Stephen Tillery and Garrett Broshuis 2023 Plaintiffs' Lawyer Trailblazers

May 4, 2023

Korein Tillery partners Stephen Tillery and Garrett Broshuis were honored this year by The National Law Journal as 2023 Plaintiffs' Lawyer Trailblazers. The Trailblazers list, published annually, recognizes plaintiffs' attorneys who have made significant contributions to the practice, policy and technology/science of the plaintiffs' bar.

Mr. Tillery was honored for his 11 years of work to secure a massive settlement from Syngenta and Chevron for clients who developed Parkinson’s disease and other neurological defects as a result of exposure to the weed killer Paraquat. Interviewed by The National Law Journal, Mr. Tillery noted that this "was the very first case to establish the causal link between Paraquat and Parkinson's disease" and that the "outcome will hopefully make pesticide manufacturers more concerned about the financial consequences of selling chemicals capable of dreadful human consequences." Mr. Tillery also expressed his hope that this litigation and the firm's efforts to lead scientific advancement in this area may be "the catalyst for a complete ban of Paraquat by the United States EPA."

The National Law Journal recognized Mr. Broshuis for his 9 years of effort to secure a $185 million settlement on behalf of current and former minor league baseball players who had been denied fair wages -- one of the largest wage-and-hour settlements in history. In his interview with The National Law Journal, Mr. Broshuis noted that the case "was the first to recognize that minor league baseball players are 'employees' under wage laws," and that in addition to the financial settlement, Major League Baseball "agreed to remove the clause in the contract that forbid MLB Clubs from paying players outside of the season." Mr. Broshuis's efforts have also lead to permanent improvements for minor league players as over 4,500 minor league baseball players recently voted to unionize. "The working conditions for players, ignored for so long, are being completely transformed" as a result of the lawsuit and subsequent organizing efforts, Mr. Broshuis noted.

The National Law Journal's full publication of the 2023 Plaintiffs' Lawyers Trailblazers, and their interviews with Mr. Tillery and Mr. Broshuis, can be found here: 2023 National Law Journal Plaintiffs' Lawyers Trailblazers.