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Gordon Rhea Wins USVI Bar Association’s Highest Honor

RPWB of counsel attorney Gordon Rhea was honored with the highest award during the Virgin Islands Bar Association’s annual meeting on December 8, 2023. The award ceremony highlighted Rhea’s dedication to the legal profession and his commitment, dedication and valuable contributions to the people of the Virgin Islands.

The Winston A. Hodge Award for Public Service was established by the Board of Governors in 1997 to commemorate the exemplary legacy of Winston A. Hodge, a distinguished member who embodied the values of community service, commitment, and dedication to the legal profession. Known as the “Dean” of the Bar, Winston A. Hodge made significant contributions to bar activities and left a mark on the legal community.

The recipients of the award are individuals who have demonstrated the same ideals and commitment that the late Attorney Hodge stood for. By honoring those who follow in his footsteps, the award continues to celebrate and preserve the spirit of public service within the Virgin Islands legal community.

Rhea has handled a variety of complex civil and criminal cases in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including toxic torts, abusive tax shelters, business disputes, class actions and white-collar criminal matters. He splits his time between the islands and Mount Pleasant, S.C.

Outside of his legal practice, Rhea is an award-winning historian who has written eight books about the Civil War and Reconstruction.

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    RPWB Attorneys Investigating Paraquat, a Herbicide Linked to Parkinson’s Disease

    CHARLESTON, S.C. – RPWB attorneys are investigating the cases of farmers, agricultural workers, crop dusters and groundskeepers who developed Parkinson’s disease after using Paraquat weed killer.

    Several herbicides contain Paraquat, including: Gramoxone, Ortho-Paraquat, Para-SHOT, Parazone, Quick-Quat, Firestorm and Helmqua.

    The herbicides have been used in the United States since 1964, and have come under increased scrutiny in recent years as science linked the inhalation of Paraquat to Parkinson’s disease. A December 2020 study, published in the journal Toxicological Sciences, confirmed that inhaling Paraquat gives it a direct pathway to the brain. Once in the brain, studies have shown Paraquat damages or impairs dopamine receptors.

    Parkinson’s disease occurs when nerve cells in an area of the brain that controls movement become impaired or die. Normally, these neurons produce dopamine. When the neurons die or become impaired, they produce less dopamine, which causes the movement problems of Parkinson’s.

    Currently, about 25 lawsuits alleging Paraquat as the cause of a plaintiff’s Parkinson’s disease have been filed throughout the country. An application to consolidate Paraquat Parkinson’s Disease lawsuits in a single federal court is pending before the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.

    The use of Paraquat in the United States continues to this day even though other countries such as China and the European Union have already banned their use. The herbicide is typically used to control weeds in agricultural settings, but is also used on golf courses and in grounds maintenance at large facilities such as industrial sites, schools and parks.

    In October 2020, the EPA proposed new guidelines that would limit the use of Paraquat weed killers, including a prohibition of aerial application (except for cotton desiccation), requiring enclosed cabs and respirators, and creating a longer re-entry waiting period.

    If you or a loved one was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after repeated exposure to Paraquat weed killers, please contact us for a free, no obligation case review. RPWB’s toxic exposure team has a wealth of experience representing workers exposed to asbestos and toxic weed killers like Roundup. Attorneys at RPWB have been helping people harmed by dangerous products for more than 40 years.

    RPWB serves in the national leadership of litigation against 3M for producing a toxic fire-fighting foam that is contaminating water systems throughout the United States. We have experience helping farmers as well. We recently helped corn farmers get compensation for financial losses they incurred when corn prices plummeted following China’s rejection of Syngenta GMO corn.

    Click here to read more about Paraquat lawsuits …

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        RPWB welcomes a new member

        Richardson, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman is proud to announce that Aaron Dias has been named the firm’s newest member.

        Dias has spent the entirety of his legal career with RPWB, beginning as a clerk during law school. In 2005, he became an associate attorney at the firm. His practice focuses primarily on pharmaceutical and other product liability lawsuits. He also has significant experience working on natural resources damage cases and other toxic torts.

        He came to the firm with a strong scientific background that he puts to use on behalf of his clients throughout the United States. Prior to law school, Dias was a chemist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for eight years.

        Outside of work, Dias is an avid tennis fan and player.

        For more on Dias, please click here.

        RPWB has 30 attorneys, including 18 members, who represent clients nationally from six offices in South Carolina and Illinois. U.S. News & World Report has designated RPWB as a 2019 Best Law Firm for work on mass torts and class actions, product liability, securities, healthcare law, medical malpractice and personal injury lawsuits. With 16 lawyers on the Best Lawyers in America list, RPWB is the top-listed plaintiff law firm in the country for work on mass torts and class actions, and was the top-listed plaintiff law firm in South Carolina for mass torts, personal injury and product liability. Additionally, many RPWB attorneys are featured by Super Lawyers for being among the best in their respective practice areas.

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