SAN DIEGO ATTORNEY DAVID S. CASEY, JR. LAUDED WITH CONSUMER WATCHDOG’S LIFETIME LEGAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — San Diego trial attorney David S. Casey, Jr.  – a partner with plaintiffs’ law firm  Casey Gerry — will receive a Lifetime Legal Achievement Award at the Rage for Justice Awards, 6:30 p.m., Saturday, September. 26, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. Casey joins the ranks of fellow honorees actor Dennis Quaid, Joan Claybrook and the late Wally Marks, Jr. at the seventh annual event, sponsored by Consumer Watchdog, a California-based, non-profit consumer education and advocacy organization.

According to Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, each year, the Rage for Justice Awards honor Americans who live by a code of “Courage Not Compromise” in their pursuit of justice. “David Casey’s landmark cases against Exxon, Big Tobacco and the pharmaceutical industry have forever changed the balance of powers for consumers in this country,” said Court. “He represents the highest ethical standards for lawyers in America, as well as achieving unprecedented results for his clients, and we are proud to honor him.”

Specifically, Casey is being recognized for work in the fight against the tobacco industry, in which he represented former Governor Gray Davis, and helped recovered $25 billion from the tobacco industry for the state of California, as well as for his work in establishing the 9/11 Victim’s Compensation Fund, the largest pro bono program in the history of American jurisprudence. He also has played a key role in the 20-year fight against Exxon over the Valdez oil spill, a case in which his firm has worked tenaciously to hold the oil giant accountable for the disaster it incurred.

Casey will be honored for his achievements along with actor Dennis Quaid, who is receiving the Phillip Burton Public Service Award for his pioneering efforts to improve patient safety after the near death of his infant twins; attorney and former Public Citizen president Joan Claybrook, who will be inducted into the Consumer Advocates Hall of Fame; and the late Wally Marks Jr., a devoted philanthropist and human rights advocate who will be inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame.

A third generation attorney, Casey Jr.  has spent more than 30 years practicing law in San Diego. Specializing in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases, he has received over 50 awards from trial bar associations and obtained successful verdicts and settlements for dozens of high profile cases. He is a past president of the American Association of Justice (AAJ), a 50,000-member strong national trial bar organization; past president of both the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego and the Consumer Attorneys of California; has been inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers; and is a fellow of the International Academy of Barristers. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the “Legal Professional of the Year” from the San Diego County Bar Association and the University of San Diego’s (USD) Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award. He received his Juris Doctorate from the USD School of Law and his Bachelor’s Degree from Trinity College.

About The Rage for Justice Awards
The Rage for Justice Awards were founded by Consumer Watchdog (formerly known as The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights) to honor leaders of the public interest movement. Over the years, the organization has paid tribute to citizen activists, lawyers, filmmakers and public servants, among them Warren Beatty, Sol Price,  Arianna Huffington and Elizabeth Edwards.  The awards are named after the biography of Congressman Phillip Burton, titled A Rage for Justice. For more information, visit www.consumerwatchdog.org.

About CaseyGerry
Celebrating more than 60 years in San Diego, Casey Gerry was established in 1947, and is the oldest plaintiffs’ law firm in San Diego. The firm’s 12 attorneys practice in numerous areas, including asbestos, personal injury, product liability and pharmaceutical litigation. Located  in the Banker’s Hill neighborhood of San Diego, the firm also has a satellite office in Carlsbad, Calif. For more information, call (619) 238-1811 or visit  www.caseygerry.com.