Armley asbestos disaster
The contamination was the result of the activities of a local asbestos factory, part of the Turner & Newall (T&N) group (often referred to by the name of its founders, J. W. Roberts Ltd.) and occurred between the end of the 19th century and 1959 when the factory eventually closed. At its peak the factory had 250 employees. At least 300 former employees are believed to have died from asbestos-related illnesses, and a number of cancer deaths in the Armley area were traced to the factory in 1988 as a result of an investigation by the "Yorkshire Evening Post". The estate was found to have the highest incidence in the country of mesothelioma. As the interval between exposure and diagnosis can be up to 50 years the number of further deaths which may occur due to the factory's emissions or residual dust since its closure cannot be predicted.
Levy Konigsberg
The firm's asbestos litigation involvement traces back to Levy's role in the litigation during the 1980s and early 1990s. Levy was one of the attorneys, cited by the New York Times, as representing workers at the Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Connecticut in cases brought to trial beginning in 1982. In 1986, when Johns-Manville was completing its bankruptcy reorganization, Levy, who was head of the committee representing asbestos victims, was chosen to serve on the Board of Directors for the company while it emerged from bankruptcy.