Environmental Litigation Group

Robert Leslie Palmer - Shareholder

Robert Leslie Palmer - Shareholder Bob@elglaw.com

Following law school and admission to the District of Columbia Bar, Mr. Palmer served four years in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG) as an Army lawyer. He left the Army in 1987 and was admitted to practice law in Texas and Alabama. During the next eight years, he practiced in the field of commercial litigation with Martin, Drummond, Woosley & Palmer, P.C. and its predecessors. Mr. Palmer ultimately decided that he wanted to represent people who have been severely injured at the hands of big business, and so in April 1995, after prayerful consideration, he joined Environmental Litigation Group, P.C., where he has since practiced in the area of toxic tort litigation.

Education:

Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude with departmental honors in Political Science, Tulane University, 1979.
Juris Doctor, Georgetown University Law Center, 1982.

Admitted to Practice:

District of Columbia, 1982 (inactive).
Texas, 1987.
Alabama, 1987.

Other Court Admissions:

United States Army Court of Military Review.
United States Court of Military Appeals.
United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama.
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
United States Supreme Court.

Publications

Memberships :

American Association for Justice.
Alabama Association for Justice (sustaining member; executive committee).
Texas Trial Lawyers Association.
Christian Legal Society (President, Birmingham Chapter).
Birmingham Bar Association.

Professional Honors

"Champion of Justice," November 2007, Alabama Association for Justice.
Who's Who in America.
Who's Who in American Law.
Commendation from Bae Myung In, the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Korea.
Meritorious Service Medal.
Army Commendation Medal.
Korea Defense Service Medal.

Beyond ELG

Chairman-elect, board of directors, Jimmie Hale Mission.
Founder, president, and member of board of directors, Alabama Legal Reform Foundation.
Assistant scoutmaster, Boy Scout Troop 532 (chartered to Helena United Methodist Church).
Lifetime member, Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Alabama State Poetry Society.
Birmingham Arts Association.
Birmingham Historical Society.

Gregory A. Cade - Shareholder

Gregory A. Cade - Shareholder GregC@elglaw.com

Gregory A. Cade has the vision of forming a national trial firm that litigates multi-plaintiff environmental cases throughout the United States. Greg is no stranger to the legal environmental community. Much of his understanding of worker and community exposures to toxic substances began several years ago while working as an industrial hygienist for the Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. An overwhelming understanding of the principles of toxic torts, quantitative analysis, and environmental law clearly carved a career for Greg in an area often avoided because of its complexity, time consumption and financial risk.

Greg's dedication and greatest motivation is renewed every single day while working with clients who have been negligently or intentionally victimized by unforgiving contaminants released into the environment and/or workplace.

Greg's overall success is based on simple principles that have brought satisfaction and legal stability at a fairly young age: 1) Listen to the client and, 2) Understand the laws and science that govern the case. These philosophical principles have prompted several successful ventures as independent counsel and co-counsel involving worker and community exposures all over the southeast.

Greg is currently handling thousands of individual and community claims, stemming from injuries due to exposure to creosote, coke emissions, benzene, dioxins, PAHs, and other known toxicants.

Hoyt Gregory Harp - Shareholder

Hoyt Gregory Harp - Shareholder gharp@elglaw.com

Greg currently handles the Asbestos Personal Injury, Consumer & Credit Fraud and Diethylstilbestrol (DES) litigation for the firm.

Greg began working with ELG as a paralegal in 1994. During that time, Greg gained invaluable insight into the inner workings of filing, managing and prosecuting mass tort litigations.

While in law school, Greg served as lead counsel for his law school's Moot Court Trial Advocacy Team and was awarded Outstanding Trial Advocacy Student.

Greg firmly believes that the role of a trial lawyer is to protect those who could not otherwise obtain justice for themselves.

Fred R. DeLeon, Jr. - Shareholder

Fred R. DeLeon, Jr. - Shareholder FRD@elglaw.com

Fred R. DeLeon, Jr's professional services to the environment started as a registered engineer, licensed geologist and regulatory compliance consultant. Working in this capacity, Mr. DeLeon has dealt with numerous compliance issues including the Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA), Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA),Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHAct).

Mr. DeLeon began working as a corporate lawyer for Energen Corporation after law school. Mr. DeLeon would expand his skills and knowledge as an environmental attorney working on compliance issues involving the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

Mr. DeLeon joined ELG in August 2002. In March 2005, Mr. DeLeon became a shareholder at ELG. His technical experience and background has greatly contributed to the firm, as the lead attorney on several chemical exposure cases. With an eye for environmental issues, Mr. DeLeon is instrumental in identifying potential cases of environmental infractions for the firm, an important and necessary function of the success of the firm. Mr. DeLeon's areas of practice include occupational chemical exposure litigation, environmental toxic torts litigation, water supply contamination litigation, and environmental regulation.

Mark L Rowe - Associate

Mark L Rowe - Associate mrowe@elglaw.com

Mark L. Rowe is a former University professor and debate coach where his teams were consistently nationally ranked. In law school, at Cumberland School of Law, Rowe won the National Trial Competition and was selected Top Oral Advocate in the nation. Graduating in 1984, he has continually represented injured people in courts throughout the state of Alabama.

Christina Wall - Associate

Christina Wall - Associate cwall@elglaw.com

Ms. Wall is the newest addition to ELG. She currently handles bankruptcy and probate issues for the firms cases. Additionally, she manages the firms Vioxx litigation. Christina began her legal career in 1999 working for Pittman, Dutton, Kirby & Hellums. While working full time as a paralegal, she earned her B.S. at the University of Alabama and her Juris Doctorate. Throughout her legal career, Ms. Wall has learned the essentials to managing a heavy case load and ensuring that the best possible outcomes are attained for clients.

The Attorneys