We built a law firm around the science.
Gregory Cade trained as an industrial hygienist before he trained as a lawyer. Thirty-five years on, in-house exposure science is still what lets us prove causation in the cases where causation is the whole fight.
Our practice was built on a thesis: industrial harm is a science problem before it is a legal one.
When ELG was founded in 1990, most plaintiff firms shied away from toxic exposure work — the science was too complicated, the latency periods too long, the defendants too well-resourced. Bill Lewis, our founder, had watched his father die from a disease caused by toxic exposure and took the opposite view. The same qualities that made these cases hard made them important, and underrepresented, and worth doing well.
For 35+ years since, ELG has represented industrial workers, veterans, and families nationwide in cases involving asbestos, PFAS, ethylene oxide, paraquat, and other invisible threats. Our scientific background — Gregory Cade trained as an industrial hygienist before becoming a lawyer — lets us prove causation in cases where the proof itself is contested.
We are headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, but our 110,000+ clients live in every state. We hold two GSA Schedules and are a certified federal contractor. And we still pick up the phone when a client calls.
Three and a half decades representing toxic exposure victims and their families.
- 1990
Founded in Birmingham, Alabama
Bill Lewis, whose father died as a result of a disease caused by toxic exposure, leaves his very successful tax practice to found Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. with a focus on industrial asbestos claims.
- 1992
Gregory A. Cade joins as paralegal
Cade begins at ELG as a paralegal while pursuing his Master of Public Health in Occupational Health, Safety, and Industrial Hygiene at the University of Alabama at Birmingham — with the goal of understanding toxic exposure science deeply enough to win the cases.
- 1990s–2000s
Practice expands beyond asbestos
Started with 50 clients; within four years the firm represented over 8,000. As Cade earns his J.D. and Lewis prepares to retire, the firm grows into a national environmental tort practice handling CERCLA, PCBs, dioxins, and community exposure cases.
- 2003
$260 million group settlement
ELG obtains a $260 million settlement for 8,400 plaintiffs in a single group litigation case — among the largest toxic-exposure settlements in firm history.
- 2008–2016
$231 million across multiple settlements
Recovers $231 million for 9,000 plaintiffs across multiple settlements during this period, while expanding into PFAS, ethylene oxide, paraquat, and pharmaceutical mass torts.
- Today
$3 billion recovered, 110,000+ clients
Two GSA Schedules. Active leadership in PACT Act, Camp Lejeune, AFFF, hair relaxer, semaglutide, and 9/11 VCF dockets. Headquartered in Birmingham; clients in all 50 states.
Bar memberships & recognitions
Across the firm, our attorneys hold admissions in multiple state and federal bars and maintain memberships and recognitions in the leading trial-bar and environmental organizations.
- American Bar Association
- Alabama State Bar
- Birmingham Bar Association
- District of Columbia Bar
- Illinois State Bar Association
- Vermont State Bar Association
- California State Bar
- Wisconsin State Bar
- American Association for Justice
- Alabama Association for Justice
- National Association of Environmental Professionals
- National Registry of Environmental Professionals — Certified
- Magic City Bar Association
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent
Tell us what happened. We’ll tell you whether you have a case.
No fee unless we recover for you. All consultations are confidential and protected by attorney–client privilege.