Areas of Concentration

Cohen Placitella & Roth Lawyers

Christopher M. Placitella

Christopher Placitella is a partner in the law firm of Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C. He is chairman of the firm's Toxic and Mass Torts Litigation department. He concentrates his practice on product liability litigation, representing unions and their members in occupational injury and disease cases. In addition, he represents individuals injured by defective products, defective drugs, as well as through the inhalation or ingestion of toxic substances. Mr. Placitella also advises numerous labor unions and consumer organizations concerning issues relating to occupational safety and health. Mr. Placitella also represents individuals, governmental entities and companies seeking to recover for economic loss or property damage sustained as a result of wrongful conduct of others.

Bar Admission:

New Jersey and U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 1981;
New York, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 1981

Education:

J.D., Syracuse College of Law, cum laude (Law Review and Legal Honor Society), 1981 B.S., Fordham University, summa cum laude, 1978

Participation in Landmark Cases:

Mr. Placitella served as part of the attorney team representing the State of New Jersey against the tobacco industry and helped achieve the largest settlement of any kind in the history of New Jersey totaling 7.6 billion dollars.

Mr. Placitella helped negotiate what is believed to be the largest settlement in the nation involving a single company in a product liability case. The 3.75 billion-dollar settlement involved the diet drugs Pondimin and Redux.

Mr. Placitella is nationally known for fighting for the rights of asbestos victims. He has won numerous trials for asbestos victims in New York and New Jersey. He participated as trial counsel in the largest consolidated asbestos trial in New York City history, as well as obtained the largest punitive damage verdict against an asbestos company in New Jersey's history.

Mr. Placitella also participated as one of the lead trial counsel in the largest environmental tort settlement on behalf of individuals in New Jersey history to 38.5 million dollars.

Awards

Mr. Placitella received the "Gold Medal", the highest award that can be bestowed on a New Jersey trial attorney by his peers for his dedication in fighting for the rights of victims of environmental pollution.

Mr. Placitella was also awarded the,"Pioneer Award" by Consumers for Civil Justice (New Jersey's largest consumer advocacy organization) for his fight for the rights of New Jersey consumers and tort victims.

The New Jersey White Lung Association also presented Mr. Placitella with the Meritorious Service Award" for his fight for the rights of asbestos victims.

Mr. Placitella was elected by his peers as one of the Best Lawyers in America.

The National Law Journal named Mr. Placitella the Top Toxic & Mass Tort Lawyer in NJ.

Lastly, Mr. Placitella was nominated as National "Trial Lawyer of the Year" for his work in representing lead poisoned children.

Consumer Advocate

Mr. Placitella is involved in volunteering his time to numerous consumer advocacy groups to fight for the rights of people who suffered because of corporate misconduct. He serves on the National Board of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, as Counsel to Consumers for Civil Justice, Vice President of the New Jersey Public Interest Law Center, Advisor to Workplace Environmental Counsel and Advisor to the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning.