Offering Experienced Asbestos Litigation Defense Since Our Inception

At Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba, P.C., our lawyers have dedicated themselves to becoming one of the leading asbestos defense teams in the country. Providing a strong defense during complex and sophisticated asbestos lawsuits has been the foundation of our firm since our founding in 1989.

Our clients include manufacturers, suppliers, employers, premises owners and retailers. With offices in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia, we have the resources to effectively represent clients at the state, regional and national levels.

Who We Defend And Where We Operate

At Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba, P.C., we have a strong history of successfully handling many types of asbestos cases. We’ve helped our clients win cases, get them dismissed or reach good settlements most of the time.

Our experienced lawyers have taken many cases to trial in both state and federal courts across the country. We focus on:

• Manufacturers: Companies that made products containing asbestos
• Suppliers: Businesses that sold materials containing asbestos
• Property owners: People or companies that own buildings where asbestos exposure might have happened
• Employers: Companies whose workers might have been exposed to asbestos at work

We work in several important states, including:

• Pennsylvania
• New York
• New Jersey
• Delaware
• West Virginia

In these states and others, we know the local laws and court systems well, which helps us defend our clients effectively.

What makes us special is our vast experience with asbestos cases. Over the years, we’ve handled hundreds of thousands of these cases. This means we really understand this complicated area of law.

We know that every case is different, so we adjust our approach for each client’s needs. Whether we’re working on one case or many cases across different states, we have the knowledge and resources to handle it.

Furthermore, we always stay up-to-date with the latest developments in asbestos law. This, combined with our many years of experience, allows us to use effective strategies to defend our clients.

Proven Track Record In Pennsylvania Asbestos Litigation Defense

Since 1989, Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba, P.C., has concentrated its practice on defending businesses in asbestos-related matters, with a sustained focus on protecting defendants from unsupported liability.

Over decades of asbestos litigation defense, the firm has developed a disciplined approach grounded in repeat exposure scenarios, recurring expert theories and jurisdiction-specific procedural standards. This experience allows defense strategies to be implemented early, consistently and with an informed understanding of how Pennsylvania courts evaluate asbestos evidence.

Our track record reflects hands-on involvement in all phases of asbestos litigation, including:

• Pretrial motion practice, where weak claims are challenged through asbestos product identification defense and asbestos causation defense arguments.
• Trial-level defense, including jury trials involving mesothelioma and other asbestos-related disease claims.
• Strategic settlements, pursued when resolution aligns with a client’s broader risk management and business objectives.
• Appellate advocacy, addressing adverse rulings and preserving favorable legal standards for future cases.

This depth of asbestos defense trial experience allows us to assess claims realistically rather than reactively. Businesses benefit from defense counsel who understand not only how asbestos cases begin but also how they end.

For companies facing long-tail exposure claims, a demonstrated record of sustained asbestos litigation defense is essential to managing present risk and future filings.

Industries And Defendants Represented In Asbestos Lawsuits

Asbestos lawsuits in Pennsylvania affect different industries, often extending beyond traditional manufacturers to entities that never directly produced asbestos-containing products. Defending asbestos claims and other toxic torts requires familiarity with how exposure theories are asserted against different business types.

Our firm regularly represents clients across the following categories:

• Manufacturers and distributors, including manufacturers of asbestos defense involving industrial components, equipment and finished goods alleged to contain asbestos.
• Property owners and premises operators, addressing premises owner asbestos defense and property owner asbestos liability claims tied to buildings, facilities and maintenance activities.
• Contractors and construction companies, handling construction asbestos litigation involving jobsite exposure allegations and secondary exposure claims.
• Employers and industrial entities, providing industrial asbestos defense for claims tied to historical employment conditions.
• Retailers and suppliers, defending asbestos lawsuit defense cases where products were sold but not manufactured by the defendant.
• Successor and corporate legacy entities, defending businesses facing asbestos lawsuit defense claims based on mergers, acquisitions, asset purchases or historical corporate relationships.

Each defendant category presents distinct factual and legal challenges. Understanding industry standards, historical practices and regulatory frameworks allows for targeted asbestos exposure defense strategies.

Whether addressing environmental litigation, construction litigation or traditional asbestos claims, having experienced legal representation is essential to prevent overbroad liability theories from gaining traction.

Strategic Defense Approaches In Asbestos Litigation

A successful asbestos litigation defense strategy depends on disciplined analysis and early identification of weaknesses in a plaintiff’s case. Pennsylvania courts continue to scrutinize proof of exposure, causation and product identification, creating meaningful opportunities for defense-focused motion practice.

Our strategic approach often includes the following core components:

• Asbestos product identification defense, challenging whether a plaintiff can reliably identify a specific product, manufacturer or premises connected to alleged exposure.
• Asbestos causation defense, addressing medical and scientific evidence regarding dose, frequency and alternative causes of disease.
• Expert witness for asbestos defense, working with qualified industrial hygienists, pathologists and epidemiologists to rebut unsupported exposure and causation opinions.
• Summary judgment asbestos motions, seeking dismissal where plaintiffs fail to meet Pennsylvania’s legal standards for product nexus or substantial factor causation.
• Historical worksite and exposure reconstruction, analyzing jobsite records, maintenance logs, contracts and third-party activities to challenge alleged asbestos exposure defense theories and identify alternative sources unrelated to the defendant.
• Allocation and apportionment strategies, limiting liability by differentiating a defendant’s role from other manufacturers, contractors or premises owners, and reducing exposure in commercial asbestos litigation through fact-specific responsibility analysis.

These strategies are applied with a focus on efficiency and consistency. Early dispositive motions can reduce defense costs and limit discovery burdens. Even when cases proceed, a well-developed record strengthens settlement positioning and trial outcomes.

Businesses benefit from a defense counsel who can apply these strategies while remaining mindful of operational disruption, reputational considerations and insurance coordination.

Common Asbestos Litigation Scenarios

Every asbestos litigation defense attorney can handle many types of cases involving asbestos exposure. We use our experience in toxic tort litigation to create strong legal strategies for different situations:

• Workplace exposure: Many cases come from people exposed to asbestos at work. This often happens in industries like construction, shipbuilding and manufacturing. These cases can be complex because they might involve several companies being sued, including employers and product makers. They often require detailed medical evidence showing how asbestos caused health problems.
• Product liability: Companies that made or sold products containing asbestos are often sued. In these cases, we look at how much asbestos was in the product, what warnings or safety information came with the product and when the product was made or sold.
• Premises liability: Building owners can be held responsible if people are exposed to asbestos on their property. These cases often involve asbestos in building materials like insulation or floor tiles. They might also deal with repairs or renovations that might have released asbestos fibers. An important factor is whether the property owner knew about the asbestos and tried to make it safe.
• Secondary exposure: Sometimes, people who didn’t work directly with asbestos get sick from it. This can happen when family members are exposed to asbestos fibers on a worker’s clothes, people live near factories that used asbestos or someone uses household products that contain asbestos.

For each of these situations, we create a specific defense plan. We look carefully at when and how the person might have been exposed to asbestos, what products were involved and the person’s health history. We often challenge whether the asbestos exposure really caused the person’s illness and question how sure they are about which products contained asbestos.

Our asbestos claim legal strategy uses our large database of information about old products and scientific research. By understanding these common scenarios and using our deep knowledge of asbestos litigation, we provide strong defense for our clients in many different types of cases. Contact us today to learn about your legal options.

Why Choose Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba, P.C.?

Choosing the right asbestos defense firm is a business decision as much as a legal one. Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba, P.C., offers a combination of focused asbestos experience and practical business understanding that distinguishes our firm in Pennsylvania and beyond.

Our competitive strengths include:

• Multijurisdictional asbestos defense experience across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia, allowing consistent defense strategies across state lines.
• A deep bench of experienced attorneys dedicated to defending asbestos claims at both the trial and appellate levels.
• A strong understanding of business operational concerns, including risk management, budgeting and internal reporting requirements.
• Established insurance carrier relationships, facilitating coordinated defense and coverage strategies.
• A cost-effective approach to complex litigation, designed to control expenses without sacrificing defense quality.
• Attorneys with focused experience in toxic torts, like attorneys Keith D. Babula, Michael J. Block and Barbara J. Buba.

We offer comprehensive litigation and appellate counsel to our clients. Since our founding, we have remained committed to delivering solutions-oriented legal services that protect long-term interests.

We are also a firm committed to diversity, equality and inclusion, reflecting the values of many of the businesses we represent.

From our inception, we have centered on defending businesses and insurers facing asbestos liability. That focus has resulted in substantial experience handling asbestos lawsuits involving mesothelioma, lung cancer and other claimed occupational and environmental exposures.

Defense Strategies That Work

At Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba, P.C., we use several effective ways to defend our clients in asbestos cases. We adjust our approach for each client’s needs, using our experience and resources to get the results our clients deserve. Here are the main strategies we use:

• Summary judgment motions: We often try to end cases early by asking the court for a summary judgment. This means we show the judge that there are no important facts in dispute and that our client should win based on the law. If successful, this can end the case before a trial or lead to a good settlement.
• Challenging causation: In asbestos cases, it’s important to prove that our client’s product or property actually caused the plaintiff’s illness. We carefully look at the plaintiff’s medical history and claimed asbestos exposure. We work with medical experts to find other possible causes for the illness and question how the plaintiff was exposed to asbestos.
• Product identification defense: Many cases depend on identifying which products contained asbestos. We thoroughly check the plaintiff’s claims about which products they used. We often find mistakes or a lack of proof in these claims. Our team is skilled at challenging wrong identifications and defending against claims that aren’t backed up by evidence.
• Statute of limitations arguments: Asbestos-related illnesses can take a long time to show up. We look closely at when the plaintiff first knew or should have known about their illness and what caused it. Sometimes, we can get cases dismissed if too much time has passed since the plaintiff discovered their illness.
• Dismissal tactics: We use various methods to try to get cases dismissed. This might include arguing that the court doesn’t have the right to hear the case, or showing that the plaintiff wasn’t really exposed to our client’s product.

By using these strategies and our deep knowledge of asbestos cases, we build strong defenses for our clients’ specific situations. Our goal is always to protect our clients, whether by getting the case dismissed, winning before trial or negotiating a good settlement.

Discovery Tactics And Witness Challenges

When we question the person suing (the plaintiff) or other important witnesses, we have a clear plan. We look for times when their story doesn’t add up or when they say something different from what they said before. We prepare carefully for these questioning sessions, using our big collection of information about old products and past cases to help us ask the right questions.

We also work hard to see if witnesses are telling the truth. We look closely at what they say, where they worked and how they say they were around asbestos. If we find things that don’t make sense, we point these out during the case.

Another thing we do is file important legal papers early in the case. This can help limit what the other side can ask for, keep out evidence that isn’t reliable or even get weak cases thrown out early. Doing this can save money and often leads to better results for our clients.

Expert Witnesses And Litigation Technology

Our attorneys use expert witnesses and modern legal tools to defend our clients in asbestos cases. We combine deep knowledge, skilled professionals and advanced methods to make our clients’ cases stronger. Here’s how we use these resources:

• Expert witnesses: We work with a group of skilled doctors and environmental experts who give important testimony in asbestos cases. These experts help us explain complex medical information, question claims about what caused the illness, talk about how things were done in the past and give trusted scientific opinions to support our defense.
• Internal databases: Our firm keeps large databases that give us an edge in asbestos cases. These databases have information about old products, results from past cases, scientific studies about asbestos and records of what people said in other cases.
• Trial preparation tools: We use the latest technology to get ready for trials and questioning witnesses. We have special computer programs to manage cases, show evidence in court, record video of people answering questions and help choose jury members.

We work hard to prepare for cases in ways that many other law firms can’t match. We know the tricks that people suing use to try to win money, and we use our knowledge to help our clients.

Our team at the firm works well with our outside experts to build a strong defense plan. This teamwork lets us change our plans to fit each case and client. Moreover, our skilled and hardworking legal assistants are very important to our defense plans. They use our big databases to help us get ready for questioning witnesses and for trials. This makes sure we have all the important information when we need it.

By using expert witnesses, big databases and modern legal tools, we give our clients a strong defense in asbestos cases. This approach helps us guess what the other side might do, challenge weak claims and make strong arguments in court.

The Evolving Legal Landscape And Our Adaptive Approach

As asbestos litigation defense attorneys, we know that the legal world of asbestos cases is always changing. We’ve seen how tough lawyers on the other side have pushed some companies into bankruptcy. Now, these lawyers are going after businesses that weren’t seen as big players before. This means we need to change how we defend our clients in asbestos exposure lawsuits.

One big change is the role of bankruptcy trusts in these cases. These trusts are set up by companies that went bankrupt because of asbestos claims. They now play a big part in deciding how much money people get. We keep up with these trusts and how they affect our clients’ cases.

We’ve also noticed that people suing are now targeting companies that only had a small connection to asbestos products. This makes our job harder because we often have to defend clients who didn’t have much to do with asbestos. We’ve come up with ways to show that our clients weren’t very involved and shouldn’t be blamed for injuries, mostly caused by other companies’ products.

Another change is that we can’t just say our client’s product had asbestos sealed inside it as a defense anymore. Many other companies can say the same thing, so this argument alone isn’t enough to win a case. Instead, we focus more on questioning the people suing and looking closely at how they used our clients’ products.

Now, we work hard early in the case to build a strong defense. We carefully check if the people suing and their witnesses are telling the truth and remembering things correctly. We also look closely at how they say they used our clients’ products. Doing so helps us prepare strong arguments to get cases thrown out or to negotiate better deals.

As mesothelioma defense attorneys, we keep learning and changing our methods as the legal world changes. We always aim to give our clients the best defense possible, whether we’re fighting in court or working out a fair deal.

Common Queries About Asbestos Litigation Cases

We understand that asbestos litigation can be complex and confusing. Here are answers to some common questions our clients often ask. We hope this information helps you better understand what to expect in an asbestos case.

About Our Asbestos Defense Firm

Founded in 1989, Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba, P.C., has grown into a trusted name in asbestos litigation defense. Our firm started when 20 corporations and their insurance companies decided to join forces for a stronger defense. They asked us to create a law firm that could handle their specific legal needs. Since then, we’ve expanded to five states.

Insurance companies and businesses rely on us because we understand what they need. We work hard to protect our clients’ interests while keeping costs down. Our team works together closely, sharing knowledge and experience to build the best defense for each case.

What sets us apart is our strong record in trials across the country. We’ve successfully defended clients in courts from coast to coast. This national experience means we know how to handle cases in different places and can adapt our strategies as needed.

Our firm isn’t just about winning cases. We’re also committed to diversity, equality and inclusion. We believe having a diverse team helps us understand different perspectives and come up with better solutions for our clients.

Moreover, we use the latest technology to manage cases, do legal research and organize documents. This helps us work more efficiently and save our clients money. Whether we’re fighting in court, settling a case or trying to get it dismissed, we always aim to do what’s best for our clients.

Choose Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba, P.C., for experienced asbestos litigation defense attorneys who will work hard to protect your interests.

Contact An Asbestos Litigation Defense Attorney Today

As asbestos litigation brought by plaintiffs continues unabated, our firm’s effectiveness in defense is more important than ever. Companies facing litigation over mesothelioma and asbestos are welcome to schedule a consultation. Get in touch with our team online or by phone at 215-564-4141.