Camp Lejeune Environmental Contamination

Phil Federico is a partner at BMBF and leads the Mass Tort / Class Action and Environmental Law practices. Phil has been invited by Ed Bell to work on leadership for this case and selected by the America Association for Justice to help lead a webinar on the specifics of how to navigate Camp Lejeune litigation. Phil has been involved in historic litigation with verdicts and settlements totaling over a billion dollars, including as co-lead counsel in a landmark environmental case against the chicken processing plant, Mountaire.

Chase Brockstedt is the lead partner of BMBF's injury litigation department and has served as leadership in trailblazing environmental cases, including as co-lead counsel in the case against Mountaire to reach a $205 million settlement. In addition to environmental experience, Chase has substantial experience navigating personal injury claims, dealing with complicated health care issues, and winning several multi-million-dollar recoveries in damages for pain, suffering, and permanent injuries.

Brent Ceryes is a partner at BMBF who focuses on environmental law, personal injury, and healthcare litigation. Brent's experience litigating complex environmental and personal injury cases will enable him to help guide significant decisions in the litigation. He has served as class counsel in the landmark environmental case against Mountaire and as counsel on large class action cases against health care providers, including $123 million and $190 million settlements.

Matthew P. Legg is a VA accredited attorney at BMBF representing clients in a variety of mass tort and class action matters. He has worked in critical roles on behalf of individuals exposed to toxic chemicals from groundwater pollution, including in the $205 settlement for people harmed by chicken processing plant, Mountaire. A rising star in litigation, Matthew has been named a Super Lawyers’ Rising Star for the past two years and to the National Trial Lawyer’s top 40 under 40 list for three years in a row.

Catherine M. Cramer is an accomplished litigator at BMBF on the Mass Tort and Environmental Litigation team. She has worked on environmental cases with large landmark settlements, including recent work on a team that obtained a $205 million class action settlement for groundwater contamination claims. Catherine was also recently named a Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2022.

Bruce Poole, Esq. of Poole Law Group has been representing clients and trying cases for over 36 years. In civil litigation, Bruce has represented Marines under dire circumstances in several cases and prevailed. These Marines are available to serve as a reference upon request. He has been named by The National Trial Lawyers to the Top 100 Civil Trial Attorneys’ List and, in 2017, received a lifetime achievement membership in America’s Top 100 Attorneys.

Janet Ward Black of Ward Black Law is a member of the Plaintiffs Steering Committee of the Camp Lejeune litigation pending in the federal courts in North Carolina. Black has represented more than 2,000 men and women with diseases caused by environmental hazards in North Carolina federal and state courts. A past president of the NC Bar Association, she has been named in “Best Lawyers in America” by US News & World Report for 18 consecutive years. Her award-winning NC firm has 30 lawyers and staff members. The firm has also served as the Marine Corps “Toys for Tots” kick-off location in North Carolina’s Triad for the last 14 years.

Anabel Rosa has more than 25 years of experience representing injured people and advocating for the Hispanic-Latino community in North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, and in her home jurisdiction of Puerto Rico. She has a long record of public service and is a member of Governor Roy Cooper's Hispanic Latino Council, where she currently serves as a parliamentary clerk and heads the Public Safety subcommittee. Coming from a family of service members who served in the Army, Navy and Merchant Marine forces, she is dedicated to using her legal experience to serve veterans.

John F. Romano is a civil trial advocate board-certified by the Florida Bar and the NationalBoard of Trial Advocacy. John regularly handles and litigates cases in the following areas: auto and truck accident litigation and trials, premises liability cases, product liability, and mass torts.John lectures across America on trial advocacy and tort and criminal law, has authored three textbooks, and has published more than 100 articles in national publications or papers for national presentation. He was admitted to practice law in the state of Florida in 1974. John also proudly served as a Captain and J.A.G. Officer with the United States Marine Corps (primarily with the Second Marine Division out of Camp LeJeune, North Carolina). He was inducted into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame in 2015.

Eric Romano is a Board Certified Trial Attorney with Romano Law Group in West Palm Beach, Florida. He received his B.S. degree in Business Management from Florida State University in 1993, where he played football for Coach Bobby Bowden, and he earned his J.D. degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1997. He began his career in 1997 as a prosecutor with the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office. He has gone to verdict in more than 125 civil and criminal trials. Eric is Past President of the Florida Justice Association, the Southern Trial Lawyers Association and the Melvin M. Belli Society. He concentrates his practice in the areas of personal injury/wrongful death, criminal defense, and commercial litigation, and he frequently lectures in the areas of both criminal and civil trial practice.

Todd Romano, of Romano Law Group, maintains a practice in the areas of Personal Injury/Wrongful Death, Trucking and Bus Litigation, Commercial Motor Vehicle Crashes, Burn/Explosion Injury Litigation, and Product Liability Litigation and Mass Torts. Mr. Romano received his B.A. degree in Sociology from the University of Iowa in May of 1995. He received his J.D. degree from Stetson in May of 1999. Romano served as a JAG office in the USMC at Camp Pendleton, California as a Civil Law Attorney. He was designated to serve as a Trial Counsel (prosecutor) where he prosecuted a wide variety of over 120 criminal cases under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. After honorable discharge in 2003, Mr. Romano returned to Florida and joined Romano Law Group. He is the Best Lawyers® 2023 Product Liability “Lawyer of the Year” award in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Marjorie Levine has considerable experience in managing and navigating all phases of complex legal disputes. Prior to joining the firm, she focused her practice on disputes involving a wide range of medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, construction projects, consumer financial services litigation, appellate work, and environmental enforcement and litigation. She graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in Biology and Environmental Studies and then attended Pace University School of Law where she graduated with an Environmental Law Certificate. She is licensed to practice in Florida, New York and New Jersey.

Scott Crowley is an attorney that served in the United States Marine Corps as a Judge Advocate from 2011-2015. He was stationed on Camp Lejeune from 2011-2012 and is familiar with the water contamination issues on the base. Scott is currently serving as local counsel in Cincinnati. His territorial span encompasses southwest Ohio, northern Kentucky, and southeast Indiana. Scott is dedicated to serving and representing Veterans. After active duty, he served as a prosecutor for the  City of Cincinnati. In that capacity he served as the prosecutor for Veterans Treatment Court in Hamilton County Municipal Court. In 2021, Scott began his private practice with the firm J. Thomas Hodges and Associates. In addition to his law practice, he continues to serve with Veterans Treatment Court as a pro bono/ volunteer attorney in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas. Scott also serves as the Hamilton County Recorder, a government office that records and preserves DD-214s for servicemembers and issues Veteran ID cards as proof of military service. In addition, Scott is admitted to practice as an attorney before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

Chad Maloney is an experienced and accomplished litigator with a passion for helping others.  He joined Goldberg, Goldberg & Maloney in West Chester, PA following a distinguished career as a prosecutor for the United States Marine Corps and the Chester County PA District Attorney’s Office.  Chad now uses his significant trial experience to fight for justice for his clients.  Chad is also a proud Marine and the son of a proud Marine.  He understands that Marines signed up to serve their country at great risk to themselves.  They did not sign up to be poisoned by toxic drinking water.

Guy is an accomplished trial attorney in New Bern, North Carolina where he is a partner at the firm of Greene, Crow & Smith, P.A. Prior to private practice, Guy served in the Marine Corps as a Judge Advocate. His billets included Trial Counsel (prosecutor), Defense Counsel, and Battalion Judge Advocate for 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5). Guy is a Major in the United States Marine Corps Reserve where he is the Reserve Staff Judge Advocate for the Commanding General,  2d Marine Logistics Group. His current duty station is Camp Lejeune, NC. He is passionate about representing fellow service members and their families who were poisoned for nearly four decades aboard Camp Lejeune.

Tommy Pope is a managing partner of Elrod Pope Law Firm in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and he has over 30 years of litigation experience.  From 1993-2006, Tommy served as the elected Solicitor for the 16th Circuit of South Carolina (Union & York Counties).  In this time, Tommy was the lead prosecutor in several different high profile murder cases.  He is most often recognized for his 1995 prosecution of Susan Smith in Union County, South Carolina, who made national headlines for the drowning deaths of her two children.