Most people would be amazed by the amount of preparation that goes into asbestos exposure and environmental toxic tort litigations. Thinking painstakingly about the correct approach for each case, and developing the right theory, and all of the research this involves, are the keys to getting a great result. Research into the facts of each case, the legal principles and decisions, and the types of experts who should be retained, are just the beginning. I find it very rewarding to participate in this outstanding project as a member of the Weitz & Luxenberg litigation team.”
Mr. Golanski joined Weitz & Luxenberg in 2008 as director of our appellate litigation unit, with particular emphasis on our Asbestos-Cancer and Toxic Environmental Tort litigation groups. An authority on federal contract disputes, he also is a foremost appellate litigation specialist. Among his many impressive victories, for example, is a 1992 decision handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, in the Brooklyn Navy Yard Asbestos Litigation that affirmed a multi-million-dollar judgment against numerous manufacturers and suppliers of ultra-hazardous asbestos-containing materials (at stake were more than 60 consolidated asbestos-related verdicts favoring the plaintiffs).
Mr. Golanski’s appellate work has helped shaped the New York high court’s view of the statute of limitations in products liability litigations, and has impacted state and federal court review of the interplay of New York’s complex judgment molding rules and statutes. Mr. Golanski has recently won two appeals at the New York Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, on behalf of plaintiffs bringing actions against the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for asbestos-related harms, and against building owners backed by the Defense Association of New York, establishing stricter standards for the protection of usable roof surfaces. Andrucki v. Aluminum Co. of America, 24 N.Y.3d 275 (2014); Powers v. 31 E 31 LLC, 24 N.Y.3d 84 (2014).
In addition to his juris doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1986, Mr. Golanski obtained a master of laws degree from the Columbia University School of Law in 2003, where his academic standing qualified him for recognition as that year’s James Kent Scholar, Columbia Law’s highest academic distinction. In 2004, he earned an M.A. in philosophy from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He originally received his B.A. from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., and was inducted to the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.
