Member Bio
Albert (Al) Parnell has spent his entire career preparing, managing, and trying product liability, environmental, and toxic tort cases in multiple states. He is recognized by his peers as one of the nation’s leading asbestos lawyers, a solution provider, and a pioneer in toxic tort and product liability litigation. He has served as lead trial counsel in more than 250 asbestos and toxic tort cases in over 30 states. He has served as National Counsel for multiple companies in asbestos, chemical, and MDL cases. He has played a major role in the strategy and negotiation of the settlement of thousands of toxic tort suits, and he has been lead counsel in many landmark asbestos litigation cases. He is responsible for the management of complex litigation cases throughout the nation and has achieved successful outcomes for many Fortune 500 companies.
Al has defended some of the nation’s leading national and multinational corporations throughout his distinguished career. His clients have included Atlantic Richfield Company, BP Amoco, CertainTeed Corporation, General Electric Company, Johns Manville, Monsanto, Stouffer Chemical, Union Carbide Corporation, and The United States Gypsum Company.
Al is one of the preeminent law conference speakers in the country. He has delivered more than 200 presentations across the nation and globe for legal organizations, such as the Defense Research Institute (DRI), the American Bar Association (ABA), multiple state bar associations, and distinguished law schools, colleges, and universities. He is the author of numerous articles on product liability and toxic torts, including the breakthrough essay, “Manufacturers of Toxic Substances: Tort Liability and Punitive Damages,” The Forum, American Bar Association, Vol. XVII, No. 4, Spring 1982.
Al is dedicated to the professional development, ethical responsibility, and continuing education of attorneys. He has been instrumental in shaping the scope of continuing education and in designing, attending, and speaking at DRI conferences across the nation. He has served on the Board of Directors of DRI, been President of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, and received DRI’s national Louis Potter Lifetime Professional Achievement award in 2004. He was honored in November 2009 at the meeting in Miami for his thirty years of “noble” and “influential” service and resigned from the Law Institutes Committee at that time.
EDUCATION
J.D., Vanderbilt University Law School
Harvard Law School, Program of Instruction for Lawyers, June 1995 Program
George Mason University, then a division of the University of Virginia
Arkansas College, now Lyon College
BAR ADMISSIONS
Florida
Georgia
Nebraska
Texas
West Virginia
COURTS
Georgia Court of Appeals
Georgia Supreme Court
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Tennessee, Pro Hac Vice
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Louisiana, Pro Hac Vice
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Pro Hac Vice
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, Pro Hac Vice
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Pro Hac Vice
U.S. District Court for the District of Los Angeles, Pro Hac Vice
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, Pro Hac Vice
Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pro Hac Vice
216th Judicial District Court of Travis County, Texas, Pro Hac Vice
Dade County Circuit Court, Miami, Florida, Pro Hac Vice
Eleventh Judicial District, Flathead County, Montana, Pro Hac Vice
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
State Bar of Georgia
Nebraska State Bar Association
State Bar of Texas
West Virginia State Bar
The Florida Bar
Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
Defense Research Institute
Area Chair, Southern Region (Atlanta) (1980 - 1981)
State Chair, Southern Region (Georgia) (1982 - 1984)
Chairman, Law Institutes Committee (1983 - 1986)
Member, Law Institutes Committee (1983 - Present); Southern Regional Vice President (1989 - 1992)
Board of Directors (1992-1995)
Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
President (1978 -1980)
Member, Board of Directors (1974 - Present)
American Bar Association
Vice Chairman, Products, General Liability and Consumer Law Committee, Section of Tort and Insurance Practice, 1981 - 1982)
Chairman Elect Toxic and Hazardous Substances and Environmental Law Committee, Section of Tort and Insurance Practice (1987 - 1988)
Chairman, Toxic and Hazardous Substances and Environmental Law Committee, Section of Tort and Insurance Practice (1988 - 1989)
Atlanta Bar Association
Chairman-Elect, Certified Legal Education Committee (1994 - 2000)
International Association of Insurance Counsel
Member, Product Liability Committee
Member, Membership Committee for Georgia
HONORS
AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®
Best Lawyers® Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions "Lawyer of the Year" in Atlanta (2012)
The Best Lawyers in America©, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions, Personal Injury Litigation (1989 - 2016)
Honored for 30 Years of Service to DRI, Defense Research Institute (2009)
LOUIS Potter Lifetime Professional Achievement Award, Defense Research Institute, (2004)
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine (2004 - 2016)
Who's Who in Legal, The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers (2002 - 2004)
Who's Who in Legal, The International Who's Who of Product Liability Lawyers (2004, 2014)
TRIALS
Frank Rondon and Renee Rondon v. Anderson Auto Supply Houses, et al.
Merlin Olsen v. Asbestos Companies, et al.
Denton E. Crull and Joyce A Crull v. AW Chesterton Co., et al.
Lynda Daly, et al v. ArvinMeritor, et al.
Neil Le Sage v. The Sherwin-Williams Company
Kenneth Hickman v. CertainTeed
Paul Songer v. CertainTeed
Vernor Sartin v. CertainTeed
Virginia Pritchard v. CertainTeed
Fred Orta v Florida Lumber
Mobley v. Pneumo Abex
Billy Carney v. CertainTeed
Ayers v Continental Insurance Company
Cleaver-Brooks, Inc. v. AIU Ins. Co, et. al.
In re: Unfair Trade Practices Insurance Cases
Julius C Adams as Administrator of the Estate of Junious King
Coulter v Scappa
Billie Speicher v A. W. Chesterton, et., al.
Steadfast Insurance Company vs. The Purdue Frederick Company, et. al.
The Estate of William C Lamb v. CertainTeed
Roth v Marriott Corporation
Robert W. Lustgarten and Phyllis Lustgarten v. A. W Chesterton
David Eytcheson v. Kelley Moore, et. al.
Carl Eddy v. Owens Illinois and Johnnie Strickland v. Owens Illinois
Richardson v. ARCO, et. al.
Brignac V. Dupont
David Bitter v. Rapid American, et. al.
Lucy v Owens Corning, et. al.
Arnold v, Union Carbide, et. al.
Borman v Cleaver Brooks
Screws v USG
Garrison v USG
Gilcrease v USG
Prior v. USG, et. al.
Piskur v. USG, et. al.
Cassavaugh v. OCF, et al.
Vaughn v. OCF, et. al.
DiAngelo v. OCF, et al.
Bateman v. OCF, et. al.
Betasso v. Scapa, Inc.; Carroll v. Scapa, Inc.; Chambers v. Scapa, Inc.; Enge v. Scapa, Inc.; Graham v. Scapa, Inc.
Rudolph v. OCF, et. al.
Baldwin v. OCF, et. al.
Goodman v. OCF, et. al.
Leake v. OCF, et. al.
Cook v. OCF, et. al.
Odums v Dupps
Haywood v. Loftin's, and Powermatic
Pamela Brown v. Sage Products
Betasso v. Scappa Products, Carroll v Scappa Products, Chambers v. Scappa Products, Enge v. Scappa Products, Graham v Scappa Products
Graham v. Atlantic Richfield Company
Cosey v. OCF, et. al.
One Meridian Fire
Bruce R. Minder and Sherry Minder v. Anthony Scales and Domino's Distribution Corp., Inc.
Lupe Carmona, et al. v. United States Gypsum Company, et al.
Clare Snoozy, as Personal Representative of the Estate and Survivors of Edward Snoozy, Deceased v. W.R. Grace & Company, et al.
Cataldo, J. Lindenbaum, T. Holohan, J. Scanlon, R. Schullman, C. Sciara, J. Solecitto, et al.
Arnoldt v. Ashland
George Mehalic, et al. v. Armstrong World Industries, Inc., et al.
Scarberry v. Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
Carmon Jones, et al. v. Armstrong World Industries, et al.
Harry Parsysz v. Armstrong World Industries, et al.
James T. Adkins v. Armstrong World Industries, Inc., et al.
John Daniel Davis v. Armstrong World Industries, Inc., et al.
Dayton Independent School District v. United States Gypsum, et al.
William Carper v. Owens Corning Fiberglas, et al.
Emmet L. Huntley v. Owens Corning Fiberglas, et al.
Mercer University v. National Gypsum Company, et al.
Wendell H. Williams v. Owens Corning Fiberglas, et al.
Doris F. Isenhower, Executrix for Max Isenhower, Ida Miltier, Rachel Knick v. Pittsburgh Corning Corp.
Bertram C. Sutherland v. Johns Manville Sales Corporation, et al.
Carol Louise Tuten, the personal representative and widow of James W. Tuten, Sr. v. Johns-Manville Sales Corporation, et al.
James Moore v. Johns Manville Sales Corporation, et al.
Aubrey Hendrix, et al v. Johns-Manville Corp., et al.
Ralph G. Watson v. Raybestos Manhattan, et al.
PRACTICE AREAS
General Negligence
Premises Liability
Product Liability
Toxic Tort and Environmental Litigation