David C. Greenstone

David C. Greenstone

Founding Shareholder / Executive Committee

David C. Greenstone is an experienced trial lawyer and a founding member of Simon Greenstone Panatier, PC.  Mr. Greenstone has been the Managing Shareholder of the firm since its inception in 2006.

Mr. Greenstone has spent more than two decades fighting in court on behalf of those who have been harmed by the negligence and recklessness of others.  Passionate about representing clients through trial work, David tried his first case within six months of getting his law license. He was trying cases as a first chair within a year.

Throughout his career, David has tried cases all over the country in both state and federal court. He has obtained numerous significant and ground breaking verdicts on behalf of his clients in various different types of litigation, including asbestos, talc, pharmaceuticals, product liability and other catastrophic injuries. David strongly believes that jury trials can make a positive impact on our society and that they are critical for the protection of public health and safety, and his verdicts have been nationally recognized for their importance.

In addition to his trial work, David is proud of the work he has done helping to build Simon Greenstone Panatier, PC into a national trial powerhouse. He and his partners have dedicated their careers to helping clients who have been injured and who would not otherwise have a voice. As the Managing Shareholder since the founding of the firm, David has helped to organize a team that has effectively  represented thousands of clients in many different types of cases, in most of the states in the continental US.

Mr. Greenstone is a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He is also a board member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, and he has been honored consistently and for many years as a Texas Super Lawyer.

David and his partners feel strongly about the importance of giving back to their community. In furtherance of this commitment, the Simon Greenstone Panatier Scholarship was created to help students who are dealing with cancer in their own families. The firm also supports the critical work of the North Texas Food Bank, and David has served as a co-chair of the NTFB Partners for Hope campaign. In addition, the firm supports and has participated in the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program.

Practice Areas

  • Toxic Torts
  • Mesothelioma/Asbestos
  • Pharmaceutical Litigation
  • Products Liability
  • Catastrophic Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

Education

  • The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, 1998, J.D. Honors: Cum Laude
  • University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA, 1995, B.A. Honors: Summa Cum Laude, Major: Government

Court Admissions

  • State Bar of Texas (1998)
  • USDC, Northern District of Texas (2001)
  • USDC, Southern District of Texas (2007)
  • State Bar of New York (2005)
  • State Bar of California (2006)
  • USCA, 7th Circuit Court of Appeals (2010)

Representative Cases

Cabibi v. Johnson & Johnson, Los Angelas Superior Court, No. BC665257

Practice Area:  Mesothelioma/Asbestos
Date:  September 27, 2019
Outcome: Significant Verdict for Plaintiff.  Recognized as one of the top 20 verdicts in California for the year 2019. Also noted by the National Law Journal as one of the Top 100 verdicts in the United States for 2019. Also recognized by the Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of the most impactful verdicts for the year 2019.
Description: Nancy Cabibi, age 71, contracted malignant mesothelioma from her use of cosmetic talcum powder products that contained asbestos, including Johnson’s Baby Powder and J&J’s Shower to Shower. The jury determined that J&Js products contained asbestos and thus were defectively manufactured. The jury also determined that exposure to asbestos from J&Js products substantially contributed to cause Nancy Cabibi’s mesothelioma.

 

Anderson v. Johnson & Johnson,  Los Angeles Superior Court, West Covina, No. BC666513

Practice Area: Mesothelioma/Asbestos
Date: May 24, 2018
Outcome: Significant Verdict for Plaintiff.  Noted as one of the top 20 verdicts in the state of California for the year 2018.  Also recognized by the National Law Journal as one of the Top 100 verdicts in the US for 2018.
Description: Joanne Anderson was exposed to asbestos for many years from her use of Johnsons’ Baby Powder. The jury determined that her use of Johnson’s Baby Powder was a substantial factor in causing her to contract malignant mesothelioma. The jury found that Johnson & Johnson was negligent and that their product was defective. They also found that J&J acted with Malice and awarded punitive damages. Mr. Greenstone tried this case along with his law partner Chris Panatier.

 

Coulbourn v. Crane Co. and The William Powell Company, United States District Court, Arizona, CV 13-08141-PCT-SRB

Practice Area: Mesothelioma/Asbestos
Date: Apr 22, 2016
Outcome: Significant verdict for Plaintiff, including compensatory damages and punitive damages against Crane Co. and The William Powell Co. Largest Plaintiff’s verdict in any practice area in the State of Arizona for the year 2016.
Description: George Coulbourn contracted mesothelioma and died as a result of exposure to asbestos, including from products sold by Crane Co. and William Powell. Plaintiffs proved that the Defendants knew that asbestos was deadly for decades yet never warned Mr. Coulbourn of the dangers or took any precautions to protect him. The Jury found that both companies were responsible for contributing to cause Mr. Coulbourn’s death, and awarded compensatory and punitive damages.

 

Winkel v. Colgate-Palmolive Co., Los Angeles Superior Court, No BC549253

Practice Area: Mesothelioma/Asbestos
Date: Apr 28, 2015
Outcome: Significant verdict for Plaintiff.  Noted as a one of the top 50 verdicts in the state of California for the year 2015.
Description: Judith Winkel contracted mesothelioma from exposure to Cashmere Bouquet, a cosmetic talcum powder product made by Colgate. Plaintiffs proved that Colgate’s product contained asbestos and caused Judith Winkel’s cancer. This case was the first trial to go to verdict against Colgate for a cosmetic talcum powder product causing mesothelioma.

 

Stoute v. John Crane, 18th Judicial District, Parish of Iberville, Louisiana, NO. 71,751

Practice Area: Mesothelioma/Asbestos
Date: May 29, 2013
Outcome: Significant verdict for Plaintiff
Description: Ralph Stoute contracted mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos products, including John Crane Gaskets. Plaintiffs proved that John Crane knew or should have known that asbestos was deadly for decades, but failed to take the proper precautions to protect Mr. Stoute. The jury found that John Crane was negligent, that its products were unreasonably dangerous, and that it failed to warn of asbestos related dangers.

 

Robinson v. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, N.D. of Illinois., No 07-5603

Practice Area: Defective and dangerous products
Date: Sep 01, 2009
Outcome: Defendant McNeil found to be Negligent and to have caused Plaintiffs Injuries. Plaintiff also found to be negligent, which operated to bar recovery under VA law.
Description:  In September 2005, Karen Robinson ingested three doses of Over-the-Counter (OTC) Children’s Motrin over a three-day period for a headache and fever. By the third day, she was rushed to the emergency room and subsequently diagnosed with Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (“TEN”), a severe skin reaction that causes an individual’s skin to burn off, as well as severe injuries to the eyes, mouth, and genitalia. The jury unanimously determined that McNeil Consumer Healthcare was negligent in failing to warn about the potential life-threatening reactions associated with OTC Children’s Motrin, an ibuprofen-based product and that the negligence caused Ms. Robinson’s injuries. This was one of the the first negligence and causation findings against McNeil for their Children’s Motrin product. It was also one of the first such findings against any maker of an OTC ibuprofen product. The jury also found that the Plaintiff was contributorily negligent, which operated to bar recovery under Virginia law.

 

Russell v. Ford Motor Company, Los Angeles Superior Court, No BC386030

Practice Area: Mesothelioma/Asbestos
Date: Aug 28, 2008
Outcome: Significant verdict for Plaintiff
Description: John Russell, a 72-year old California resident, contracted mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure. Russell worked as a delivery driver for an auto parts store in the mid 1950s. During that time, Russell was regularly exposed to asbestos from friction products, including Ford brake linings, as a bystander during arcing and grinding in the machine shop. The jury found that Ford’s brakes were defective because they failed to contain warnings of the inherent dangers of asbestos in the products. The jury also found that Ford was negligent and assessed a 10% fault to Ford for causing Russell’s mesothelioma.

 

Bergquist v. General Motors Corporation, Los Angeles Superior Court, No. BC367766

Practice Area: Personal Injury
Date: Nov 14, 2007
Outcome: Significant verdict for Plaintiff
Description: Erwin Bergquist filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court in May 2007, alleging that his malignant pleural mesothelioma was caused by exposure to asbestos. Bergquist alleged that he was exposed performing repairs and maintenance to General Motors Corp.’s diesel engines while in the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1954. Plaintiffs alleged that the engines contained asbestos gaskets and insulation and that work on the engines exposed Bergquist to enormous amounts of dust. The jury apportioned 65% of the liability to General Motors.

 

Valverde v. Bayer Corporation, Texas Dist., El Paso Co., No 2002-929

Practice Area: Defective and dangerous products
Date: Oct 13, 2004
Outcome: Significant verdict for Plaintiff
Description: Miguel Valverde suffered a hemorrhagic stroke in 1997 only hours after taking a dose of Alka-Seltzer Plus with PPA. Valverde sued Bayer Corp. in 2002 alleging the stroke was caused by the medication and that the drug was defectively designed and Bayer was negligent and conspired to conceal the dangers of PPA. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the Plaintiffs. This was the first verdict against a pharmaceutical company for a stroke caused by an over the counter cough/cold medicine.

 

Durham, et al v. Pittsburgh Corning et al, Tex. 124 Dist., Gregg Co., No 98-758-13

Practice Area: Wrongful death
Date: Feb 28, 2000
Outcome: Significant verdict for Plaintiff
Description: Robert Durham worked as a chemical operator at Eastman Kodak in Longview, Texas from 1955 to 1968. He never worked directly with asbestos products, but rather in close proximity to insulators and other employees who did. As a result of this exposure he was diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancer and died one year later. Finding that Durham’s lung cancer came from occupational exposure to asbestos, a jury awarded widow Glenda Durham and her four children significant compensatory damages. The jury found that Pittsburgh Corning acted with malice and awarded punitive damages, holding them 40% liable.

 

Honors and Distinctions

  • The American Board of Trial Advocates (2014 – present)
  • Texas Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters (2013 – 2021)
  • National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers Award (2014 – Present)
  • American Academy of Trial Attorneys, Premier Attorney Award (2015)
  • Texas Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters (2005 – 2013)
  • Top 50 Verdicts in California Award by TopVerdict.com (2015) – Winkel v. Colgate-Palmolive Co.
  • Top Verdict in Arizona Award by TopVerdict.com – All Practice Areas (2016) – Coulbourn v. Crane Co. et al.
  • Top 20 Verdict in California Award by TopVerdict.Com – All Practice Areas (2018) – Anderson v. Johnson & Johnson
  • Top 50 Verdicts in the United States Award by TopVerdict.com – Personal Injury (2019) – Cabibi v. Johnson & Johnson, et al.
  • Top 10 Verdicts in the United States Award by TopVerdict.com – Asbestos Exposure (2019) – Cabibi v. Johnson & Johnson, et al
  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, 2021
2019 Top 20 Verdict
We have built this firm on the shared belief that there is nothing more important than fighting for those who are in need. That is the singular value that binds every member of our firm. For me, there is nothing more rewarding than helping someone who had lost hope find some measure of justice.
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