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Our Legacy The current partners of Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein, L.C. stand on the shoulders of many of our deceased and retired lawyers. Each of who have helped establish our regional and national reputation. I. Leake Wornom, Jr. - (1926 - 2008) Thomas R. Watkins - (1925 - 1995) Neal J. Patten - (1917 - 2009) Stanley W. Drucker - (1931 - 2010) William M. Martin, III Benjamin A. Williams, III Alan A. Diamonstein Henry D. Garnett, Jr. - (1944 - 2023) Donald N. Patten

ELEANOR WESTON BROWN PARTNER Email: ewbrown@pwhd.com Newport News: (757) 223-4456 Irvington: (804) 223-2804 Practice Areas: ​​ ​ Estate and Tax Planning Estate Administration Probate Trust Administration Business Succession Planning vCard Contact Eleanor Weston Brown leads the firm’s Estate and Tax Planning, Estate Administration and Wealth Transfer Practice. Eleanor’s focus on estate planning and estate administration synthesizes her education and experience in tax law with her creative ability to design and administer unique solutions to meet the wealth transfer goals of her clients in a tax-advantaged way. Highly sought after as a trusted advisor, Eleanor has devoted her practice to developing lifelong relationships with clients and their families. Known for her empathy and compassion, Eleanor is devoted to serving clients working through challenging family and business succession issues. Eleanor graduated from the University of Virginia in 1981 and received her law degree from the University of Richmond in 1985. She received an LLM in Taxation from the College of William & Mary Law School in 1987. Eleanor clerked at the Appellate Division of the Internal Revenue Service. ​ In the private practice of law since 1985, Eleanor has handled a wide range of complex transactions including structuring mergers, acquisitions, and tax-free reorganizations, tax exempt entities, and handled tax controversies at all levels of government. That transactional tax experience informs and augments her estate planning practice, which ranges from simple wills to complex generation skipping plans and charitable planning, including the use of charitable conservation easements and land preservation tax credits. Eleanor’s love of the law and desire to mentor young lawyers led her to teach law. Eleanor served as an associate professor with tenure at Regent University School of Law, where she taught Individual Federal Income Tax, Corporate Tax, Estate and Gift Tax, Wills and Trusts, Estate Planning and Business Associations. She was named multiple years by Regent University law students as Professor of the Year. Her publications include Transferable Conservation Easement Tax Credits, the Virginia Experience, CRITICAL ISSUES IN ENVIRONMENTAL TAXATION, INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES: VOL. VI, published by the prestigious Oxford University Press (2009). Eleanor is a frequent speaker on estate and tax matters including a number of continuing education programs for lawyers, accountants, certified life underwriters, and trust officers. She has been a guest speaker in the lifelong learning program at Christopher Newport University and has spoken at a number of forums presented by charitable organizations including Williamsburg Community Hospital, WHRO, Children’s Hospital of King’s Daughters and the Boys and Girls Club of the Northern Neck. Eleanor is a native of Hampton, Virginia and is active in many professional and civic associations. She was elected to Hampton City Council, where she led the city’s resiliency efforts, combining economic development initiatives with environmental stewardship goals. Former Governor Terry McAuliffe named Eleanor to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation Board of Trustees, where she served as Chairman for four years. She served for seven years as the Chairman of the Hampton Redevelopment and Housing Authority where she led the transition to a citizen board. During her tenure, she shepherded numerous redevelopment efforts. Eleanor also served as Chairman of the Hampton Economic Development Authority. She was selected to serve on the Board of Directors of Hampton First, a coalition of community leaders, where she served as Vice Chairman. Hampton First developed recommendations to the City Council for the revitalization of downtown Hampton. Other past service includes Member of the Virginia Board of Historic Resources (appointed by then-Governor Terry McAuliffe), Member and Treasurer, Foundation for Virginia’s Natural Resources Board of Trustees (appointed by then-Governor Tim Kaine), Member of the Pro Bono Council of the Virginia Bar Association, Member of the Virginia Peninsula Economic Development Council and President of the Peninsula Estate Planning Council . Eleanor is admitted to practice in Virginia and North Carolina, the United States Tax Court and the United States Supreme Court. Eleanor was appointed by the judges of the Hampton Circuit Court as Commissioner of Accounts for the City of Hampton. During her professional career, Eleanor has earned numerous honors, including the Faculty Award for Excellence in Service, Regent University, the Presidential Award for Outstanding Citizenship from Hampton University and recognition as one of Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite, “Best Lawyers in Virginia” in the areas of Tax, Trusts, and Estates. ​ Eleanor and her husband, Bill, divide their time between their home at historic Ft. Monroe, Virginia and their cottage in the Northern Neck, where they enjoy sharing their love of the Chesapeake Bay with their children and grandchildren. Education: William and Mary Law School - LL.M in Taxation University of Richmond School of Law - Juris Doctor University of Virginia - Bachelor of Arts ​ Admissions: Supreme Court of United States United States Tax Court Supreme Court of Virginia Supreme Court of North Carolina ​ Academic Experienc e: Regent University School of Law, Virginia Beach, Virginia Associate Profes sor of Law with Tenure, 2011-2015 Associate Professor of Law, 2003-2011 Visiting Professor, 2002-2003 ​ ​ ​ Courses Taught: Individual Federal Income Tax Estate and Gift Tax Estate Planning Business Associations Corporate Tax Wills, Trusts and Estates Professional Skills Practicum, Wills and Corporations ​ ​ Publications: Book Chapters: Tax Sweets or Eliminate “Sweet” Subsidies from the American Diet? Can Taxation Make Us Healthier , MARKET INSTRUMENTS AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY (2012). Transferable Conservation Easement Tax Credits, the Virginia Experience, CRITICAL ISSUES IN ENVIRONMENTAL TAXATION, INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES: VOL. VI, Oxford University Press (2009). ​ Articles: ​ A Common Morality: Towards a Framework for Designing Fiscal Instruments to Respond to Global Climate Change, 15 U Widener L R 391 (2010). Healing Healthcare Through Tax Reform, 1 Regent J.L. & Pub. Pol'y 101(2010). Estate Administration in Virginia, NBI, March, 2005. S Corporation Reform under the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, Virginia Bar Association Business Law Section Newsletter, Spring 2005. ​ ​ Honors: Hampton University Presidential Award for Outstanding Citizenship, January 2016 Faculty Award for Excellence in Service, Regent University, January 2013 3L Professor of the Year, Regent University School of Law (multiple years) 2L Professor of the Year, Regent University School of Law (multiple years) Virginia Bar Association Pro Bono Servant Charter Member, 2006 Virginia Business Magazine Legal Elite, “Best Lawyers in Virginia in Tax, Trusts & Estates” (multiple years) ​ ​ Professional and Community Memberships and Activities: Me mberships and Appointments: Commissioner of Accounts, Circuit Court for the City of Hampton, Virginia (Judicial Appointment 2019-2023) Elected to City Council of the City of Hampton, Virginia (July 1, 2018-December 31, 2022) Chairman, Virginia Outdoors Foundation (Gubernatorial appointee November 2017- 2019) Member, Virginia Outdoors Foundation Board of Trustees (Gubernatorial Appointment July 1, 2016- present) Member, Virginia Board of Historic Resources (Gubernatorial appointment July 1, 2015- June 2016) Chairman, Hampton Economic Development Authority (City Council Appointment January 2016-2018) Vice Chairman, Hampton Economic Development Authority (City Council Appointment January 2015-2016) Member, Hampton Economic Development Authority (City Council Appointment 2014-2018) Member, Hampton Redevelopment and Housing Authority (City Council Appointment 2007-2014; 2017- 2018) Chairman, Hampton Redevelopment and Housing Authority (City Council Appointment 2007-2014) Member, H2O Community Development Authority (City Council Appointment 2008-2018) Vice Chairman, Hampton First (City Council Appointment 2012-2018) Member and Treasurer, Foundation for Virginia’s Natural Resources Board of Trustees (Gubernatorial Appointment 2006-2011) Virginia Bar Association Community Service Council (Dean’s Appointment, 2004) Pro Bono Participant in Leave a Legacy, Christopher Newport University (May 2003) President, Peninsula Estate Planning Council (2001-2002) Member, Peninsula Estate Planning Council (1989-present) Member, Virginia Peninsula Economic Development Council (City Council Appointment 1992-1993) Member, Junior League of Hampton Roads (1986-1996), Chairman, Endowment; Sustainer (1996-present) Virginia Living Museum Capital Campaign Committee Hampton Yacht Club, Board Member (2011-2014) Member, Huntington Garden Club, Treasurer ( Merrimac Garden Club (President 2015-2016) St. John’s Episcopal Church, Hampton, Virginia (Stewardship Chairman)

C. THOMAS TURBEVILLE, JR. PARTNER Tom began litigating False Claim (Qui Tam) cases in 2003. He presently devotes his practice exclusively representing relators in State and Federal False Claim matters. Tom’s representation as co-counsel includes several of the most significant recoveries in the history of the US Department of Justice, totaling billions of dollars. ​ Tom was involved in the landmark settlement of Pfizer Inc.’s illegal promotion of false labeling of pharmaceutical products in 2009, resulting in a civil and criminal recovery of $2.3 billion dollars. Recently in 2019 and 2020 Tom served as co-counsel for the prime relator in assisting the Justice Department to obtain a settlement of $2 billion dollars; the largest case in United States history related to the Opiod crises. Reckitt Benckizer and Indivior pharmaceuticals agreed to pay the recovery to settle their alleged scheme of the illegal promotion Suboxone Film. Tom is a 1983 graduate of the College of William and Mary. He successfully completed the Virginia Law Reader program in 1989. Tom holds Martindale Hubbell’s AV Preeminent rating. He has been in private practice since October of 1989. ​ Tom is a member of the Taxpayers Against Fraud. Email: tturbeville@pwhd.com Phone: (757) 223-4595 Practice Areas: ​​ ​ Whistleblower / Qui Tam: Heath Care Fraud Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Pharmaceutical Fraud Academic Research Fraud Contractor Fraud Anti-Kickback Statute Procurement Fraud General Services Administration (GSA) Fraud Financial Services Fraud SEC Dodd-Frank Violations Stark Violations IRS Tax Fraud Foreign and Corrupt Practices Nursing Home and Hospice Fraud Education and Grant Fraud vCard Contact

2022 Top CoVa Biz Lawyers Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein, LC (PWHD) is pleased to announce that our attorneys were named to CoVa Biz Magazine’s 2022 Top Lawyers of Coastal Virginia. ​ Robert R. Hatten Product Liability James H. Shoemaker, Jr. Labor and Employment Law

SCOTT L. REICHLE PARTNER Admissions: Virginia State Bar United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Bar Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia Supreme Court of Virginia ​ Pro Bono Representation: Provided pro bono representation to numerous individuals in asylum and humanitarian relief cases in multiple immigration courts throughout the US, including clients from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Peru and Mexico. Provided pro bono technical/legal review of model legislations for the Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization (LPDD) project, designed to significantly reduce greenhouse emissions in the United States. Scott has approximately 25 years of litigation experience and has tried numerous cases in state and federal courts, including multiple jury trials. In addition to being an attorney, Scott is a licensed Professional Engineer in Virginia with extensive experience in the engineering and construction fields both as a university professor and a practicing engineer. Scott, along with other attorneys at Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein, L.C., has served as co-counsel in multiple whistleblower cases that have resulted in billions of dollars in combined recoveries for the benefit of his clients, the United States, 30 states and two cities. Amongst other significant recoveries, he represented a whistleblower in a pharmaceutic case that settled for a total of $1.4 billion dollars in 2019 and a related pharmaceutical case that settled for a total of $600 million in 2020. He also represented a whistleblower in a 2019 recovery against the nation’s largest operator of inpatient rehabilitation facilities, wherein they agreed to pay a total of $48 million to resolve the allegations against it. Scott graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1989 and went to work as a Field Engineer for a large industrial contractor located in Norfolk, Virginia. He worked on numerous projects along the east coast including construction projects at chemical plants, paper mills and manufacturing facilities. Scott obtained a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in environmental engineering from Old Dominion University in 1993. He also worked as a consulting engineer in the environmental engineering field before going to law school. Scott graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law in 1996. While at Loyola, he served as an editor on the Law Review. In addition to being a registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia since 1993, Scott was an Assistant Professor at the Batten College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University, where he taught several courses where the fields of law and engineering intersected. He is also a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Scott also invests a significant amount of time and effort in pro bono matters, including human rights cases, such as representing individuals seeking asylum or humanitarian relief in the United States and also working on environmental law issues. Email: sreichle@pwhd.com Phone: (757) 223-4566 Practice Areas: ​​ ​ Whistleblower / Qui Tam: Heath Care Fraud Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Pharmaceutical Fraud Academic Research Fraud Contractor Fraud Anti-Kickback Statute Procurement Fraud General Services Administration (GSA) Fraud Financial Services Fraud SEC Dodd-Frank Violations Stark Violations IRS Tax Fraud Foreign and Corrupt Practices Nursing Home and Hospice Fraud Education and Grant Fraud vCard Contact

PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION CPAP Machines Read More ​ Products Liability Home Asbestos Benzene Exposure Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit Hernia Mesh Medical Devices Paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease Roundup Sunscreen and Benzene Talc Zantac Contact Us CPAP and Bi-Level PAP (BiPAP) machines help many people with sleep apnea and other conditions. However, the very machines that many people need in order to breathe may also be releasing dangerous particles and toxins that the user may inhale or ingest during use. ​ Philips, a manufacturer of CPAPs, Bi-PAP machines and other mechanical ventilator devices recently issued a recall of numerous CPAP and Bi-PAP machines due to potential health risks from potential degradation of sound abatement foam, which is used in these devices to reduce sound and vibration. The foam, which is made of a polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR), can break down and potentially enter the device’s air pathway. When this occurs, chemicals and debris can be released and inhaled or swallowed by the person using the device. This can cause serious injury and permanent impairment, including the development of lung cancer, head, neck and respiratory carcinomas, breathing impairments, pulmonary hypertension, and other chronic respiratory illnesses. Recalled devices include: Dreamstation (1st Generation Product Family) C-Series Dorma 400 Dorma500 REMStar SE Auto SystemOne OmniLab Advanced Plus Medical devices can provide treatment for serious conditions and provide relief to many people. However, when medical devices have design defects or manufacturing defects, they may cause harm. Our attorneys are experienced in holding manufacturers and distributors accountable for harm caused by design defects, manufacturing defects, and failures to warn. ​ If you or a loved one have used one of the recalled machines and suffered harm, call our products liability attorneys to schedule a free case review. You can discuss your potential claim with us at no cost by calling us today at 757-223-4545 or by filling out our contact form . Products Liability Attorneys Contact PWHD Hugh B. McCormick, III. Jean nette M. Dodson-O'Connell Daniel R. O. Long

2022 Super Lawyers Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein (PWHD) is excited to celebrate with our attorneys that have been named to the 2022 Super Lawyers List. About Super Lawyers Only the top 5% of attorneys in each state are selected to the Super Lawyers List, which evaluates lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Virginia Super Lawyers can be found by searching the directory online at superlawyers.com 17th time selected as a Super Lawyer Donald N. Patten Donald Patten, a Newport News attorney, has represented individuals and businesses in product liability and negligence actions, commercial contract disputes and real estate business matters for over 50 years. Patten, who represents firm clients in multi-jurisdictional asbestos related bankruptcy proceedings, has been named in Best Lawyers in America every year since 2001 and has been chosen as a Virginia Super Lawyer every year since 2006. He is a former President of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and has been awarded the highest AV ranking by the Martindale-Hubbell® lawyer rating service. Approximately 10% of all attorneys hold an AV Preeminent Rating, a designation trusted worldwide by buyers and referrers of legal services. ​ 17th time selected as a Super Lawyer Robert R. Hatten For over 40 years Bobby Hatten has been a pioneer and national leader in asbestos litigation, prosecuting cases across Virginia and the nation for shipyard workers, Navy veterans, industrial workers, and their families. His work has established landmark decisions relating to maritime jurisdiction, statutes of limitations, conflicts of law, monetary damages, and product liability. For over 25 years he has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America and chosen by Best Lawyers as Lawyer of the Year for 2019. In 2010 he was chosen to be a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. VTLA, ATLA, and Lawyers Weekly have each conferred special advocacy awards for his many contributions to the law. Jury verdict in the Top 10 Verdicts in Virginia for 8 consecutive years (2006-2013) and 2016. 16th time selected as a Super Lawyer James H. Shoemaker, Jr. ​ Jamie Shoemaker has served as lead counsel in very significant employment cases around the U.S. resulting in numerous six and seven figure recoveries. He is “AV” rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Highly experienced in complex litigation, Jamie has served as lead counsel or co-lead counsel in several False Claims Act Qui Tam matters involving various types of healthcare fraud and fraud against the Department of Defense. In 2019, he served as lead counsel representing the successful whistleblower resulting in the $1.4 billion recovery against Reckitt Benckiser Group and a related $600 million recovery against a former RBG subsidiary. As of 2019, this was the largest opioid-related fraud settlement in U.S. history.

JAMES H. SHOEMAKER, JR. PARTNER Jamie Shoemaker focuses his practice on whistleblower and employment law. He has tried more than seventy cases to verdict in state and federal courts of record throughout the United States, before arbitration panels, Administrative Law Judges and other forums. He has successfully resolved hundreds more of his clients' claims through mediation and negotiated settlement. Highly experienced in complex litigation, Jamie has served as lead counsel and co-lead counsel in some of the most significant False Claims Act (“FCA”) and employment cases in the United States. Jamie represented the successful whistleblower in U.S. ex rel Williams v. Reckitt Benckiser Group (“RBG”) which settled for a total of $1.4 billion dollars in 2019 – at the time it was the largest fraud settlement ever obtained related to the opioid crisis. In 2021, he represented the same client against a Reckitt subsidiary that resulted in an additional $600 million dollar settlement. Though Jamie’s client was the third to file against the Reckitt family of companies, he was the first lawyer to name the London-based parent, RBG. As a result, Jamie’s client was deemed first-filed as to both cases and won a high eight-figure whistleblower award. Jamie also represented one of the eight successful relators in the 2009 recovery against Pfizer totaling $2.3 billion. The Pfizer and Reckitt settlements are each among the top 5 FCA settlements ever obtained. In 2017, Jamie obtained the largest FMLA verdict ever returned in Virginia, and one of the largest in the U.S. He has achieved wage and hour class action recoveries that are among the largest ever obtained in the Southeast. He was named one of Virginia’s ten “Go To Employment Lawyers” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly in 2022. Jamie holds Martindale Hubbell’s AV Preeminent rating, that firm’s highest rating for quality and integrity. Since 2006, Jamie has been listed in "Best Lawyers in America," a publication which seeks to identify the country's top practitioners through a national survey of lawyers and judges. For the past sixteen years Virginia Business Magazine has named him to its "Virginia Legal Elite" listing of the state's top lawyers. In 2005, the New York Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association awarded Jamie their Courageous Advocate Award at a ceremony in Manhattan. Jamie attended the Virginia Military Institute on a Navy ROTC scholarship and received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from VMI in 1984. Upon his graduation from VMI, he was commissioned as a naval officer and served four years on active duty and three years in the reserves. While on active duty, he served as navigator and tactical action officer aboard a destroyer and made two deployments to the North Atlantic and Middle East. In 1991, after his naval service, he received his Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond. Virginia Governor George Allen appointed Jamie as a commissioner of the seven member Hampton Roads Sanitation District Commission in 1995. HRSD is a public wastewater utility with an annual budget of approximately $200,000,000.00. He was reappointed to HRSD by Governor Jim Gilmore in 2000. Jamie served as president and trustee of the Sarah Bonwell Hudgins Foundation for over ten years. He has also served on the Boards of the Peninsula Metropolitan YMCA, Peninsula Legal Aid, St. Andrews Episcopal School, the Fort Monroe Authority Finance Committee, and Christopher Newport University Sailing Foundation. He is a former board member and president of the Hampton Roads Federal Bar Association. Jamie currently serves on the Peninsula Regional Board of Old Point National Bank. Jamie resides in Poquoson, Virginia, with his wife, Kimberly. They have a daughter, Jill, who is a reporter and aspiring actress in Chicago. Education: University of Richmond School of Law - Juris Doctor Virginia Military Institute - Bachelor of Arts in Economics ​ ​ Military: U.S. Navy, 1984-1988: Surface Warfare Officer; Tactical Action Officer; Navigator; Lieutenant (0-3) U.S. Naval Reserve 1988-1991: Surface Warfare / Combat Patrol Craft Officer ​ Admissions: Virginia State Bar U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia United States District Court for the District of Columbia Pro Hac Vice admissions in cases serving as lead counsel in the following states: Florida, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Ohio, Illinois, Texas, Washington, New York and California Supreme Court of Virginia ​ Honors and Civic Service: Awarded "AV" rating by Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory Named one of Virginia’s ten “Go To Employment Lawyers,” Virginia Lawyers Weekly, 2022 The Best Lawyers in America (2006-Present) Super Lawyers (2007 - Present) Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year in Employment Law - Hampton Roads - (2024, 2018, 2016, 2012) Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year in Litigation - Hampton Roads -Labor and Employment (2021) Virginia Legal Elite by Virginia Business Magazine (2009-Present) Courageous Advocate Award, New York Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association (2005) ​ Business & Community Service: Peninsula Regional Board, Old Point National Bank (2021 – present) Board member and president, Hampton Roads Federal Bar Association (2007‑2012) Appointed by Governor Allen as Commissioner of the seven member Hampton Roads Sanitation District Commission (1995) Reappointed by Governor Gilmore to Hampton Roads Sanitation District Commission (2000) President and trustee of the Sarah Bonwell Hudgins Foundation Board member, the Peninsula Metropolitan YMCA Member, Fort Monroe Authority Finance Committee Board member, Peninsula Legal Aid Peninsula Legal Aid Volunteer of the Year (1994) Board member, Christopher Newport University Sailing Foundation Trustee of St. Andrews Episcopal School Email: jshoemaker@pwhd.com Phone: (757) 223-4560 Practice Areas: ​​ ​ Whistleblower / Qui Tam: Heath Care Fraud Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Pharmaceutical Fraud DOD Fraud Contractor Fraud Anti-Kickback Statute Procurement Fraud General Services Administration (GSA) Fraud Financial Services Fraud SEC Dodd-Frank Violations Stark Violations IRS Tax Fraud Foreign and Corrupt Practices Nursing Home and Hospice Fraud Education and Grant Fraud Employment and Labor: Litigation of all workplace issues​ Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault in the Workplace Racial Harassment Wage and Hour Overtime Violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act Non-Compete and Restrictive Covenant Litigation Employment Contracts and Severance Negotiations Wrongful Discharge Workplace Retaliation Employment Discrimination Personal Injury: Wrongful Death and Serious Injury Automobile Accidents​ Maritime Accidents Aircraft Accidents vCard Contact

PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION Sunscreen & Benzene Read More ​ Products Liability Home Asbestos Benzene Exposure Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit CPAP Machines Hernia Mesh Medical Devices Paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease Roundup Talc Zantac Contact Us Valisure®, a firm that independently checks the chemical composition of medications before they reach consumers, recently tested many different sunscreen products for the presence of toxic substances. As a result of these tests, Valisure® discovered that many sunscreens on the market have alarming levels of benzene. What is Benzene? Benzene is typically a byproduct of oil, gasoline, and other volatile substances and processes. The toxicity of benzene has been known since at least 1897 and the International Agency for Research On Cancer (“IARC”) has classified benzene as a Group 1 human carcinogen that has been linked to the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), multiple myeloma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The FDA likewise recognizes the high danger of benzene and lists it as a “Class 1 solvent” that should not be employed in the manufacture of drug substances and products because of its unacceptable proximity. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that workers working with benzene wear protective equipment if they expect to be exposed to concentrations in excess of 0.1 parts per million (ppm). ​ Sunscreen Products Valisure® found that some of the sunscreen products tested had levels of benzene that surpassing 2 ppm or “over 400 times the threshold for systemic carcinogenicity assessment for at least one sunscreen active ingredient.” May 24, 2021 Valisure® Citizen Petition to FDA, at 2 (hereinafter Valisure® Petition). Valisure® also found that some sunscreens have no benzene contamination whatsoever, meaning that benzene apparently is not a necessary ingredient for sunscreen and there are reasonable and feasible alternatives. Valisure’s citizen’s petition to the FDA revealed that fourteen different sunscreen products had benzene contamination exceeding 2 ppm. Ten of these products were sold under the Neutrogena brand, two were sold under the CVS Health brand, and one each were sold under the Sun Bum and Fruit of the Earth brands. Thirteen of these products were spray products, while the one Fruit of the Earth product was a gel. Twenty-six additional sunscreen products contained benzene contamination from 0.1 ppm to 2 ppm. The majority of these were Neutrogena branded sunscreen, but they also include Banana Boat, CVS Health, SunBurnt, Goodsense, Raw Elements, TopCare Everyday, and EltaMD branded products. Though most were sprays, they also included lotions and gels. As one clinician and researcher from Yale commented: “Considering that human skin has a large total surface area (~1.85 m2), and that ~28.5 g of sunscreen is needed per application to properly cover that skin surface, it follows then that there is not a safe level of benzene that can exist in sunscreen products. The total mass of sunscreen required to cover and protect the human body, in single daily application or repeated applications daily, means that even benzene at 0.1 ppm in a sunscreen could expose people to excessively high nanogram amounts of benzene.” Valisure® Petition, at 17 (quoting Email from Dr. Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Dermatology at Yale University, New Haven, CT). PWHD is investigating cases involving personal injury or death as a result of benzene contamination of certain sunscreen products. If you or a loved one are a longtime user of sunscreen products and have been diagnosed with a benzene-related disease such as Leukemia, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, or other blood diseases, please contact PWHD today for a free, NO COST consultation by calling 757-223-4500 or filling out our online contact form . Products Liability Attorneys Robert R. Hatten Contact PWHD Hugh B. McCormick, III. Daniel R. O. Long

ASBESTOS LITIGATION Asbestos Disease Claims Read More ​ Asbestos Exposure What is Asbestos? What is Mesothelioma? What did Companies Know? Occupations at Risk Ship Builders, and Navy Veterans Contact Us There are legal remedies for most people who suffer disease or disability as a result of exposure to asbestos. These remedies are way of recovering compensation for your injury. If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos related disease like Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer, or Asbestosis, call us at 757-223-4500 for a free consultation. You can also fill out our contact form ​ for a free case evaluation. The Principal Remedies Are: a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the asbestos-containing products to which you were exposed; § 524(g) Trust claims on the trusts set aside for asbestos victims by companies that are no longer in litigation; a worker's compensation claim against the employer that you worked for when you were exposed to asbestos; other disability benefits including veterans and social security disability benefits. Some or all of these remedies may be available to you, but whatever remedy is available, it is best pursued with the assistance of an attorney. Be aware that most jurisdictions have time limits for filings claims. These time limits are called “statutes of limitation” and generally prohibit lawsuits or other claims for injuries that were diagnosed or known to you for more than a specified period of years. Statutes of limitation vary depending on the jurisdiction. If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we encourage you to seek the advice of an attorney as soon as possible to ensure that your claims may be prosecuted in a timely manner. In the event that you or a relative or friend is afflicted by an asbestos illness, call us at 757-223-4545​ for a free consultation. You can also fill out our contact form ​ for a free case evaluation. We will come to you. We have successfully handled thousands of asbestos-related claims since the 1970s. Asbestos Litigation Attorneys Robert R. Hatten Contact PWHD Hugh B. McCormick, III. Jean nette M. Dodson-O'Connell Geoffr ey R. Grau

Robert R. Hatten Speaker at CNU Commencement 2020/2021 PWHD’s Robert “Bobby” Hatten, Lead Trial Lawyer for the Asbestos Litigation Team, and Rector of Christopher Newport University, recently spoke at CNU’s commencement for both the 2020 and 2021 graduating classes. As a result of COVID-19, the class of 2020’s commencement ceremony did not occur until May of 2021, and the class of 2021’s commencement occurred the following weekend. Hatten’s commencement speech emphasized that graduates of both classes should be commended for enduring the challenges that the pandemic brought in 2020 and 2021 for academic success yet graduates still persevered against serious adversity and came out better prepared for their next challenge post-graduation. PWHD is a proud supporter of CNU. Read more about PWHD’s leadership and service to CNU, as well as other community contributions . Get to know more about Bobby Hatten .