I'm representing my client who has been historically sued for selling asbestos-containing products (made before the 1970s). Not meaning to sound like a lobbyist, but asbestos tort litigation in the U.S. is a mess. People who are actually sick aren't getting paid primarily because of the myriad of claims of unsick people clogging up the courts plus lawyers are getting up to 60% of any recoveries. The system has caused more than 70 bankruptcies since the early 1980's - over 30 in the last few years alone. Generally, these companies aren't against paying people they've actually made sick. They just want to do it under a better system than what currently exists. That's where national asbestos legislation comes in. The legislation is attempting to set up a trust fund such that companies and insurers who've been sued for asbestos can pay into a system (funding aggregates to $140 billion) and those who are sick can go to this trust and get paid. Lawyers are essentially cut out and the cases are taken out of the courts. As for what I've been working on, I'm an investment banker so I've been working on the financial side of these issues.

I have to tell you, being this close to the legislative process - it's amazing how anything gets done. Actually, the whole process has jaded me a bit. It is very clear what drives most of these politicians.

How are things on your end?