Joseph Blizzard
Partner
jblizzard@andrewskurth.com
Suite 3700
Dallas TX 75201
P: 214.659.4588
F: 214.659.4401
Download v-cardJoe is a litigator who has vast experience successfully defending major corporations against toxic-tort claims involving personal injury and wrongful death. He has developed strategies for defending large numbers of complex cases involving exposure to asbestos, benzene, butadiene, silica, and other potentially toxic substances, and has successfully implemented those strategies to achieve favorable outcomes for his clients. He has defended a broad range of clients in toxic-tort litigation, including major oil and chemical companies, domestic and foreign automakers, a large engineering and construction company, a national retailer, and manufacturers of industrial boilers, plumbing fixtures, turbines, and electrical equipment.
Beyond toxic-torts, Joe has extensive experience in commercial litigation, with an emphasis on representing banks and commercial leasing companies in their business disputes, usually involving breach of lease agreements or other contracts. He also has experience with condemnation proceedings, and has represented corporate clients seeking just compensation for their condemned property. Additionally, Joe has represented individuals and corporations in real estate and property damage litigation, as well as suits brought under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Representative Experience
- Defends as regional counsel a multinational oil company and its subsidiaries in all of their chemical litigation in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
- Defends these same companies, as well an industrial boiler manufacturer, against all asbestos-related premises and product liability claims in Texas. Notably, Joe has obtained either a voluntary dismissal or summary judgment on behalf of the boiler company in every one of its trial-set cases.
- Represents a large Texas franchisee of a popular restaurant chain in a condemnation proceeding.
- Prosecuted a suit involving a breach of a several million dollar equipment lease agreement on behalf of a commercial leasing company against a large construction company and recovered all past-due amounts owed to the client and all of its attorneys’ fees.
- Prosecuted numerous suits on behalf of a bank affiliated equipment finance company, and successfully sequestered its equipment and recovered the deficiency balances.
- Defended a global manufacturer of plumbing fixtures in a personal injury and property damage claim involving black mold contamination.
- Defended a large engineering and construction company in its asbestos-related litigation in North Texas, and obtained either a voluntary dismissal or summary judgment in every one of its trial-set cases.
- Defended a worldwide manufacturer and supplier of offshore oil production products against asbestos-related claims in Texas and California, and created and implemented a strategy that resulted in the dismissal of all of its California cases within a week.
- Defended domestic and foreign automakers, as well as a national retailer, against hundreds of product liability claims involving allegations of asbestos exposure from working on brakes shoes, clutches, and automotive gaskets.
- Defended a Fortune 500 company against thousands of product liability claims in Texas involving allegations of asbestos exposure from working on a wide array of products, including turbine-generators, motors, transformers, switchgear, electrical panel boards, arc chutes, and welding rods.
- Defended a large sand supplier against hundreds of silica-related product liability claims.
- Defended railway company against asbestos-related and other personal injury claims asserted under the Federal Employers Liability Act.
- Defended numerous companies and individuals against various personal injury and wrongful death claims.
Professional / Civic Affiliations
Member
- Dallas Bar Association
- State Bar of Texas
- Defense Research Institute
Practice Areas
Education
- JD, 1994, Baylor University School of Law, Baylor Law Review, Senior Notes and Comments Editor
- BA, 1982, The University of Texas at Austin
Admitted
- Texas 1994
- US District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- US District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
