Baron & Budd
Baron & Budd is a law firm specializing in class-action lawsuits, particularly those dealing with mesothelioma. It is also notable for its work with left-of-center nonprofits and ties to Democratic Party politicians.
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Background
Founded in 1977, Baron & Budd (Formally Baron & Budd, P.C.) is a Texas-based law firm that specializes in class-action lawsuits against large corporations, particularly providers of utilities, such as water and natural gas, pharmaceuticals, and automobile manufacturers. For instance, the firm has litigated against Exxon-Valdez, BP, Syngenta, GlaxoSmithKline, and Nissan in the past. 1
Though the firm is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, it also maintains offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, Chico, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, New York, and Washington, D.C. 2
Pro Bono Work
Baron & Budd provides financial support and pro bono legal representation to a variety of center-left and left-of-center nonprofits. Organizations which the firm particularly notes on its website include the Public Justice Foundation, the American Association for Justice, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the International Mesothelioma Program, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, Understanding Mesothelioma, Genesis Women’s Shelter, the Dallas Child Advocacy Center, and Attorneys Serving the Community. 3
Notably, Baron & Budd provides financial and pro bono support to the Budd Center, a nonprofit initiative founded in 2014 by the firm’s president, Russel W. Budd. The center partners the Dallas Independent School District with various nonprofits to improve students’ academic work and ameliorating their poverty. 3
Democratic Party Ties
In 2010, Baron & Budd’s president hosted then-President Barack Obama as well as then-Vice President Joe Biden for a fundraiser in his Dallas home. Notably, Budd and his wife had each contributed $50,000 to President Obama’s inaugural committee in January 2009 and between then and the fundraiser had together donated upwards of $146,000 to Democratic Committees, PACs, congressional candidates, and gubernatorial candidates. 4
Additionally, Fred Baron, a former partner at the firm, has headed the Finance Committee for Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards’s 2004 campaign, and in that same election cycle later became co-chair of John Kerry’s campaign. Notably, however, during the next cycle, in 2008, Baron again worked with Edwards’s campaign. 5
Russel W. Budd
Russel W. Budd has been the president of Baron & Budd since 2002 and has been a managing shareholder in the firm since 1985. Additionally, Budd sits on the board of governors of the American Association for Justice and on the executive board of the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development at Southern Methodist University. Previously, Budd served on the board of directors and executive committee of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. 6
In his capacity as a philanthropist, Budd has donated land to the City of Dallas for use as a bike and hike trail; has along with his wife donated $2.5 million to Southern Methodist University in Dallas to endow The Budd Center for Involving Communities in Education; and in 2017, endowed $3 million to the University of Texas School of Law to create The Budd Innocence Center, which sponsors events highlighting issues related to wrongful conviction. 6