What Our Clients Say

I've been intending to write for some time to thank you and your firm for all of your hard work and expertise in representing my husband, Carl, and myself, in the asbestos litigation.

We were fortunate to have been made aware of your firm and I am appreciative of the guidance and understanding you provided during this most difficult time.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you and your firm to anyone who is in need of legal counsel.

Dayle Smith

I wanted to thank all of you, especially Chris, in how you handled the process of our law suit. As you know my husband John was stricken with mesothelioma at the age of 55. His diagnosis was terminal, and it was important to him that he left his family with the knowledge that they would be taken care of. During the process of our law suit, Chris became part of our family and took us through the process with much care and concern for John and myself. Although it was a difficult period for us, we got through it with the help and compassion of Chris and his staff. I feel Chris is a great asset to the firm. He especially helped me after John's death to get through much of the anxiety of caring for my family going forward without my partner. I can now go on with the confidence that I can support myself and my family financially and emotionally. Thank you again for your continued help and support, we are forever grateful!

Angela Boyle and Family

I would like to express our gratitude to you and your entire staff for the excellent service. I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma in February 2009. I contacted your office and within a few days Jennifer Lucarelli arrived at our door and met with my entire family. Jennifer knew more about mesothelioma than most doctors that I had seen. Making the decision to pursue a lawsuit did not come easy, but it was the right decision.

Bob Sweeney arrived a few weeks later and worked with me, asked questions and investigated my work history. Bob helped alleviate the stress of doing a deposition. Bob worked with us in good times and in bad during the numerous issues that I incurred. I felt free to call upon him at any time.

I also would like to thank Donni Young for her hard work at court and after court, along with others too numerous to mention.

Your firm is extremely knowledgeable in mesothelioma laws. You have all worked hard on my behalf. I sincerely want to thank you for your dedication, kindness and friendship.

Frank A. "Butch" Blanchard

In November 2009, my father-in-law Chuck was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos. He was a railroad worker for 39 years. After his diagnosis, we started researching law firms who specialize in this field and my daughter-in-law came upon your firm while researching for us on the internet. We contacted your firm and we were put in contact with Ms. Jennifer Lucarelli. It was a breath of fresh air and relief for us to have her helping us. She flew out to our father-in-law's apartment in St. Paul, and he was immediately taken with her down to earth personality. She laid everything out such as time lines as to how this type of lawsuit proceeds and she was very honest and up front in everything she explained to us.

Sadly, we lost Chuck on August 2, 2010. He was able to hold the first of the proceeds checks from one of the companies that Jennifer helped us recover. All he said was, "I can't believe it" with tears in his eyes. He thought this may all have been a waste of time, but thanks to Jennifer and her associates, we were able to prove him wrong and he passed knowing everyone would be taken care of.

Steven and Katherine Nahl

I am very pleased with the law firm Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney & Strauss and feel that they have always had my best interest at heart. Whenever I have had questions to be answered, I could (and can) count on prompt answers by calling the person with whom I have had the most contact, Jennifer Lucarelli. She has always treated me like a life-long friend.

S.L., Auburn, NY  (written by spouse, Shirley Lamphere)

Dear Donni, I'm sorry it took so long to get out this note. I appreciate so much that you took the time to help Dewey and me. I really believe that knowing someone cared enough to fight for him kept him focused on something besides his illness. I think it wasn’t until his pain became worse, his breathing became so labored and the knowledge that the chemo was not helping that he knew he couldn't face the struggle any longer. He hated the fact that he had to be taken care of especially since he was always the strong one. He left this world knowing I would be taken care of and I pray that gave him peace. I appreciate all you have done to make my life more bearable. I miss Dewey everyday but I'm also grateful for a loving family and for not having a financial burden at this time of my life.

God Bless You, Lila Riemann

To the Staff and all the Workers at Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney & Strauss - I do not like the way you came into my life but I "Thank God" you all did. Your life is turned upside down after 58 years and you are so lost when you lose a family member from asbestos.

I have not received a penny yet, but that is not why I'm writing. I'm doing this for every heart that is so hurt you don't know where to turn or what to do. You feel no one cares. Then a letter comes saying they have found some of the places Jim worked and all these great people at your firm who are doing all this work is so you can maybe keep your home. The heart still hurts but a lot of the worry is over.

I want to "Thank God" for every one of you even if you never heard of me but are working for others just like me. You are all angels (guardian angels) in my heart. You all are some of the greatest people in the world and the work you labor over does so much for the brokenhearted families.

So please don't stop - keep up your labors. I'm sure there were many before me and I'm sure there are more to follow. So please "Thank God" for such as you all and please keep up your heartfelt work. My husband died of this April 12, 2009 our son's 52nd birthday on Easter our son David died of cancer also May 1, 2009, 19 days after Jim. So God Bless all of you.

A friend forever, Midge Miller

Dear Jennifer - My wife Andrea and I would like to extend our deep gratitude and appreciation for your hard work and efforts that professionals like yourself, Annette Charlevois and the law firm of Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney and Strauss extended to us and families suffering like us.

The type of care that I am receiving requires high maintenance and much of our time is spent with a team of specialists and family members helping us out.

Trusting you to handle our mesothelioma case put us in touch with a California Law firm that made our case move faster through the California court system. The team of Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney and Strauss knew where to guide us and how to take on the corporate giants. You became our voice and the scales of justice shifted in our favor. With you at our side, we received some recompense and a much needed vindication. This enables us to focus on Jesus' health care.

Thanks again for all your hard work and for taking on our case.

Jesus and Andrea Munoz

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the great team effort in representing us with our mesothelioma case. It has given us peace of mind through this difficult year. July of ’06 Charlie, at age 68, was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma from exposure in the 60’s and 70’s to asbestos. Dr Mason at the Cleveland Clinic felt Charlie would be physically strong enough for the extrapleural pneumonectomy procedure. Because of the severity of this disease, and the side effects of this surgery, we decided to look into an asbestos law firm to help determine our eligibility for an asbestos case and get the wheels in motion before his operation.

Through research and many family discussions, we asked your law firm, Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney & Strauss to visit us in Ohio to discuss our options regarding Charlie’s work background and exposures. Jennifer Lucarelli promptly came to the privacy of our home and spent several hours answering our questions and explaining how the process would work. Her professionalism during the visit gave us the comfort level to proceed to the next step.

Mark Strauss was assigned to be our attorney. Within a week, Mark flew to Ohio and met with Charlie. He spent considerable time to understand Charlie’s work experience building and installing pipe organs, as well as his military background, focusing on the timeframe where he was working with asbestos. After Charlie had his chemotherapy sessions we had our depositions in Ohio. Mark coordinated and handled the process and then took the case forward from that point and worked on our behalf while we focused on the surgery and long recovery. We knew that Mark was working every day for us even though we only talked once a week or e-mailed during this trying period. We have had several of the defense attorneys tell us we have a great attorney and how dedicated Mark is to his clients. We experienced that first hand and our relationship is not only professional with Mark, but he is now a friend for life!

Our jury trial was set for October, 2007 and Robert Sweeney represented us as our trial lawyer. Even though Bob was extremely well prepared for our case and ready to take it to completion our case was settled after jury selection and before it made it to court. Bob is very personable and well respected among his peers and our confidence level never wavered. Bob made a great impression on us, the potential jurors and, we believe, the defense lawyers.

Our team at the law firm was negotiating during this time to get our case settled so they could get Charlie back to the comfort of his own home. Charlie required extra support to handle travel and the law firm provided us with paralegals Jason and Jessica to escort us to and from the courthouse. Jason also never left our side each day during the trial preparations.

In summary, this disease has seemed insurmountable at times and we were not sure we could simultaneously handle a lawsuit. Mark, Bob, Jennifer, Jason and Jessica made sure we did not have additional stress in our lives and came through for us in many different and unexpected ways. Our settlements have been more than we ever expected and we know it would not have happened without our team! We both thank you each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts!

Sincerely, Susan and Charles Litherland

I would like to extend our most sincere thanks to Mark and the entire staff for the caring and professionalism in which you are handling my husband's Mesothelioma case. From the moment we met you we knew there was something special about you. My husband is very protective of his family and home but he trusted you from the start and if you managed to gain his trust and confidence we knew you would be great and you have been. We were unaware of what options were available to us at the beginning of the case; you and your firm have guided us through the most difficult time in our lives. Your compassion, understanding, and excellent sense of humor have been instrumental in helping us undertake this legal action. My husband's fighting the disease is difficult and not having to "fight" a legal battle is indeed a blessing. Your knowledge of Mesothelioma law and your dedication and willingness to work hard on our behalf is allowing us to move through this process with ease and a sense of dignity.

Sincerely, Sybil McGann & Family

Dear Chris - My family and I want to say a very heartfelt THANK YOU to you and the staff at Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney & Strauss, for all you've done thus far on behalf of our father, Walter H. Gray.

We have peace in knowing how proud our father would be that you and the lawyers have fought on his behalf. All the hard work and long hours he endured has not been in vain. Even though our father was a regular man, whom had worked all his life, you have treated him the same as some of the others who lead a much different path than he did in life. The individuals who have had to battle this fierce disease, the mesothelioma makes all workers the same. This disease took him in the golden age of life, it's coming up on a year the 11th day of April, seems as if it were yesterday.

The financial support has been a blessing to our family also. To help finish our father's affairs has meant a lot to us. He left us with the peace of knowing that his children would not have to bear a burden of trying to make ends meet because of him. From our hearts, again we say THANK YOU and may God bless everyone at the firm who fights for those who have lost to mesothelioma. But most of all for those who continue to fight and fight until the end.

Chris, there aren't words to write that can express our gratitude. We do hope and pray blessings and favor be bestowed on you and your family for all you've done for the late Walter H. Gray. My family and I are truly blessed and grateful for you.

Sincerely yours, Janette Gray, Daughter of Walter

Dear Mr. Early - I am writing to thank you and your firm, Early Lucarelli Sweeney & Strauss, for the wonderful job of handling my case concerning my having contracted mesothelioma. My daughter contacted your firm on my behalf. Soon afterward, you came to us for several meetings to discuss my case and medical records.

Your thorough interview and courteousness was very much appreciated. Soon after that you assigned my case to attorney Mark Strauss. He also came to us for many meetings to determine the facts of my exposure to asbestos. His expertise and knowledge of the facts of exposure to asbestos was truly amazing. Like most people I was not warned during most of my life of the dangers of asbestos in the common products I used in my work and elsewhere. I was truly amazed at Mark Strauss' ability to uncover all the facts of the history of my exposure and make sense of it all.

I soon recognized that I was in the hands of an expert. I was required to go to the deposition with a room full of corporate attorneys asking questions to determine the validity of my case against their particular corporation. Mark Strauss told me to relax and just tell the truth. He made sure all questions were proper and factual. The depositions went well. From the first time I met Mark Strauss I was put at ease because of the respect and courtesy with which he dealt with me. His patience and knowledge with which he gathered the facts was truly amazing.

Almost every case settled in a meaningful award, although some corporations were bankrupt. I had acquired awards I had not dreamt of. I will be able to leave my children something financially meaningful. I am 78 at this point and have been working full-time since I was 16 years old.

I have five children. In 2002 I lost my wife of almost 43 years of marriage after a long illness. She was the best wife and mother anyone ever had. I did not have much to show for my life at that point that I could leave to my children. Now I do.

I consider attorney Mark Strauss my friend as much as my attorney who changed my life so near its end. My family owes him and the firm much gratitude. I have found everyone in the firm most courteous and helpful, from the paralegals, secretaries, and assistants on up. If anyone has a problem with asbestos sickness, do yourself and your family a favor and contact Early Ludwick Sweeny & Strauss.

God bless you all, Joseph Pirnak

On April 20, 2006, my wife was diagnosed with mesothelioma. This is a day I will never forget. We knew very little about this disease except that there was no cure. M.D. Anderson physicians wanted to perform an extremely radical surgery, if my wife proved to be an approved candidate. Since our knowledge was so limited, we began reading any books and material we could find at a hospital library. Much of the material we discovered was being provided by Early, Lucarelli & Sweeney, a law firm based out of Connecticut.

Armed with our newly acquired knowledge and the professional opinions of three physicians our decision was made and we returned home to Louisiana. I called the office of Early, Lucarelli & Sweeney to express my thanks for the information they were providing and was blessed to speak with Attorney Jennifer Lucarelli.

Ms. Lucarelli was a real sweetheart taking the time to answer any and all of my questions. She flew to Lafayette to come to our home and meet with us. Although there was no obligation, there was an instant connection between us. Her vast knowledge of this disease was reassuring. Her compassion was so real. By the time she left, we were very comfortable and excited to retain her as our mesothelioma lawyer.

Jennifer stays in touch with us both professionally and personally. She is a very intelligent attorney but more importantly she has become a very good friend. She really cares about us as a family not just as another case.

Ms. Lucarelli is a valuable asset to her firm. Meeting and hiring Jennifer Lucarelli was one of the best decisions I ever made. I would not hesitate to recommend Jennifer to any of my family members or anyone else.

Sincerely, Norman A. Lerille, Jr.

Dear Mark: Cathy and I would like to extend our most sincere thanks to you, Jim Early, Bob Sweeney and your entire staff for the caring and professionalism in which you handled our Mesothelioma case. We are more than pleased with the settlements you have secured on our behalf and honestly, never expected such results.

Unaware of the possibilities available to us at the onset of the case, you and your firm guided us through the most difficult time in our lives. Your compassion, understanding, and "good humor" were instrumental in helping us undertake this legal action with ease and dignity. Fighting the disease is difficult enough, not having to "fight" in the courts was a blessing. Your knowledge of Mesothelioma law and your dedication and willingness to work hard on our behalf allowed our case to be settled in a relatively short period of time.

Please don't be a stranger. We look forward to seeing you and hearing from you soon.

Sincerely, Nick and Cathy Varni

Dear Mr. Early - Now that my deposition is over, I felt I had to write and let you know how fortunate I was to have Mark Strauss represent me. Since this was my first experience in such matters, I appreciated the expertise of Mr. Strauss. His professionalism throughout the entire deposition impressed me to no end. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend his services to my family or friends.

Yours truly, Joseph Buscemi

I just want to say "thank you" again for all of your professional assistance and expertise given to my late beloved husband, Don. You are a terrific mesothelioma lawyer and a wonderful person as well. Don felt very comfortable with you. He felt that he could turn to you and your firm at any time and did not feel alone during his trying and difficult ordeal with mesothelioma.

It is just three months ago since Don passed away. I have been wanting to email this letter to you for quite some time and decided today would be the right time. I personally want to thank you and also thank Linda Lea Ludwig and Jennifer Luccarelli. They have been very helpful to us also.

I am sympathetic to any person who ever had or will have mesothelioma. It is a destroying, ugly disease. Thank God for people like you who care for the victims and their families. We felt so alone until we met you and the nice people that work for Early, Ludwig and Sweeney.

God bless you, Virginia C. Falcone

Dear Ms. Ludwick and Mr. Sweeney - I want to thank both of you, and all those associates who worked on our case, for everything you did to secure a major settlement on behalf of my husband, David. It gives my children and me a sense of justice to know that David has been compensated in some way for the wrong that was done to him by the manufacturers of asbestos. The award will help secure my retirement and will provide our children with some additional income at this point in their lives when it can make a significant difference to them. Although you notified me of the settlement last October, I was not going to believe it until the checks arrived. With everything now in place, I can take a deep breath and move ahead.

Thank you for all your hard work, for your persistence, and for your gentleness in handling this case during a very trying time for David. I know that he would be pleased to see that his hard work has come to something significant. My very best to all of you.

Sincerely yours, Joan Fordham

My family and I cannot thank you enough for all the help and support that you have given us during the months that Steve was so sick. In the final weeks before Steve died, he told me that it was a consolation to him to know that you would make sure that I would not have to worry about finances after he was gone. When Steve was diagnosed with mesothelioma, we didn't have a clue who to turn to for help. We had never used a law firm except for the closing on our home 45 years ago. We were so lucky that someone recommended that we contact Early, Lucarelli and Sweeney.

Chris, I especially want you to know that Steve thought the world of you. He trusted you completely and never doubted that you cared about him - not only as a client but also as a person.Please thank Lindalea Ludwick and Bob Sweeney for all the many hours they put into our case, and my very special thanks to Ryan Leichsenring for always making me feel that my phone calls, questions and concerns were never a bother.

Again, thank you so much. You made what was a very painful time a bit easier for all of us.

Sincerely, Gabrielle Haley

Dear Mr. Early - While I have not had the pleasure of meeting you - I have met a number of your partners and associates. These meetings took place during the worst possible time of my life. My husband was so very ill - these men and women were so compassionate and caring.

It's really ironic - most people have the impression that lawyers in general are cold and calculating people. We, Jack and I, found your law firm was the very opposite. Perhaps it's because you've all dealt with this awful disease. Mesothelioma has to be one of the worst diseases on record. You must be very proud of your son, Brian. What a fine young man he is. Jack said to me - "if he'd had a son, he would have wanted him to be like Brian!" That's a huge compliment coming from him.

I can't begin to describe how much Mark Strauss helped us. He gave Jack something to live for - HOPE! He was able to convince Jack that he could fight for us and win. You must know that circumstances took everything away from Jack. He lost control of his life - even of his body. The depression that set in was so awful to watch. Mark gave him back control and pride. He responded so well to Mark. The anger that Mark gave him, "permission if you will," to use was just what he needed. The depression lifted and he became determined to do as much as possible to help the law firm punish those companies responsible for his illness and to insure my never having to worry about paying bills again.

I can only hope that somehow, somewhere he knows (he died March 7th) that your people are living up to all your promises.

Thank you all again, Joan C. Hansen

Mark - I wanted to write and thank the Early and Strauss family for the wonderful job they did handling Dan's mesothelioma case. When we called them in May of 2002, we were scared to death of what was happening to Dan. Jim Early came here to our home and made us feel so comfortable about the lawsuit that Dan was rightfully entitled to. He was very knowledgeable about mesothelioma which was a new and scary word to us. He assured us that everything would be done to help Dan get a settlement, so he could be at peace knowing that our 16-year-old daughter and I would be taken care of.

Everything happened so fast, Dan wasn't feeling well and Mark was always willing to work around his illness and how he was feeling at the time. Mark was a shear joy and a great friend; we seemed to have a friendship with him the moment we met. He was so confident and knew exactly what he was doing. Dan was amazed at all the things Mark rekindled in his head that he thought he left behind in the Navy, 32 years ago. Mr. Early said Mark knew his stuff when it came to asbestos and the shipyards, and he was right on. Also Pamela Malone, we couldn't have gotten through it without her, we felt as though everyone there at the firm knew us personally and that meant a lot.

Here it is April 2003 and Dan is still hanging in there, he has good days and bad days, but we thank God for every day we have. It has been less than a year since we first met you all and all of the cases have been settled, at an amount much larger than we could have ever imagined. If you only knew what this has done for Dan. He is so appreciative that you have given him such peace of mind.

Dan was diagnosed one year ago, in April, and this has been the worst year of our 35 years together. We have been through surgeries, chemo, blood transfusions, numerous hospital stays, and moving to a new city for 6 weeks. We've had lots of ups and downs, but we are still hanging in there. Dan's determination is so admirable, he is a fighter and he never gives up. We pray everyday that the cure for Mesothelioma will save Dan's life. Thanks to your firm we will be able to do some things that otherwise would not have been able to. Once again, we would like to thank and pray you can help others as you have us.

May God Bless you all, Dan and Debbie Dicken

Thank you for all your hard work, which is paying off so handsomely now. I am hereby sending you a token of my appreciation for all that you have accomplished in my father's case. I feel confident that he would say you have done a "truly fantastic" job. I realize that we are not done yet, but did not want to delay any further in sending this to you. I know that you were interested in these WWII "launch" envelopes. As you probably recall, my father had promised them to a friend of mine, who is an avid history buff. Happily, Ted agreed to give up one so that you could have it-and here it is. I tried to choose one that I felt was a suitable reminder of my father, hence my choice of this one that he addressed and mailed to his own home address. I hope you will enjoy having this and think fondly of my Dad when viewing it.

With all Good Wishes, Joan Vigliotta

Margie and I would like to extend our heart-felt thanks to you, John O'Connell, Jim Early, and your entire staff for the way you have handled our case. We are extremely pleased with the settlements that you secured on our behalf. We are thankful that we came across your firm's web-site while searching for information on mesothelioma. Your compassion and understanding were instrumental in helping us through the most difficult time of our lives. Our biggest fear in undertaking this legal action was that our lives would be subjected to intense scrutiny, that there would be a lengthy and contentious trial, and that resolution would take many years. Thankfully, none of these fears were realized. The fact that the entire actions was successfully completed in such a very short period of time is testimony to you and your team's in-depth knowledge of the law and your willingness to work very hard on our behalf.

Please extend a special thanks to John O'Connell for always being there and having the answers to our questions. We look forward to our continued relationship.

Sincerely, Cal & Marge Stilphen

My name is Bruce W. Slane and I was diagnosed with mesothelioma in September of 1997 at the age of 23. I was referred to the firm of Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney & Strauss by a member of my family's congregation.

When I first met Attorney Strauss, I was recovering from surgery for the removal of my lung and very extensive radiation therapy. On our first meeting, I was very impressed with Mark Strauss' extensive knowledge about asbestos, the law and the disease mesothelioma itself. Mark was also extremely knowledgeable about the leading doctors in the field, pathologists and treatment options. He was always very informative and encouraging.

Throughout my contact with the law firm of Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney & Strauss, the members of the firm have always been very helpful and my litigation has been handled in an extremely expeditious and professional manner. They fought hard on my behalf and I am very pleased with the amount of time and effort that was devoted to my family. They went beyond the duties of the legal profession and I am very grateful. I would recommend the law firm of Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney & Strauss very highly.

Sincerely, Bruce Slane