Laurence Valere Nassif, General Attorney in New York

Attorney Laurence V. Nassif is the managing shareholder at Simmons Hanly Conroy. Based in the firm’s New York office, Larry is a seasoned plaintiff’s lawyer who has devoted over two decades to representing clients throughout the country in asbestos and mesothelioma litigation, pharmaceutical mass torts, and other complex personal injury cases.

Since starting at the firm in 2015, Larry has played a key role in helping to secure more than $1 billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients. He serves as chair of the negotiation committee and heads the business development committee that reviews all new case types.

“It’s a privilege to be part of a mission-driven firm and work with such talented professionals,” Larry said. “The firm has established itself as a nationwide practice with a truly unique, entrepreneurial culture that always puts clients first. I plan to honor that legacy, grow our practices and expand into new areas of litigation.”

Fighting for Our Clients

The work Larry does has helped families around the country get through some of the hardest times of their lives. Clients have been impacted by life-changing injuries and illnesses, oftentimes due to someone else’s wrongdoing — whether it’s mesothelioma, another asbestos-related disease, or the side effects of pharmaceuticals or defective medical devices.

“Our clients are real people with real problems — and that’s at the forefront of everything we do,” Larry explained. “People come to us in crisis, facing the worst thing that’s ever happened to them. They can expect us to be there for them, get them the best results we can in the case and support them in the process.”

Securing Meaningful Results

As a firsthand practitioner of asbestos and mass tort cases, Larry has secured settlements on behalf of his clients and tried several cases to verdict. His litigation experience is as varied as his results are impressive.

“The best part of the case is calling the client and giving them good news,” Larry said. “Most of the clients don’t believe that you can get anything for these cases. When you actually come through for them, it’s one of the best feelings. You’re changing their lives — not just theirs, but their grandkids and their family.”

In 2018, Larry helped secure a $60 million verdict in New York City against boiler manufacturers A.O Smith, Burnham, LLC, and Peerless Industries, Inc. This historic verdict, secured on behalf of a former laborer, marks one of the highest verdicts for an individual with mesothelioma ever received in New York.

Later in 2018, Larry again worked with the team to secure a $40.1 million verdict against Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. on behalf of a U.S. Navy veteran and former naval boiler tender suffering from pleural mesothelioma. This verdict is considered one of the largest compensatory verdicts in New York State history.

In 2007, he was a member of the trial team that achieved a $47.5 million verdict on behalf of patients who suffered cardiovascular injuries as a result of taking the medication Vioxx.

In 2003, he also helped secure a $2 million verdict on behalf of his client who suffered from Rezulin-related liver damage.

Legal Background & Experience

From 2018 to 2022, Larry was named one of the Best Lawyers in America in the area of Plaintiffs’ Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions by Best Lawyers. He was also named a New York Metro Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers in 2014 and again from 2019 to 2021.

Before starting at Simmons Hanly Conroy, Larry was a partner at Seeger Weiss LLP. There, he oversaw the firm’s daily asbestos practice in New York and New Jersey and served as a member of the Executive Committee.

Larry grew up in Southern California as the son of immigrant parents. His father was a laborer for Continental Airlines and a member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. He received his J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from California State University-Northridge.

“I had a working-class upbringing that really fueled me to want to be a lawyer,” Larry said, describing his childhood. “I saw my dad overcome significant hardships as a union worker, and my mom barely spoke English. We struggled to pay our bills, but it really formed me.”

Currently, Larry resides in New Jersey with his wife and three children.

Representative Cases$60 million | Pietro Macaluso v. A.O. Smith Corporation, et al., No. 15-190311$40.1 million | Walter Twidwell v. Aerco International Inc., et al No. 190136-2017$47.5 million | In re: Vioxx Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation (MDL 1657)