Press Release

WASHINGTON, DC—Every year at the annual convention, the American Association for Justice (AAJ) honors dedicated AAJ members who’ve made outstanding contributions to the legal community and American society.

“I’m always so impressed by the passion of our AAJ members and their dedication to the pursuit of justice for all,” said AAJ Immediate Past President Lori Andrus. “We’re honored to recognize this talented group of trial lawyers, who every day go above and beyond to advocate for their clients.”

Among the awards presented at the 2025 Annual Convention:

Steven J. Sharp Public Service Award

AAJ Members of the Court-Appointed Plaintiffs’ Counsel for the Champlain Towers South Condominium Collapse of 2021: Lea P. Bucciero; Rachel Wagner Furst; Jeffrey P. Goodman; Stuart Z. Grossman; Ricardo M. Martinez-Cid; William F. “Chip” Merlin, Jr.; Curtis B. Miner; Robert J. Mongeluzzi; Adam M. Moskowitz; Judd G. Rosen; John Scarola; Bradford R. Sohn; and Harley S. Tropin were recognized for their work to help the victims of one of the deadliest building failures in American history.

In the wake of the unimaginable tragedy, a group of attorneys from across the country united behind a common cause, ready to fight for survivors and the grieving families left behind. What followed was a legal effort of remarkable scale—driven by care, urgency, and relentless determination. Their work resulted in one of the largest and fastest civil settlements ever achieved in a case of this kind.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Ellen Relkin of Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C. was recognized for a distinguished career of courtroom advocacy that significantly advances the rights of the wrongly injured. For nearly 40 years, she has represented thousands of plaintiffs injured by defective medical products. She is co-lead counsel of the In Re: JUUL Labs, Inc. Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, where she helped negotiate significant settlements on behalf of consumers and government entities with defendants for their conduct in creating a vaping epidemic.

Leonard M. Ring Champion of Justice Award

Lewis S. “Mike” Eidson of Colson Hicks Eidson was honored for being a fierce advocate for human and civil rights, both in and outside of the courtroom. A past AAJ president, Eidson has played leadership roles in many important product liability cases for more than 40 years. He is also an active volunteer in his community, supporting philanthropies such as the United Way, the Miami City Ballet, the Miami-Dade County Arts Council, and the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

Harry Philo Award

Navan Ward Jr. of Beasley Allen was honored for his decades of work and advocacy to advance the safety and protection of American consumers. A past AAJ president, Ward’s contributions have made the world a safer place when pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers cut corners.

Howard Twiggs Award

Casey R. Johnson of Aitken Aitken Cohn was recognized for bringing honor to the trial bar as a dedicated advocate for the elderly. He has shown exemplary dedication to AAJ and its membership and has always pursued justice against insurance companies that do not operate in good faith.

David S. Shrager President’s Award

Eric H. Gibbs of Gibbs Mura was recognized for his outstanding contributions to AAJ and the trial bar, including training groups of law students for the skills they’ll need to succeed once they graduate. An AAJ member for nearly 25 years, Gibbs specializes in consumer protection, antitrust, whistleblower, financial fraud, and mass tort matters.

Leonard Weinglass in Defense of Civil Liberties Award

Timothy Bechtold of Bechtold Law Firm; John Heenan of Heenan & Cook, PLLC; and Julia Yoo of Iredale & Yoo were honored for the impact of their incredible civil rights work and advocacy this past year. Bechtold and Heenan successfully fought for justice against a private prison corporation for its failure to protect an inmate with mental health issues. Yoo, who founded the Law Center for Women Prisoners, has also worked for years to protect individuals, including prisoners, whose civil rights have been violated.

Hall of Fame

Richard A. Bieder (1940-2021) and Barry J. Nace (1944-2021) were inducted into AAJ’s Hall of Fame in recognition of their significant impact on the civil justice system. After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, Bieder played a key role in organizing Trial Lawyers Care, the largest, most successful pro bono project in the history of U.S. jurisprudence. As an AAJ Officer and one of the nation’s top trial lawyers, Nace ushered in a new grassroots approach to advocacy on Capitol Hill, which helped AAJ beat back a massive products liability bill that would have made it impossible for clients to be compensated for their injuries.