Attorney Profile

Lou Thompson Black is the managing partner of the Houston office of Brent Coon and Associates. She manages hundreds of asbestos cancer cases filed in various jurisdictions and states. Mrs. Black's primary practice area is toxic tort law, including products liability, premises liability, and employer liability. Mrs. Black is responsible for trial and settlement of cases in all offices of Brent Coon and Associates. She joined Brent Coon and Associates in August, 2001.

In May, 1990, Mrs. Black received her Bachelor of Science degree, Cum Laude, from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. She then received her Doctor of Jurisprudence, Summa Cum Laude, from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas, in December, 1993. Mrs. Black was admitted to practice in the state of Texas in May, 1994. Since then, she has also been admitted to practice in the Federal District Courts for the Northern District of Texas, the Southern District of Texas, and the Eastern District of Texas.

Mrs. Black spent several years as an associate at Haynes and Boone, L.L.P. in Dallas, Texas, before joining as a trial associate in 1997. While working for Baron and Budd, she was responsible for management of thousands of asbestos poisoning cases filed in Atlanta, Georgia. She was also responsible for discovery battles and depositions of corporate representatives for many of the manufacturers, distributors, and installers of asbestos-containing products. Additionally, Mrs. Black managed the Medical Department of Baron and Budd, and she was responsible for all communications with medical and state of the art experts. Shortly after joining Baron and Budd, Mrs. Black took the only verdict against Borg Warner Corporation in an asbestos case on behalf of a brake and clutch mechanic with asbestosis. She was also involved in many other trials during her tenure at Baron and Budd.

Later, she became the manager of the Premises Liability and Employer Liability department of Baron and Budd. During that time, Mrs. Black negotiated multi-million dollar settlements with certain defendants liable to victims of asbestos poisoning as the owners and operators of premises upon which the victims worked. She was responsible for managing all discovery efforts against these defendants, including Chevron, U.S.A., Dow Chemical, Celanese, Union Carbide, and many more.

Mrs. Black is on the Board of Governors of the American Trial Lawyers' Association and a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers' Association (TTLA), Board of Advocates of the TTLA, Houston Trial Lawyers' Association, Houston Young Lawyers' Association, and Houston Bar Association.