The doctor said it in one sentence.
Mesothelioma.
And then the room went quiet. You drove home. You didn't talk much. And somewhere around midnight, you started searching for a mesothelioma lawyer — which is probably how you found this page.
They kept their promise to their families for forty years.
The asbestos companies broke theirs.
Nobody did anything wrong. They went to work — roofers, plumbers, mechanics, factory workers, Navy men and women. Maybe that was you. Maybe it was your husband, your wife, your father.
The companies knew. They kept selling it anyway — in insulation, in brake pads, in pipe wrap, in the dust that settled on work clothes. The dust you breathed on the job. The dust that came home in the laundry.
They did the math on people's lives. Now it's time they answer for it — to you.
You're not a case number here.
"Accessibility means a lot to me because I know it means a lot to my clients. Every client has my direct number."— Lawrence Holcomb, Partner · Read that again. A partner's direct number.
At a volume firm, you wait on hold. Here, you're the reason the phone exists.
The mesothelioma attorneys who will know your story
Laci M. Whitley leads the asbestos practice at Wallace Miller. She's spent more than a decade doing nothing but this — and she won her client a $10 million verdict, the 11th-highest asbestos verdict in U.S. history. (Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.)
But if you want to know who Laci really is, ask her about the man in Michigan.
He was one of her first mesothelioma clients. Homeless. His wife had died of cancer the year before, and they'd spent everything on her treatment. Then came his diagnosis. Laci fast-tracked settlement money to get him an apartment and a nurse. He lived out his days with dignity, comfortable, with nothing left to worry about. His niece went to college free and clear because of that case.
She still has his voicemail saved on her phone. She refuses to delete it.
That's who answers when you call.
"A lot of our clients worked hard their whole lives. These are blue-collar workers — they were roofers, they were plumbers, they were in the Navy, they served our country. We are here to work for them and get them as much as we can."
She doesn't call it suing. She calls it balancing the scales: "They knew that they were hurting people, and they decided to go ahead and do it anyway because they wanted to make money… This is a way to make them pay for what they did."
Here's something worth knowing about her. Laci planned to be a tax lawyer. Then she started working face-to-face with asbestos clients — and never left. Twelve years in this field before joining Wallace Miller, now a partner leading the asbestos practice, named a Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers of America in 2026. A mom who coaches youth volleyball with her husband and spends weekends at her kids' games.
She could have chosen an easier corner of the law. She chose the people who needed her.
Lawrence K. Holcomb didn't start in a courtroom. Raised on a Mississippi cotton farm before moving to Memphis, he started as an asbestos abatement expert — licensed abatement supervisor, remediation instructor, air monitor, microscopist — overseeing environmental cleanup projects from Kansas to Puerto Rico. He knows how the fibers move, where they hide, and how companies let workers breathe them anyway.
Determined to protect his community from environmental harm, he earned his law degree from Cumberland School of Law in 2012 — and spent the next decade turning that knowledge into results, winning verdicts and settlements exceeding $50,000,000 for victims of asbestos exposure and other personal injury cases. Named a Top 10 Asbestos/Mesothelioma Trial Lawyer by The National Trial Lawyers, 2025.
From a military family himself, he's dedicated to the veterans who were exposed while serving their country. Off the clock, he restores old cars and does carpentry.
"I can say with assurance that Wallace Miller has been amazing and made the process of my lawsuit trouble-free and uncomplicated on my end, which was a blessing."
"I truly believe Wallace Miller did their very best in representing me. While the process is long, every effort was made to keep me up to date on what was going on."
Went above and beyond… always answered my questions and was quick to respond. Always friendly and very down to earth… very thankful for Lawrence and his team."
He was very professional but very personal also… Stood by everything he said. He always let us know what was going on. I would recommend them very highly."
I am very pleased with the way Lawrence handled my case. He found defendants I never heard of."
He pursued every avenue possible to get us the settlement due to my brother and I… If you are looking for an attorney who will go the extra mile, Lawrence is that attorney."
From the first phone call we felt the concern and compassion Lawrence has for people. He seems more like family and has been a wonderful blessing to us. He made this journey much easier."
Needed advice from a real professional. Found Mr. Holcomb and am so glad I did! Look no further! This guy is great!"
He sent flowers to a dying man's family reunion.
That's not a marketing line. That's a daughter's review. That's what "fighting like family" actually looks like.
Joshua C. Grumke began his legal career at Laci's side, representing asbestos clients nationwide. Then he spent six years across the aisle — at a civil defense firm — learning exactly how the other side builds its case. He came back for one reason: he wanted to work for people again, not companies.
A decade of courtroom experience across Illinois and Missouri, from simple motions all the way through trial. Named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. A volunteer high-school baseball coach at his own alma mater since 2018.
"People want to know that somebody's going to be held accountable and that the money that comes out of it will take care of their family when they're gone. And we do the absolute most that we can to get them that security that will give them peace of mind."
What a mesothelioma case actually means for your family
A lawsuit won't cure this. We won't pretend otherwise.
But compensation can mean the mortgage is paid. The treatments are covered. Lost wages come back. And the companies that knew — and stayed silent — finally answer to your family, by name.
How it works
You call. We listen.
Free, confidential case review — tell us the story — yours, or your loved one's — and we'll tell you honestly whether you have a case. No pressure, no obligation.
We build it. You focus on him.
"They don't have to have all the dots connected before coming to us," Lawrence says. "We'll help them figure it out." Using national databases and historical archives, our team traces the exposure — the jobsites, the products, the companies — and pursues every source of compensation: asbestos trust funds, settlements, and lawsuits. We represent families nationwide and can file where the law works best for your case.
No fees unless your case succeeds.
You pay nothing upfront. And though most cases settle, we prepare every case for trial — because thorough preparation is what makes companies pay fairly.
One thing you should know: the law gives you a limited window to file after a diagnosis. Not scare tactics — just the truth. The sooner you call, the more options your family has.
One more thing — from our own attorneys' advice on choosing a mesothelioma lawyer: if any firm guarantees you a specific dollar amount or promises your case will wrap up in a few weeks, walk away. We never make empty promises. We make honest ones, and we keep them.
Mesothelioma lawsuit questions, answered honestly
Talk to a mesothelioma lawyer today. Free. No pressure.
We can't give you those years back.
But we can make the companies that took them answer to you. And we won't let anyone rush you, lowball you, or file your life — or your loved one's — away in a drawer.
That's not how family works.
We've received your message. Someone from our team — not a call center — will reach out shortly. If you'd rather talk now: 312-261-6193.