When A Cheng joined Locks Law Firm in 2022, he was already a seasoned paralegal. He craved learning and growth and found Andrew DuPont, Partner at Locks Law. “Car accidents are pretty obvious,” he reflects. “Benzene is trickier. There’s more to explore, more to dive into and learn.”
A now works almost exclusively with Andrew, where he has grown to become the most senior paralegal on the benzene team. From the beginning, the relationship set a tone he hadn’t experienced before. Andrew offered high-level training and real exposure to partner-level thinking. For A, that opportunity to learn and grow under the tutelage of the lead benzene Partner changed what it meant to show up to work.
Early in his tenure, A faced a family tragedy and needed to return to Taiwan. Andrew’s response, offering the time he needed even though new to the firm, left a lasting impression. “Law is sometimes thought of as cutthroat; we fight for our clients. But this showed me how we can fight hard, but the work with individuals is reflected in how Locks Law treats its own people. I was impressed at the humanity I was offered.”
And the work itself is demanding. On any given benzene case, there may be ten to twenty defendants — which means dozens of motions, each one needing to be precise and case-specific. A’s guiding principle is simple: make the attorney’s job easier. The team takes a case to trial close to every month, and behind each of those trials is a mountain of preparation that A leads for Andrew and the team of benzene attorneys.
Benzene cases sit at the intersection of science, industry, public health, and law, offering constant, challenging growth and learning. “I think there are more and more potential areas and products where we don’t yet know the impact,” he says. “The future is still unfolding.”
The recent IARC ruling on benzene feels, to him, like a marker in something larger. Benzene is deeply entangled with fossil fuels and the systems we depend on. Protecting consumers through regulation is the right goal, but it won’t be simple. “It’s hard to disentangle benzene and gas,” he acknowledges. “People like tanker truck drivers spent years just keeping going, not knowing what they were being exposed to. If what we do here at Locks Law Firm helps in a larger context, I think that’s a good thing.”
That sense of larger purpose is tested and renewed every time A connects with a client. He is driven by the individuals behind the cases, people who are sick, who are dying from exposure to benzene. He remembers names. He carries stories. “The connection with the individual sticks with you,” he says quietly. “It’s hard to talk to people who are sick. But that human connection also inspires the work.”
The benzene practice area demands both intellectual rigor and emotional resilience. A brings a quiet conviction that the work he does today could protect people who may not know they need protecting.
