The Meta Settlement Is Sending Billions to NJ, PA, and NY: Here’s Where It Could Go
In August, Meta agreed to pay at least $12.1 billion to 47 states, Washington, D.C., and three U.S. territories to settle claims that Instagram and Facebook were designed to hook young users. The deal also forces real changes to how kids use those apps. For families in our region, the numbers are large. New Jersey, […]
What the Data Center Boom Means for Your Community
As data centers expand across Pennsylvania, concerns grow over diesel emissions, fuel spills, groundwater contamination, and public health risks.
Locks Law Firm Secures $816 Million ExxonMobil Judgment in Appellate Victory at Pennsylvania Superior Court
Court affirms benzene-exposure judgment for former Philadelphia service station mechanic diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (Philadelphia, PA – Oct 15, 2026) – The Pennsylvania Superior Court has affirmed an approximately $816 million judgment against ExxonMobil in Gill v. ExxonMobil, a benzene-exposure case brought by Locks Law Firm, along with Waters Krause Paul & Siegel, on […]
Meta’s Teen Safety Settlement Is a Start. Here’s What Parents Should Do This School Year.
Recently, I joined a briefing Meta hosted for parent and child-safety advocates on its new agreement with a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general. Antigone Davis, Meta’s global head of safety, walked through what will change on Instagram and Facebook for teenagers, and she was candid about the agreement’s limits. One line stayed with me. […]
El costo oculto de las encimeras de cuarzo
El nuevo material para encimeras de cuarzo, conocido también como piedra artificial o cuarzo de diseño, contiene concentraciones extremadamente altas de sílice cristalina. Cortar, esmerilar y pulir las losas de piedra artificial libera partículas respirables de sílice capaces de penetrar profundamente en los pulmones de los trabajadores y causar silicosis, una enfermedad incurable que en […]
The Hidden Cost of Quartz Countertops
New quartz countertop material, sometimes referred to as artificial stone or engineered-quartz, contains extremely high concentrations of crystalline silica. Cutting, grinding, and polishing the slabs of artificial stone releases respirable silica particles capable of penetrating deep into a worker’s lungs and causes silicosis, an incurable disease sometimes requiring lung transplants or resulting in death. Silicosis […]
Locks Law Firm Secures Seven-Figure Settlement in Benzene Exposure Case
Locks Law Firm settled the case Matarazzo vs United States Steel Corporation for a confidential seven-figure amount. The case took legal action against some of the largest oil companies in the world, among others. The suit alleged that severe illnesses were directly linked to occupational benzene exposure from the defendant’s industrial products. Mr. Matarazzo was […]
Nearly 50 Years in the Trenches with Marc Weingarten
Before there was an asbestos litigation practice at 1500 Walnut Street, there were hearing-loss cases. Gene Locks was representing Philadelphia Naval Shipyard workers in hearing loss federal compensation claims when he noticed they kept telling him that they had an unusual lung disease that he learned was called asbestosis. That front-row seat to the pattern […]
From Ledgers to Litigation: A Lesson in Mentorship
Less than a year ago, Mark Metzler was still waiting on bar exam results. Today, he’s drafting 90-page complaints, arguing in Philadelphia’s discovery court, and learning the complex litigation associated with benzene cases from partners. The reason Mark feels he is working like this, rather than the routine tasks typically assigned to first-year associates, is […]
Summer Interns: Building Skills for Future Lawyers
Every summer, a new group of interns joins Locks Law, expecting to learn about the law. They are eager to learn from the entire team, from paralegals to partners. They sit in on depositions and research experts. Quickly, each one discovers just how much happens before anyone ever says, “Your Honor.” This year’s class comes […]
New Jersey Moves to Give Trafficking Survivors the Time They Deserve
Francesca Iacovangelo, Locks Law Firm Much of my work at Locks Law Firm is about giving voice to victims, so for someone who comes to work every day to defend victims’ rights, it was gratifying to see New Jersey Senate Bill 1270 pass the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously. The bill, which would substantially extend the […]
Chelsea Tank Farm – Massive Gasoline Leak
Berger Montague and Locks Law Firm File Class Action for Residents Affected by Massive Gasoline Leak at Aston, Pa. Chelsea Tank Farm The Complaint alleges that Monroe Energy, LLC and MIPC, LLC concealed a months-long leak that released approximately 378,000 gallons of gasoline into a Delaware County neighborhood, contaminating soil, groundwater, drinking water, and indoor […]