The FELA Team

Hailing from Southeast Texas and the heart of the petrochemical industry, Brent readily acclimated to the strong work ethic that built heavy industry in the area, and at the same time bore witness to the tragedies that all too often befell workers engaged in the industrial trades.

Graduating at the top of his class in high school, next running a successful construction company, and then sailing through college and law school in four years, Brent understood that it took hard work, dedication, and discipline to get ahead.Thirty years later, those same principles set Brent Coon & Associates apart. A partner in a well known litigation firm less than three years out of law school, Brent had already tried dozens of lawsuits to verdict, most as solo counsel, and always for the plaintiff. He achieved his first million dollar verdict in those early years and was on the fast track as he continued to win many other multi-million dollar verdicts over the years in a variety of cases involving occupational disease, environmental contamination, transportation injuries, products liability, maritime law and general negligence.

James L. Cox, Jr. is one of the nation's leading FELA attorneys, with a career representing injured railroad workers that spans 40 years. Jim has received the highest rating (AV) from the only organization in the country that rates attorneys on their legal skills and integrity, Martindale-Hubbell. Jim has handled over 70 jury trials and settled over 1,000 cases. He was lead counsel on many precedent-setting cases benefiting rail labor and other personal injury claimants. Jim is past President of the Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys (1998), and continues to contribute his talents and leadership to that organization. Jim has been selected as one of America’s best lawyers in railroad law.

James Morris is a first chair trial lawyer. He is licensed to practice law in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Colorado. His specialties include products liability litigation, serious personal injury trial law, FELA claims, labor and employment litigation, and corporate governance.
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Mr. Morris is the owner of Morris Law Firm in Studio City, CA. Mr. Morris has worked in large firms in the past and has supervised associate attorneys and legal staff over the last 20 years. Mr. Morris has handled numerous cases involving the pharmaceutical, oil and gas refining industry as well and associated contractors, railroads, and medical providers. He routinely handles trucking accidents, mesothelioma cases, and catastrophic injury cases. He is a nationally recognized trial lawyer with numerous trials, mediations and arbitrations to his credit. Mr. Morris is board certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and he has been named to the Texas Super Lawyers as published by Texas Monthly Magazine from 2007 to 2012. Mr. Morris moved his practice to California in 2013.

Louis Bottini has more than 25 years experience working for Southern Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads and nearly a decade of experience as a personal injury investigator. He ties on his vast experiences and expansive knowledge of railroad operations to make him a vigorous advocate for injured employees.

In 1999 while working as a trainman in Los Angeles, Lou suffered a work injury that ended his railroad career. His personal experience in an extensive battle with Union Pacific Railroad has given Lou insight on the process of representing railroad employees' FELA claims, and has allowed him to better relate to his countless clients in their cases.

Sean Dillon worked for the BNSF railroad from 1975 until he received a career-ending on-duty injury in 1987. He has worked as a FELA investigator for Jim Cox from the end of his railroad career until the present. “Having experienced a serious railroad-related injury myself and investigating FELA cases for nearly 25 years, I have a better understanding of the problems that injured railroaders and their families face, and am happy to be able to help where I can.”
Sean is married and lives in Sterling, Colorado. He enjoys playing golf and spending time with his family.

Larry Sartin is the National Labor Relations Director for BCA, he oversees all of the work the firm does on behalf of the Labor Unions we so proudly represent. Larry is a retired International Representative and National Director for the Oil Chemical and Atomic Workers and the Paper Allied Chemical and Energy Workers International Union Occupational Disease Program.

Larry has an extensive background in the areas of Contract Negotiations, Arbitration, NLRB as well as occupational diseases such as asbestos related diseases and chemical related cancers. Larry works out of the main office in Beaumont, Texas.

Attorney Myron Papadakis was a card carrying Rank and File Union member for thirty one years. He was a member of The Airline Pilots Association, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO/ He is considered a retired member after completing 31 years as an active airline pilot for Delta Airlines. The ALPA operates under the Railway Labor Act as their contracting and grievance rules are derived therefrom.

In his thirty one years his union work included Local Safety Chairman, Delta Safety Committee and Delta Incident and Accident Committee. In addition he was elected Contract Negotiator and in such fulltime capacity worked on CBA issues for 2 years four months.

At the National Level Pappy attended the George Meany Course on collective Bargaining , was alternate to the National All Weather Flying committee, The Noise Abatement Committee. He was a member of the National Operation USA Committee formed for safety issues and the 2 man 3 man cockpit resolution.

Gary dedicated his entire career to protecting the health and welfare of union members around the country. Starting with his first stint as a union member working the rail for Kansas City Southern, Gary moved on to the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union, where he was a union officer and spent several decades protecting workers in the very dangerous petrochemical industry. He eventually worked his way up to key leadership positions for the union and when the merger with the United Steelworkers occurred, he moved to Pittsburgh to hold the position of International Vice President. From USW headquarters Gary addressed collective bargaining agreements for union members and management at dozens of petroleum and chemical process companies in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean until retiring in 2019.

He now serves as a liaison to organized labor on behalf of Brent Coon & Associates through our Beaumont, Texas headquarters.