Desmarais LLP achieved a pro bono victory on behalf of a veteran’s widow before the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, halting an attempt to deny a benefits claim resulting from a service member’s exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.
The firm represents Wilma Montgomery, whose late husband was exposed to Agent Orange during his Army service in Vietnam and later developed bladder cancer, which he believed was caused by his contact with the chemical. The Department of Veterans Affairs, however, denied his benefits claim related to the bladder cancer from the exposure.
After analyzing the case, the Desmarais LLP team submitted a memo to the VA, explaining its errors in denying the claim. During the parties’ settlement conference, the Desmarais LLP team persuaded the VA that it had failed to provide Mr. Montgomery a sufficient examination. As a result, the VA agreed to remand the case to the VA for further evaluation without any briefing or argument to the Court of Appeals.
The Desmarais LLP team will continue to represent Mrs. Montgomery in the pro bono case before the VA as it progresses. She is represented by Partner Justin Wilcox and Associates Tom Derbish and Christian Dorman.
IAM Global Leaders 2021 Recognizes 2 Desmarais LLP Partners
Accolades
Desmarais LLP partners John Desmarais and Paul Bondor have been named to the IAM Global Leaders 2021 list, which highlights the world’s leading patent attorneys. Desmarais and Bondor were among just...
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