GAME CHANGER: A New College Grad Wins an Epic Environmental Battle

Rob Bilott, a 50-year-old environmental attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Cincinnati, has spent the last 18 years of his career fighting DuPont over its use of perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, better known as the chemical that makes Teflon. In January, he was profiled in The New York Times Magazine story, “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare.” Bilott’s long battle revealed that DuPont knew that PFOA posed health risks decades ago and hid the information from its workers, nearby residents and government agencies. His 2001 class action lawsuit against the chemical giant resulted in a 2004 settlement worth more than $300 million and also launched a seven-year landmark medical study that proves PFOA is linked to six diseases. His fight continues this year with personal injury and wrongful death suits. A New College of Florida alum, Bilott regularly vacations in Sarasota with his family….