Our clients worked with products every day that slowly poisoned them, ultimately causing terminal illnesses that robbed them of years of life and precious time with their families. It’s our job to hold the companies that knew their products were dangerous accountable.”Gabriel D. Clendenning is an associate attorney with Weitz & Luxenberg’s Mesothelioma and Asbestos Practice Group.
“No firm is better equipped to handle the unique complexities and demanding nature of asbestos litigation than Weitz & Luxenberg. Being part of this team is something I’m incredibly proud of,” he states.
Inspired to Help People
Having interned at a personal injury firm in college, Mr. Clendenning saw the toll that negligence takes on injured clients and their families, as well as the stress and stakes the litigation process itself presents. “I’ve seen what our clients have had to go through. Having an attorney help navigating the complicated and daunting litigation process can make all the difference,” he explains.
He continues, “I have always aspired to be the kind of attorney who represents individuals and families who find themselves in a situation they never wanted to be in.”
Previous Legal Experience at W&L
In 2023, Mr. Clendenning joined Weitz & Luxenberg’s Appellate Team where he assisted W&L attorneys throughout the litigation process. This included into trials themselves and the appeals phase. His goal was to combat attempts by defendants to evade liability or reduce the amount of damages juries have awarded injured clients. He was sworn in to the New York Bar in January 2025.
Before law school - and throughout - Mr. Clendenning deliberately worked only with plaintiffs’ firms, specializing in catastrophic injury, product liability, child sexual abuse, and medical malpractice. “I always wanted to be a plaintiffs’ attorney, and I worked to gain as much experience as I could in various areas of practice. However, every single asbestos case is uniquely complex and resource intensive. You need the caliber of a law firm like Weitz & Luxenberg to confront dozens of corporations at once,” he says.
Going the Distance with Clients
He points out, “Connecting with our clients and developing a trusting relationship is key. Our clients dedicated long careers to some of the most demanding trades. It’s our job to help them relive the work they did to help them understand the work that exposed them to asbestos.”
Mr. Clendenning emphasizes, “These asbestos exposure cases are some of the worst instances out there of companies acting in bad faith. There was an abundance of knowledge about the dangers of asbestos exposure. End-users, and their families, trusted that the companies they worked with made a safe product. To develop mesothelioma years down the road - a slow, painful fatal disease that slowly strips people of their lives and their ability to enjoy even the simplest moments - is devastating.”
Getting His Legal Education
Mr. Clendenning attended Brigham Young University - Idaho. In 2020, he earned his B.A.
He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School in 2024. While at Brooklyn Law School, Mr. Clendenning was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society - Appellate Division and achieved the highest grade in Products Liability, Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice, and Opioid Litigation.
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