?The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization is extremely grateful to Simmons Law Firm for being a 2012 Platinum sponsor for our Annual Asbestos Awareness Conference,? said Linda Reinstein, president of ADAO. ?Through their generous support and donations, ADAO has been able to continue our educational, advocacy and community support efforts. Simmons? unwavering support to prevent asbestos-caused disease is truly appreciated and respected throughout our ADAO community. Together, change is possible.?

Topics covered at this year?s conference will focus on novel treatments for pleural mesothelioma; asbestos use in India, Brazil and other international countries; legal asbestos use in America and why a total ban is needed; and an investigation into the need to enforce current asbestos regulation.

Conference speakers include Dr. Richard Lemen, retired Assistant Surgeon General; Dr. Dan Sterman, director of Interventional Pulmonary Services at Penn Medicine whose medical interests include mesothelioma; and Joel Shufro, executive director of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health. Barbara McQueen, wife of the late actor, Steve McQueen, will be giving the Sunday keynote speech during the Unity and Remembrance Brunch.

?The International Asbestos Awareness Conference provides a forum for advocates, patients and medical researchers to join together and promote awareness about the important public health issue of asbestos and its related diseases,? said John Simmons, chairman of the Simmons Law Firm. ?Our continued support of ADAO and its annual conference is just one part of our own mission to support our clients and the mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases community as much as possible.?

The Simmons Law Firm has a long-standing commitment to support individuals and families impacted by asbestos-related diseases in and out of the courtroom. With this mission, the firm has pledged more than $20 million to cancer research, and has been a top cumulative donor to non-profits like the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and Miles for Meso 5K Races.

More information about the International Asbestos Awareness Conference can be found at http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org/.

About Simmons Browder Gianaris Angelides & Barnerd LLC:

The Simmons Firm, headquartered in Alton, Ill., is one of the country?s leading asbestos and mesothelioma litigation firms. With offices in Illinois, Missouri and California, the firm has represented thousands of patients and families affected by mesothelioma in every state. The Simmons Firm has pledged over $20 million to cancer research and proudly supports mesothelioma medical researchers throughout the country in order to find a cure. For more information about the Simmons Firm, visit http://www.simmonsfirm.com/.