Edward L. Masry | |
|---|---|
| Born | Edward Louis Masry (1932-07-29)July 29, 1932 Paterson, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | December 5, 2005(2005-12-05) (aged 73) |
| Resting place | Valley Oaks Memorial Park Westlake Village, California |
| Alma mater | Loyola Law School J.D. 1960 |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Spouses |
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Edward Louis Masry (July 29, 1932 – December 5, 2005) was an Americanlawyer, a partner in thelaw firm of Masry & Vititoe, and also a mayor and city councilman for the City ofThousand Oaks, California.[1][2] With the help of his legal assistantErin Brockovich, Masry built a case against thePacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) of California in 1993. Their successful lawsuit was the subject of theOscar-winning film,Erin Brockovich (2000), starringJulia Roberts as Brockovich andAlbert Finney as Masry.
Masry was born inPaterson, New Jersey, toSyrian immigrant parents who ran a silk apparel business.[1] When he was age eight, the family moved west toSouthern California, settling first inVenice and later inVan Nuys.[2]
As an undergraduate, Masry attendedL.A. Valley Junior College,University of California, Santa Barbara,University of California Los Angeles, andUniversity of Southern California, and served with theU.S. Army in France[2] from 1952 to 1954 during theKorean War era, attaining the rank ofcorporal.[3] Although he never received aBachelor's degree, he was accepted atLoyola Law School, Los Angeles due to his high placement scores, and he graduated with aJuris Doctor degree in 1960. Thereafter, he was admitted to theState Bar of California and set up private practice in 1961.
Masry's law firm was instrumental in bringing about the multi-plaintiff direct action suit againstPacific Gas & Electric Company, alleging contamination of drinking water withhexavalent chromium in the Southern California town ofHinkley. The case was settled in 1996 for $333 million, the largest settlement ever paid in adirect-action lawsuit in American history.[4]
The case was adapted for the successful2000 filmErin Brockovich, withAlbert Finney portraying Masry in anAcademy Award nominated performance. He had a non-speakingcameo appearance in the film as a restaurant patron sitting behind Julia Roberts, as didErin Brockovich, who played a waitress.
Masry successfully argued a case before the United States Supreme Court on behalf of California consumers who were overcharged for natural gas during the energy crisis of 2000–2001.
Masry served as a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Environmental Law Section and the State Bar of California's Environmental Law Section. He received numerous awards for hisenvironmental law andconsumer protection work, including the Consumer Attorney of the Year award from the Consumer Attorneys of California.[5]
Masry died at age 73 atLos Robles Hospital inThousand Oaks, due to complications related todiabetes.[2] He had resigned from the City Council of Thousand Oaks one week earlier because of his medical condition.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Erin Brockovich | Patron at diner[citation needed] | Uncredited |
| 2001 | American Justice | [citation needed] | Uncredited |
