Brady Earns Finalist Recognition for Public Justice’s 2026 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award

Brady attorneys are recognized for securing the largest-ever verdict against the gun industry in a contested case, sending a message that the gun industry is not immune from accountability.

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 27, 2026 — Public Justice recognized the groundbreaking legal work that led to a historic win holding the gun industry accountable. Brady attorneys Phil Bangle and Jenna Klein, along with their co-counsel, representing the City of Baltimore in Mayor & City Council Of Baltimore v. Polymer80, Inc. and Hanover Armory, LLC, C.A., were among three finalists for the 2026 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award, which honors significant legal contributions to the public interest by holding powerful institutions accountable. The case was the first time in a decade that the gun industry stood trial in a court of law for its sales and marketing practices and the first time ever that a gun company’s conduct was laid out before a jury for a public nuisance claim. The case secured the first-ever multimillion dollar jury verdict against a gun company for its sales and marketing practices and the largest-ever verdict against the gun industry in a contested case.
 

In Baltimore v. Polymer80, Inc., the City of Baltimore, represented by Brady, James Hannaway of Berger Montague, Saba Bireda of Katz Banks Kumin, and Tom Webb of the Baltimore City Department of Law, secured a historic $62 million verdict against firearms seller Hanover Armory, LLC. The jury found that Hanover Armory contributed to the flood of “ghost gun” kits or untraceable, unserialized firearms into Baltimore, which led to high rates of gun violence and homicides, especially among youth. The case helped lead to the closure of Polymer80, which was the nation’s largest manufacturer of ghost guns. After the case was brought, Baltimore had a 25% decrease in ghost guns recovered in crimes and homicide rates dropped to record lows.   

“For too long, the gun industry has operated with impunity behind a supposed shield of immunity. But this case cracked that shield when it delivered the first multimillion dollar verdict against a gun dealer,” said Brady President Kris Brown. “Just a year later, we are already seeing the impact of that breakthrough, as communities and families harmed by gun industry negligence are continuing to prevail in the courts. We are proud to have ushered in this historic shift and are honored for this recognition from Public Justice. The first domino has fallen, and we intend to keep pushing until the gun industry can no longer hide from the consequences of its actions.”