About Our Asbestos Attorneys

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Andrew O'Brien

Andrew O’Brien has specialized in asbestos law for over 15 years, successfully trying numerous cases to verdict. He is a licensed attorney in Missouri, Illinois and the Republic of Ireland.

A native of Dublin, Andrew graduated from University College Dublin Law School in 1986. He worked with the firm of Gaffney & Halligan from 1986 until 1990, when he immigrated to the United States. In the U.S., Andrew graduated from the Saint Louis University School of Law and began practicing asbestos law. He founded the O’Brien Law Firm so that he could commit all of his energy and resources in the fight to gain compensation for victims of asbestos disease.

In September 2001, he was cited by the Missouri Bar Foundation for “outstanding trial work” and received the prestigious Lon O. Hocker Award. He has also been named to the Judicial Commission for the 22nd Judicial Circuit for the City of St. Louis, Missouri. The commission selects a panel of applicants from which the governor selects a circuit judge.

Andrew and his wife, Lori, have two daughters and a son. Andrew is an accomplished fiddle player and has performed professionally.

Read about Andrew O’Brien’s award from the Missouri Bar Foundation.

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Christopher Thoron

Christopher was born and raised in Central Illinois. He attended nearby Blackburn College, in Carlinville, where he participated in varsity baseball and soccer and graduated as the salutatorian of his class. From Blackburn, he enrolled at Saint Louis University School of Law. After graduating from SLU Law with a certificate in Labor/Employment Law, Christopher joined a firm in Illinois where he was first introduced to asbestos litigation. Christopher brought his experience and knowledge to the O'Brien Law Firm, where he continues to work on asbestos litigation.

Christopher is licensed in both Missouri and Illinois.

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Christina Nielsen

Christina Nielsen graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law in 1997. In law school she served as Administrative Editor of the Law Review, was a member of the ATLA trial team, and a member of Urban Lawyer. She has published articles in the UMKC Law Review and the quarterly publication of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys.

Following law school, Christina immediate began representing injured victims and their families. She has tried numerous personal injury and product liability cases in state and federal court and has argued cases before the Missouri Court of Appeals. She is licensed to practice law in Missouri, Illinois, the United States District Court for the Western and Eastern Districts of Missouri, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Since 2005, Christina has been an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at St. Louis University School of Law. Christina also serves on the board of several civic organizations. Most recently, Christina was appointed by the Circuit Court of St. Louis County to serve on the Juvenile Conference Commission.

Christina lives in Kirkwood, Missouri with her son, Kaleb. Christina’s daughter, Bre, attends American University in Washington, D.C.

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Bartholomew J. Baumstark

Before joining the firm in 2003 to represent the victims of asbestos exposure, Bart enjoyed tenures as a St. Louis City Prosecutor and a personal injury attorney specializing in representing injured railroad workers.  Bart’s accomplishments in these specialties include having successfully prosecuted and tried to juries cases involving repetitive stress injuries ($900,000 verdict), catastrophic damage to the inner ear ($2.5 million verdict), contractual disputes, drug distribution and possession offenses, guns and weapon offenses, criminal assaults, robberies, and home invasions. 

A 1996 honors graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law, Bart received American Jurisprudence Awards in Evidence and Trial Advocacy and was a member of the Moot Court Board and Law Review.

In addition to his work on behalf of asbestos victims, Bart has an active criminal defense practice, chiefly representing individuals charged at the federal level.  His experience in this regard includes drug distributions and conspiracies, identity thefts and frauds, bank robberies, weapon offenses and health care fraud.

Bart lives in University City, Missouri with his wife Meghan and children Daniel and Elizabeth.  He is licensed to practice in Missouri and Illinois state and federal courts.

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Gerald J. FitzGerald, III

Jerry was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a 1997 graduate of St. Louis University High School (SLUH). He received undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Business from St. Louis University, graduating with honors. In 2004 he earned his juris doctorate from the University of Dayton School of Law. As the son of an insulator, Jerry knows firsthand the damage asbestos exposure can cause. Jerry joined the O’Brien Law Firm in 2005, where he is dedicated to the pursuit of justice for asbestos victims and their families.

Jerry lives in south St. Louis City with his wife Jill. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Missouri.

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