What Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba does

Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba, P.C. is a privately held defense litigation law firm founded in 1989 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when 20 corporations and their insurance carriers consolidated their defense operations to create a dedicated litigation defense practice. The firm specializes in toxic tort and asbestos litigation defense, a heritage practice that has grown to encompass hundreds of thousands of asbestos cases over more than three decades, supported by internal databases of historical product information, scientific research, court testimonies, and witness records that provide an information advantage in defending manufacturers, suppliers, employers, premises owners, and retailers. The firm has expanded to seven offices across five states (Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and West Virginia) and thirteen practice areas including insurance defense, commercial litigation, construction litigation, environmental litigation, premises liability, products liability, transportation/trucking liability, workers' compensation, government entity defense, and appellate practice.

The firm serves enterprise clients consisting of large and small businesses, corporations, property owners, business managers, insurance carriers, self-insured entities, and government agencies facing complex civil litigation, with no representation of consumer cases or plaintiffs. The firm's technology stack comprises standard legal technology including case management systems, legal research platforms, document management systems, and video deposition recording tools. Revenue is generated through fee-for-service billing of attorney and paralegal hours on a case-by-case basis, with no publicly disclosed fee schedules, hourly rates, or financial statements. The firm employs approximately 27 named attorneys and 20+ administrative and support staff across its seven offices, and holds no patents, trademarks of note, or institutional investment. The firm has no disclosed AI or machine learning capabilities, API offerings, or technology partnerships beyond its website services relationship with FindLaw.

The firm's competitive position rests on domain specialization in toxic tort and asbestos defense, a deep bench of AV-rated and Super Lawyers-recognized trial attorneys, national counsel engagements with major corporate clients, and physical presence in historically plaintiff-favorable jurisdictions such as Philadelphia and Wheeling, West Virginia. Leadership is held by President and Managing Shareholder John S. Howarth, with Co-Managing Shareholders Keith D. Babula and Timothy A. Sullivan III overseeing the Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey, and Delaware offices respectively. The firm is privately held with no parent company, no funding rounds, no mergers or acquisitions, and no public ticker.

Name

Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba

Legal name

Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba, P.C.

Website

https://wlbdeflaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba is a privately held defense litigation law firm founded in 1989, specializing in asbestos and toxic tort defense with seven offices across five Northeastern states, serving corporations, insurance carriers, and government entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services - Defense Litigation

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Practice Management & Case Management (BPAEAPAC), Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

Keywords

• Defense litigation services
• Asbestos litigation defense
• Toxic tort defense
• Insurance defense counsel
• Commercial litigation defense

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Defense Services: The firm generates revenue by providing comprehensive litigation and appellate legal defense counsel to corporations, property owners, business managers, and insurance carriers. Services are billed on a fee-for-service basis for legal hours worked, with attorneys and skilled paralegals providing cost-effective resolutions. The firm represents clients in toxic torts, insurance defense, commercial litigation, asbestos cases, and related matters across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and West Virginia.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba, P.C. is a defense litigation law firm that provides legal defense counsel across 13 practice areas, including toxic torts, asbestos litigation, insurance defense, commercial litigation, construction litigation, environmental litigation, products liability, premises liability, transportation/trucking liability, workers' compensation, government entity defense, general liability, and appellate practice. The firm represents corporations, property owners, business managers, insurance carriers, and government entities in complex civil litigation across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and West Virginia.

Product overview

Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba, P.C. is a defense litigation law firm providing comprehensive legal services across multiple practice areas. Founded in 1989, the firm operates as a unified legal services practice rather than a product-based company. Its core service offerings include Toxic Tort Litigation, Asbestos Litigation Defense, Insurance Defense, Commercial Litigation, Construction Litigation, Environmental Litigation, General Liability, Premises Liability Defense, Products Liability Defense, Transportation & Trucking Liability, Workers' Compensation Defense, Government Entity Defense, and Appellate Practice. The firm serves clients across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia through its six offices, offering tailored legal defense strategies for businesses, insurance companies, and government entities facing complex litigation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Toxic Tort Litigation
• Asbestos Litigation Defense
• Insurance Defense
• Commercial Litigation
• Construction Litigation
• Environmental Litigation
• General Liability
• Premises Liability Defense
• Products Liability Defense
• Transportation & Trucking Liability
• Workers' Compensation Defense
• Government Entity Defense
• Appellate Practice

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of thousands of asbestos cases handled successfully with many leading to dismissals or favorable settlements
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FindLaw (Internet Brands)supportingOthersWilbraham, Lawler & Buba partners with FindLaw, an Internet Brands business, for website hosting, design, and lawyer marketing services. The firm uses FindLaw's platform for its online presence, contact forms, and client intake. FindLaw provides technology infrastructure supporting the firm's digital client acquisition.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney: National defense litigation firm with a large toxic tort and asbestos defense practice, similar regional concentration in the Midwest and East Coast, and a comparable book of insurance carrier and corporate clients. Direct competitor in asbestos litigation defense.
• Goldberg Segalla: Multi-office defense firm with strong insurance defense, product liability, and toxic tort practices across the Northeast and nationally. Comparable in size, geographic footprint, and client mix to WLB.
• Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin: Major regional insurance defense firm headquartered in Philadelphia with deep toxic tort, asbestos, and general liability defense practices serving insurance carriers and self-insureds across the Northeast. Closest Philadelphia-based peer.
• White and Williams LLP: Philadelphia-based defense litigation firm with insurance defense, product liability, and commercial litigation practices serving similar corporate and insurance clients in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
• Post & Schell PC: Philadelphia-based defense firm with significant insurance defense, professional liability, and commercial litigation practices. Comparable in size, regional footprint, and client base to WLB.
• Rawle & Henderson LLP: Pennsylvania-based defense litigation firm with strong insurance defense, product liability, and commercial litigation practices. Comparable regional peer with similar Philadelphia/Mid-Atlantic presence.
• Beveridge & Diamond PC: National firm specializing in environmental, toxic tort, and product liability defense. Direct overlap with WLB's toxic tort and environmental litigation practices, particularly for corporate defendants.

Broad incumbents

• Cozen O'Connor: Larger Philadelphia-headquartered full-service firm with material insurance defense, product liability, and commercial litigation practices. Broader corporate practice but significant overlap in defense litigation.
• Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani: Large national insurance defense firm with broad footprint and significant toxic tort/asbestos practice. Larger and more geographically diversified than WLB but directly competes for the same carrier and corporate clients.
• Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Major full-service law firm formed by the merger of Drinker Biddle (Philadelphia) and Faegre Baker Daniels, with substantial insurance defense, product liability, and commercial litigation practices across the US. Broader practice but a peer in regional defense work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wilbraham-lawler-&-buba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba