The Attorneys Behind the Film
Paul Danziger &
Rod De Llano
The attorneys who lived the story, produced the film, and continue fighting for workers harmed by corporate negligence — nationwide.
Managing Partner · Executive Producer
Paul Danziger
Danziger & De Llano, LLP · Nationwide
Attorney · Executive Producer · Advocate
The Case That Changed an Industry
In 1998, Paul Danziger and his law partner Mike Weiss filed a federal antitrust lawsuit that would ultimately expose how five Group Purchasing Organizations had conspired with Becton Dickinson to block life-saving safety needles from reaching American hospitals. The case — Retractable Technologies, Inc. v. Becton Dickinson and Company — challenged a monopoly that was costing healthcare workers their lives.
When Mike Weiss died of a drug overdose on October 2, 1999, at age 32, Danziger was left to carry the case alone. He did — for five more years — eventually securing a $100 million settlement with Becton Dickinson on July 2, 2004. Separately, the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act became law in 2000 amid a broader national response to occupational sharps injuries and safer-device technology.
From the Courtroom to Hollywood
Years after the settlement, Danziger partnered with directors Adam and Mark Kassen to bring the story to the screen. As Executive Producer of Puncture (2011), he ensured the film remained faithful to the real events — the corruption, the personal cost, and the ultimate triumph of persistence over power. Chris Evans signed on to portray Mike Weiss, and the film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2011.
The film went on to win the inaugural Texas Independent Film Award from the Houston Film Critics Society (January 2012) and has been recognized as one of the most authentic legal dramas of its era.
Continuing the Fight Today
Today, Paul Danziger leads Danziger & De Llano, LLP — a nationwide litigation firm focused on representing mesothelioma victims and families harmed by decades of asbestos exposure. The same tenacity that drove the needle safety case now serves workers and families affected by corporate negligence in the asbestos industry.
The firm has recovered over $2 billion for clients across the United States — from Navy veterans exposed on ships to industrial workers exposed in refineries, power plants, and construction sites.
Credentials & Recognition
Verified Profiles
Founding Partner · Director of Legal Services
Rod De Llano
Danziger & De Llano, LLP · Nationwide
Princeton · UT Law · 30+ Years Litigation
Education & Early Career
Born and raised in Laredo, Texas, Rod De Llano earned his Bachelor's degree in Economics from Princeton University and his Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Texas School of Law. Before co-founding the firm with Paul Danziger in 1999, he managed an international import/export business and practiced in the general litigation section of a large international law firm.
His background in international business and complex commercial litigation gave him a unique perspective on the systemic corporate negligence patterns that define asbestos litigation — where multinational companies knowingly exposed workers to deadly fibers for decades while concealing the risks.
Three Decades of Mesothelioma Advocacy
With over 30 years of experience, Rod De Llano has dedicated his career to representing victims of asbestos exposure and mesothelioma nationwide. As Director of Legal Services at Danziger & De Llano, he oversees case strategy across all 50 states, ensuring each client receives the focused attention their case demands.
His expertise spans product liability, whistleblower cases, antitrust matters, class actions, and intellectual property litigation — complex, high-stakes cases with nationwide impact. The same pattern of corporate concealment that drove the needle safety case is the pattern Rod confronts daily in asbestos litigation: companies that knew their products were killing workers and chose profits over lives.
The Connection to Puncture
The story told in Puncture is the founding story of Danziger & De Llano. When Paul Danziger and Mike Weiss took on the needle safety case in 1998, Rod De Llano was building the firm's infrastructure — the operational backbone that allowed Danziger to pursue a years-long federal antitrust battle against some of the largest corporations in healthcare.
Today, that same partnership drives the firm's mesothelioma practice: Paul leads client relationships and case development while Rod directs legal strategy and operations. The tenacity that won a $100 million settlement against Becton Dickinson is the same tenacity they bring to every asbestos case.
Credentials & Recognition
Verified Profiles
National Mesothelioma Attorneys
Danziger & De Llano, LLP
Founded in 1999, the firm represents mesothelioma victims and their families nationwide. The same commitment to fighting corporate negligence that drove the needle safety case — the story told in Puncture — now serves those harmed by decades of asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma
Representing patients and families affected by this aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure.
Asbestos Exposure
Holding corporations accountable for knowingly exposing workers to deadly asbestos fibers.
Occupational Disease
Fighting for workers harmed by toxic substances in refineries, shipyards, power plants, and construction.
Diagnosed with Mesothelioma?
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the attorneys at Danziger & De Llano offer free, confidential case evaluations nationwide. The same firm that took on Becton Dickinson is ready to fight for you.