Fred Baron, lawyer, Dem fundraiser dies

Fred Baron, famed lawyer and Democratic Party fundraiser, died Thursday at his Dallas home of complications of cancer. He was 61.

Barron, often called "the King of Torts," amassed a fortune during more than 30 years of successfully representing clients injured by toxic substances. Part of his wealth went to rejuvenate the Democrats in Texas, The Dallas Morning News said.

Baron "loved anything where he felt he was helping people," said his wife, Lisa Blue-Baron of Dallas. "His whole thing was trying to make things better for other people."

She said he was especially proud of the Baron & Blue Foundation, dedicated to eliminating homelessness and improving low-cost housing in the Dallas area.

In his last battle with a corporation earlier this month, Baron sought permission for doctors at the Mayo Clinic to use the drug Tysabri to treat his final-stage multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow.

Baron became a national pioneer in asbestos litigation, founding his own law firm in 1977 to pursue a case that his employer rejected.

He built a lucrative practice and shared his financial success with a host of causes from the arts to the Texas Democratic Trust, which he founded in September 2005.

In addition to his wife, Baron is survived by five children, a son, Andrew Baron, and four daughters, Courtney, Alessandra, Nathalie and Caroline Baron.