Erin Brockovich, the youngest child of Frank and Betty Jo Pattee (he was an
industrial engineer, she was a journalist), grew up in Lawrence, Kansas. After
graduating from Lawrence High School in 1978, Erin spent one year at Kansas
State University, then transferred to a business college in Dallas, Texas,
where she earned her Associates in Applied Arts degree.
In 1981, Erin took a job as a management trainee for K-Mart in Orange,
California. She left after a few months to take a job at Fluor Engineers and
Constructors to work and study to become an electrical design engineer. While
working at this job, she tried her luck in the beauty pageant world. Although
she met with almost immediate success, winning the title of Miss Pacific Coast
she dropped off the circuit the following year and married restaurant manager
Shawn Brown.
Shawn and Erin moved back to Kansas where over the course of four years Erin
gave birth to her two older children, Matthew and Katie Brown and eventually
settled in Reno, Nevada. In 1987, she and Shawn divorced. Now a single mom with
two children to support, Erin took a job as a secretary at E.F. Hutton, a Reno
brokerage. There she met stockbroker Steven Brockovich, whom she married in
1989.
Though it produced her youngest child, daughter Elizabeth, Erin's marriage to
Steven Brockovich ended. They were divorced in 1990, and again Erin was forced
to fend for herself, this time with three children to provide for.
After being seriously injured in a traffic accident in Reno, Erin moved back to
Southern California with her children. In 1991, she hired the law firm of Masry
and Vititoe to handle her car accident case. Although she received $17,000 in
settlement money, it did not begin to cover her debts. Unable to find work, she
soon begged Masry and Vititoe to hire her as a $1,200.00 a month file cleric.
It was not long after she started to work at the law firm that some medical
records she found in a file on a pro bono real estate case piqued her
curiosity. After getting permission from the firm's principal, Ed Masry, she
began to look into the matter.
Erin's solo investigation eventually established that the health of countless
people who lived in and around Hinkley, California in the 1960's, 70's and 80's
had been devastated by exposure to toxic Chromium 6. The Chromium 6 had leaked
into the groundwater from the nearby Pacific Gas and Electric Company's
Compressor Station. In 1996, as a result of the largest direct action lawsuit
of it's kind, spearheaded by Erin Brockovich and Ed Masry, the giant utility
was ordered to make the largest legal settlement in U.S. history, paying out
some $333 million in damages to more than 600 Hinkley residents.
The story of Erin's investigation, legal triumph and personal issues were
dramatized m the hit movie "Erin Brockovich" Released in March 2000 by
Universal Studios, it starred JULIA ROBERTS as Erin and ALBERT FINNEY as Edward
Masry The movie received 5 academy award nominations. Julia received a best
actress award after her portrayal of Erin Brockovich.
No longer a file clerk, Erin now serves as Director of Environmental Research
at Masry and Vititoe, where she is currently involved in other major
environmental lawsuits that she put together. Remarried in 1999 to actor Eric
Ellis, she lives with her husband and children in Agoura Hills, California.
Erin has been with Masry and Vititoe for ten years and has spearheaded other
cases: 1) Another Chromium 6 case against PG&E for groundwater contamination in
Kettleman California, 2) A TCE groundwater contamination against Lockheed
Martin in Redlands, California, 3) A DBCP and EDB groundwater contamination
against Dole and Delmonte Foods, 4) A DDT groundwater contamination in Fresno,
California, 5) Chromium 6 case against Betz/Dearbom (settled) and numerous
other cases in Pennsylvania, Idaho, California, Montana and other states. Masry
and Vititoe also spearheaded the largest MTBE litigation against all oil
refineries US wide.
Erin has received a number of awards and honors for her work with the
environment:
-Subject of the hit movie "Erin Brockovich" starring Julia Roberts
-"Consumer Advocate of the Year" - Consumer Attorneys of California
-County of Los Angeles - Courageous and Unflagging efforts for work in Hinkley
-"Profile in Courage" Award from Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association
-"Scales of Justice" Award from Court TV
-Justice Annand Arabian Law and Media Award - San Femando Valley Bar
-"Presidential Award of Merit" Consumer Attorneys of California
-California Legislature - Assembly Resolution No. 1621 for her personal
commitment
to insuring the environment is free of toxic pollution
-"Special Citizen Award" for noble efforts in protecting children. The
Children's Health Environmental Coalition
-"Walk the Talk" Award from Heal me Bay
-"Champion of Justice" Award from the Civil Justice Foundation ofATLA
-City of Barstow- Proclamation of "Erin Brockovich Day"
-President's Award - Oregon Trial Lawyers Association
-Mother's & Shakers Award - Redbook Magazine
-"Consumer Advocate of the Year" - Themis Capital Corporation
-Glendale Kiwanis Club - Dedication To Helping Others Fight Injustice
-"Best use of Public Records" - First Amendment Beacon
-The Debbie Cole Award - Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
-"Lifesaver Award" - Lymphoma Research Foundation of America
Erin recently penned her first book, "Take It From Me: Life's a Struggle but
You Can Win," which instantly became a best-seller.
*Exclusive with William Morris Agency
