The city of Santa Monica, Calif. made headlines last year when it won a large settlement from oil companies over MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether)contamination of its water supply, but now it’s locked in a bitter legal dispute with the private law firms it hired over their fee bill, which could reach $66 million. The firms include Miller & Sawyer, Baron & Budd, and Sher & Leff. The case is being watched elsewhere in part because Baron & Budd and other law firms have signed up numerous other state and local governments as clients to press MTBE claims on a contingency basis. (Eric Peters, “Nation watches suit of Santa Monica v. lawyers”, Contra Costa Times, Jun. 6; Blair Clarkson, “City Overcomes Final Hurdle in Oil Suit Battle”, The Lookout, Mar. 4)(see Jun. 11-12, 2002, Nov. 25, 2003). See also Doug Bandow, “Energy Bill Debate Confirms a Lawyer-Democrat Alliance”, Cato Daily, Feb. 14. More (via SoCalLawBlog): Gregory Crofton, “Santa Monica fighting legal bills for MTBE lawsuit”, Tahoe Daily Tribune, Jun. 4.
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City of Santa Monica Sues Former Lawyers in Fee Dispute Over MTBE Litigation
Overlawyered reports:The city of Santa Monica, Calif. made headlines last year when it won a large settlement from oil companies over MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether)contamination of its water supply, but now it’s locked in a bitter legal dispute wit…
Demo Veepstakes: John-John, Yawn-Yawn
After being rebuffed by his first pick for Vice President, presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry chose North Carolina Senator John Edwards as his running-mate. My reaction: yawn. It underscores what many of us have thought about Kerry–he is unimag…
Demo Veepstakes: John-John, Yawn-Yawn
After being rebuffed by his first pick for Vice President, presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry chose North Carolina Senator John Edwards as his running-mate. My reaction: yawn. It underscores what many of us have thought about Kerry–he is unimag…
Public contingency fees and environmental claims
The state of New Jersey (see Overlawyered, Jun. 10-11, 2003) and various local government entities in California and elsewhere (Jun. 16, 2004) have been hiring private lawyers on contingent fee to sue private businesses for restoration of groundwater, …
Public contingency fees and environmental claims
The state of New Jersey (see Overlawyered, Jun. 10-11, 2003) and various local government entities in California and elsewhere (Jun. 16, 2004) have been hiring private lawyers on contingent fee to sue private businesses for restoration of groundwater, …
“Demonizing for Dollars”
Forbes takes a distinctly critical look at the litigation over MTBE in water supplies (see Overlawyered, Nov. 25, 2003, Jun. 16, 2004) in which litigator Scott Summy of Dallas’s Baron & Budd has played a prominent role:Who pays for the…
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