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.
Santa Monica sues MTBE lawyers
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 […]
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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…