$1.6M Award Upheld for Lawyer Who Sued His Firm for Fees
A Minnesota appeals court has upheld a $1.6 million award to a Minneapolis lawyer who sued his former law firm for a bigger cut of the fees in a securities class action against AOL Time Warner.
The Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the award for lawyer Brian Williams, but ruled he is not entitled to punitive damages from the firm, Heins Mills & Olson, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Williams had contended he was underpaid when the firm gave him $4.5 million for his work on the case.
The unpublished opinion (PDF) said evidence supported Williams’ “misrepresentation by omission” theory that the law firm had failed to disclose or misrepresented the formula used to determine his compensation. Williams had contended that, after he made nonequity partner, he was so eager to earn his share of fees that he billed 2,400 hours in the first year and worked “probably harder and longer and better than [he] ever had as an attorney.” He also said he turned down another job and gave up time with his family.
