Beauty Contest for Lead Lawyers in BP Oil Spill Suit Reels In 'All the Big Fish'
Top trial lawyers from around the country are vying for a coveted spot among the 12 to 15 lead lawyers expected to be selected soon by a federal district court judge in Miami to oversee the massive tort litigation against BP PLC over its Gulf of Mexico oil spill last April.
Well over 100 attorneys have filed applications with U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier in New Orleans, who is to oversee the litigation, reports the Associated Press.
Among the well-known attorneys contending for an across-the-board slice of the multi-billion-dollars in settlements expected to paid to all plaintiffs in the litigation: David Boies, Mike Espy, Mark Lanier and Ronald Motley.
“This is a very lucrative position,” law professor Brian Fitzpatrick of Vanderbilt University tell the news agency. “You not only control the case but you get a big percentage off the top. This will attract all the big fish.”
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “BP Oil Spill Litigation to Be Heard by Federal Judge in New Orleans”
