N.Y. tobacco fee fracas

Attorney H. Neal Conolly quit the firm of Thuillez, Ford, Gold & Conolly shortly before it won the right to be part of the team of law firms representing the state of New York in the tobacco litigation. He argues, though, that having been involved in a “work in progress” he’s entitled to a share […]

Attorney H. Neal Conolly quit the firm of Thuillez, Ford, Gold & Conolly shortly before it won the right to be part of the team of law firms representing the state of New York in the tobacco litigation. He argues, though, that having been involved in a “work in progress” he’s entitled to a share of the $84.3 million in fees payable to his former partners. “Six firms, including the politically connected Thuillez partnership, received a total of $625 million in fees for their role in negotiating the tobacco settlement. Thuillez Ford has had close ties to the Pataki administration and the administration of then New York Attorney General Dennis C. Vacco.” The fees work out to about $13,000 an hour. (John Caher, “Attorney’s Bid for Share of $84.3 Million Fee Moves Forward”, New York Law Journal, Jan. 12). More on N.Y. tobacco fees: see, among other posts, May 11-13, 2001, Jul. 30-31, 2002, and Aug. 10, 2003.

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