Litigation in large-scale litigation like that which followed the BP oil spill takes a lot of time and effort. Cases that big require the work of many attorneys, support staff, paralegals, and other professionals. The BP Oil Spill case is one of the largest, if not the largest, multi-district litigation (MDL) cases in history. When a case like the oil spill litigation comes to a close, the court decides how to pay the attorneys. In the case of the BP oil spill, two law firms in New Orleans and Lafayette will each get nearly eighty-eight million dollars under a proposed division of a total of six hundred and eighty million dollars’ worth of class-action attorney fees.
The litigation that followed the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster was lengthy and complicated. It involved a two-phase trial, and between the trial, the expert testimony, and the settlement negotiations, the case took several years. It dealt with diverse subject matter, and various types of claims, including individual economic damages claims, medical claims, and state government claims. It is estimated that the number of individual claims that went into the lawsuit exceeds one hundred and thirty thousand. It took a committee of six plaintiffs’ attorneys twelve days to review billing requests from all of the law firms that worked on the case and create a recommendation for the court as to what the fee award should be.
The attorneys’ fees are a part of the settlement, and BP, Transocean, and Halliburton are each paying for a portion of the fees. BP will pay the most, over five hundred and fifty million dollars. The other two companies will each pay approximately one hundred and twenty-four million dollars each. In addition to the two firms mentioned earlier, two other firms, one from Alabama and one from New York will each get over forty million dollars. Many, many attorneys and staff spent many hours on the oil spill litigation. It is estimated that all in all, nearly five hundred and twenty thousand hours’ worth of work. About two dozen New Orleans law firms will share nearly two hundred and fifty million dollars’ worth of the total award of fees.
Barrett Law PLLC: Supporting Mississippi Residents Affected by the BP Oil Spill
The BP oil spill litigation was complex and far-reaching. Many parties participated in the litigation and received settlement of their claims. The attorneys who worked on the oil spill litigation spent a lot of time working to resolve the claims that individuals and businesses filed regarding the damages that they experienced as the result of the spill. Now that BP, Transocean, and Halliburton are paying for the damage that their actions caused, they are paying the attorneys’ fees as well. If you want to learn more about the BP oil spill litigation, call the Mississippi BP Oil Spill Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC at 1 (800) 707-9577, to set up a free, initial consultation.
