. Measure Targets Trial Lawyers fees Lawyers in a landmark tobacco lawsuit could be forced to give $9,000,000,000 in fees to the states they represented, according to legislation introduced Thursday by two Republican senators. The proposal would impose a 200 percent tax on payments to lawyers that exceed five times the "reasonable" rate, which would vary by jurisdiction. In big cities, lawyers still could make more than $2,500 an hour. The lawyers who won a $246,000,000,000 settlement from the nation's big tobacco companies are the primary target, but the tax would apply to lawyers in any case with awards exceeding $100,000,000.

[ Home]---[Search]---[Email]---[Next]---[Legal]