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If You Have to Lose a Jury Trial, This Is the Way To Do It

Akin Gump partner Michele Roberts didn't win a complete victory for her client, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal in its dispute over compensation with its ex-partner Douglas Rosenthal.   But she won something possibly even more valuable -- praise for her efforts from the jury.

As today's Legal Times reports, a D.C. jury found that the Sonnenschein owed Rosenthal close to $1 million as compensation for high-value contingency cases -- such as representation of families killed in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 102 over Lockerbie -- that Rosenthal brought to the firm.  The jury's award, however, was far less than the $8.2 million that Rosenthal sought.   Moreover, the jury also awarded Sonnenschein $300,000, to compensate it for Rosenthal's interference with firm clients after his departure in 2005.

As for Roberts, she won praise from the jurors, several of whom expressed that she and her co-counsel, Bingham's James Hamilton outperformed Rosenthal's legal team.  Said one juror:

I didn’t believe Ms. Roberts as much, but she was such a brilliant litigator that I was leaning toward her direction,” said Stofferson, who works for the federal government.

Daniel Petrocelli, who unsuccessfully defended Jeff Skilling against felony fraud charges related to Enron's collapse, is another lawyer who lost but won.  As we posted previously, jurors said that they'd hire Petrocelli... if they could afford him.

If you have to lose a jury trial, winning the jury's endorsement is probably the best way to do it.

Posted by Carolyn Elefant on March 31, 2008 at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Comments

Articles on the housing debacle seem to purposely leave out, ignore and not mention some of the main reasons for the "sub prime crisis" . Reasons which led to the lenders' chaos. The banks, the hedge funds and the builders cry out for help like something out of Danes' inferno. All the while taking their bonus checks, of our hard money and stuffing them along side what they have already gleaned from us ...with their thrown up, defective housing. Now since the gravy train has derailed they cry out," help us we wanted more.".Yet the cries and wishes of the middle class go unheard.. It is doubly diabolical that we the tax payer should once again be forced to pay the perpetrators. The government thinks they should help the people who cheated and robbed us of our homes. We hear that consumer confidence is down, and the government seems to be baffled as to the why.. Greed, of course, is at the helm of this perfect storm, prefect for everyone except the once, homeowing tax payer.

The general population has been preyed upon by the greed of shoddy construction, and further destroyed by arbitration clauses which hide the builders role in this housing debacle. I am sickened by the articles on arbitration all written by people who have not endured this diabolical process.
My husband and I have been there. And it is not fair or cheaper, but some times you can get screwed a lot faster, they even have a name for it, it is called," fast track arbitration". As we are dragged behind these closed doors, many of us who are not silenced by gag orders,( carefully termed secrecy agreements) tell of the unbelievable goings on . Most of these so called secrecy agreements conveniently cover up what has occurred inside. Inside, where the rules of law no longer apply, where fraud and perjury are standard fare and the arbitrators turn a blind eye because of...greed. The big builder is their constant meal ticket. We the home owner will never financially recover to be subjected again to this incestuous farce. A farce that is touted as being so good for the consumer they made it mandatory. If in fact this privatization of the justice system is so wonderful why is it mandatory?
Arbitration is a sin against the constitution and the general public. One way to get us out of this crisis is to get the arbitration companies to pony up their unbelievable earnings... after all they tout them selves as non -profit facilitator. Non Profit? We know how much they profited off us.Then check the bank accounts of these lenders and builders and make me feel sorry for them. Sorry they have made only 3 million this year instead of the 25 million the year before. These insidous leaches have made millions off us. The builders and lenders are screaming now because their greed became so insasable they have driven this county into a recession. And once again we the people are screwed.
If you would like more on this crisis please google my name Jordan Fogal an read my testimony for the congressional hearing... on the effects of arbitration on the consumer. You may also go to HADD.com or HOBB.org and remember the home you save most likely will be your own.

Posted by: Jordan Fogal | Apr 4, 2008 9:51:24 AM

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