San Diego Law firm asking for nearly US$700 million in Enron fees

The law firm that helped win $7.2 billion in settlements for Enron investors is seeking nearly $700 million in legal fees for itself and other attorneys who handled the case, according to court documents. The payout to the firm -- now called Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins LLP after the departure of founder William Lerach -- would, if approved by a federal judge, be the biggest amount ever in a securities fraud case. A top partner at the firm, meanwhile, disputed a report in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that said that Lerach, who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in a criminal case, is in line to recover as much as $50 million personally from the proposed fee distribution.

San Diego Law firm asking for nearly US$700 million in Enron fees online.wsj.com Thu, Nov 22, 2007