Cobell attorneys detail request for $223M fees for 14 years of work

Wednesday, February 2, 2011  

The attorneys in the Indian trust fund lawsuit say they are entitled to $223 million in fees for more than 14 years of work.

The attorneys began working on the case in 1995. The lawsuit was filed in June 1996 and the $3.4 billion settlement was announced in December 2009.

During that time, the attorneys said they spent nearly 141,000 hours on the case. Court papers, including this affidavit, detail the hourly rates of some of the attorneys who have been a part of the team.

"I'm not embarrassed at all by the fee," lead attorney Dennis Gingold told The National Law Journal. "If somebody told a lawyer he would get an hourly rate when he settled, I don't think a single competent lawyer would take a case like this. The risk is enormous."

The settlement placed a cap of $99 million on fees but the plaintiffs say the final decision lies with a federal judge.

Get the Story:
Cobell Attorneys Seek $223 Million (The National Law Journal 2/2)

Related Stories:
Notification process begins this week for $3.4B Cobell settlement (1/18)
Attorney fees an issue as Cobell settlement moves ahead in court (1/4)
Shoshone-Bannock landowner not optimistic on trust reform at DOI (1/3)
Cobell expects settlement payouts within 8 to twelve months (12/17)
Joint motion filed over preliminary approval of Cobell settlement (12/14)
Editorial: Long awaited justice over Indian trust fund settlement (12/13)
Jen Bloom: Cobell settlement no victory for Indian beneficiaries (12/13)
Democracy Now: Obama signs bill with Cobell settlement into law (12/9)
President Obama to sign bill with Cobell settlement this afternoon (12/8)
Obama to sign bill with Cobell settlement into law on Wednesday (12/6)
Column: A little justice for Indian land owners in trust settlement (12/6)
Column: Years of hard work end with settlement in Cobell lawsuit (12/6)
Elouise Cobell provides update on status of trust fund settlement (12/3)
Sen. Baucus to hold press conference in Montana for Cobell case (12/2)
Ken Salazar: Settlements fulfilling our promises in Indian Country (12/1)
CNC: Reaction from Elouise Cobell on final passage of settlement (12/1)
Cobell settlement heads to White House after clearing Congress (12/1)