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According to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2008 opinion in Exxon Shipping Co., et al. v. Baker, et al., an Alaskan jury awarded $287 million in compensatory damages to some plaintiffs, while other plaintiffs settled their compensatory claims for $22.6 million. As noted in the opinion, the jury also awarded $5 billion in punitive damages, which the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reduced to $2.5 billion. In its 5-3 decision in Exxon Shipping, the Supreme Court limited the punitive damages to $507.7 million. :-( CLICK ON LINK: Oil Rig Disaster Sets Off Gusher of Work for Attorneys MP3 - C-SPAN: Brian B. O'Neill. Partner. [email protected] .... Baker v. Exxon Corp RE: GULF OIL DISASTER.... 6/3/10 http://www.apfn.net/CC159/L006I100606-908F.MP3 Brian B. O'Neill, Faegre & Benson, Minneapolis, Minnesota; David W. Oesting, ... See In re Exxon Valdez (Icicle Seafoods, Inc., et al. v. Baker, et al. ... READ MORE:>> Brian O'Neill, Esq. Participants spoke to reporters on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court following oral arguments in the case of Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker. On March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez crashed off the coast of Alaska in Prince William Sound. The Supreme Court heard argument on whether the reduced 2.5 billion dollar award of punitive .. http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/204205-1 ================================================ It's sort of like a gold rush for clients," says Brian O'Neill, a partner in Faegre & Benson in Minneapolis, Minn., and lead plaintiffs counsel in the litigation stemming from the Exxon Valdez oil spill that occurred in 1989 off the coast of Alaska. http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202457882495 O'Neill, who says he's still involved in the Valdez litigation, has some advice for lawyers itching to file suits over the Gulf spill: "If I were a lawyer getting involved in these cases, I would make sure I have the financial and emotional resources to wage this war." The plaintiffs lawyers involved in the consolidated Valdez cases invested $200 million worth of time and maybe $40 million worth of cash, O'Neill says. James F. Neal, a member in Neal & Harwell in Nashville, represented Exxon Corp. in the Valdez litigation. Neal, whose voicemail indicated his law office was affected by the recent floods in Nashville, did not return a telephone call and an e-mail by press time May 6. According to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2008 opinion in Exxon Shipping Co., et al. v. Baker, et al., an Alaskan jury awarded $287 million in compensatory damages to some plaintiffs, while other plaintiffs settled their compensatory claims for $22.6 million. As noted in the opinion, the jury also awarded $5 billion in punitive damages, which the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reduced to $2.5 billion. In its 5-3 decision in Exxon Shipping, the Supreme Court limited the punitive damages to $507.7 million. Stephen Susman, a partner in Susman Godfrey in Houston and New York City, originally represented the plaintiffs in the Valdez cases before a conflict of interest forced him to bow out. Based on his work in the Valdez case, Susman predicts there will be "a huge war" on the defendants' side as to who was at fault for what happened to the Deepwater Horizon rig. "Everyone's going to be blaming everyone else," Susman says. Plaintiffs attorney Mark Lanier of The Lanier Law Firm in Houston says the Gulf oil spill is much bigger than the Valdez spill. "This makes the Valdez look like an oil leak in a car," Lanier says. "Honestly, this is a monstrosity; it's a tragedy. ... There are huge legal problems that need resolution. It will take the courts to do it." Lanier also says, "This is going to be, in my estimation, the largest tort we've had in this country." Companies named frequently as defendants in the explosion-related oil spill suits reviewed by Texas Lawyer are Transocean Ltd., BP PLC, Halliburton Energy Services Inc. and Cameron International Corp. According to an e-mail from BP spokesman Mark Salt, the Transocean rig was under contract to BP. Salt writes that Transocean owned and operated the rig, and BP owns the right to produce and save the oil. Under the Oil Pollution Act, BP has been named a responsible party, Salt confirms in the e-mail. In an interview, Salt says, "We are committed to paying every legitimate claim." Transocean spokesman Mike Gesci responded to requests to interview the company's general counsel and an inquiry about the firm or firms representing Transocean with an e-mail, which reads in part: "It is our policy not to comment on pending litigation." Howard L. Murphy, Cameron's attorney and a partner in Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles in New Orleans, did not return a telephone call for comment by press time. Scott Amann, Cameron's vice president for investor relations, declines comment. As alleged in Nova Affiliated S.A. v. BP PLC, et al., a class action filed April 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans, Cameron manufactured and/or supplied the Deepwater Horizon's blowout prevention equipment that failed to operate in the explosion. Godwin Ronquillo chairman and chief executive officer Donald E. Godwin of Dallas, Halliburton's attorney for pollution, property damage and environmental claims stemming from the oil spill, says Halliburton was involved in cementing of the well and provided mud services for the drilling of the well. Godwin says his firm has seen petitions in about 55 suits filed against Halliburton and its affiliates in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, with more continuing to be filed daily. "We're still involved in the investigative stage of it," Godwin says. Godwin says Halliburton, which retained him April 30, "has been a very old, very significant client of our law firm for many years." FULL REPORT: http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=149495;article=130505;title=APFN =================== Brian O'Neill, one of the country's most accomplished litigators, talks with LawCrossing about his involvement with the Exxon Valdez oil spill trial and the state of the legal industry. http://www.lawcrossing.com/article/342/Brian-O-Neill-Partner-Faegre-Benson-LLP/ MP3 - JUSTICE ROBERTS ON EQUIAL PROTECTION... http://www.apfn.net/CC158/L003I100605-1704C.MP3 BlackBerry App World - MP3 & Media Players The world is a dangerous
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