Judge says $510M in fees for lawyers in treaty case was unreasonable
Justice Fred Myers ordered a reduction of legal fees from $510 million to $23 million, citing conflicts of interest and excessive charges in the Robinson-Huron Treaty case.
- A judge ruled that $510 million in legal fees paid in a $10 billion treaty settlement case was unreasonable.
- The lawyers were warned against pressuring First Nations clients to not seek independent reviews of the fees.
- A law firm representing the lawyers called the decision "paternalistic" and said they are considering appealing it.
38 Articles
38 Articles
$510M in Lawyers’ Fees Deemed ‘Unreasonable’ by Judge in Treaty Lawsuit
An Ontario court judge is calling the $510 million legal fee for attorneys involved in a First Nations treaty rights case “unreasonable” and has ordered the amount be reduced to $23 million. The 2023 Robinson Huron Treaty settlement that sought to remedy unpaid treaty annuities for 21 First Nations resulted in a $10 billion settlement. More than 5 percent of that sum went to the lawyers who argued the case on behalf of the First Nations. Two of …
Judge says $510M in fees for lawyers in Huron Robinson treaty case was unreasonable
OTTAWA — An Ontario court judge has ruled a $510-million legal fee for lawyers who worked on a First Nations treaty rights case was unreasonable — and has ordered the fee scaled back to $23 million.
Judge slashes lawyers’ $510M contingency fee for $10B First Nations settlement. Legal team gets $23M instead
“A lawyer’s professional retainer is not a lottery ticket offering a bonus prize of generational wealth to the lawyers if the clients hit the jackpot and win a mega-award.”
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