Governor Riley Comments on Executive Order Limiting Payments to Lawyers in Lawsuit Against BP

Statement

Governor Bob Riley issued a statement about the executive order he signed to limit the amount that lawyers can receive from the state's lawsuit against BP and other companies for the Gulf oil disaster. Last month, Attorney General Troy King had tried to hire a law firm that would have collected 14 percent of any damages paid. Governor Riley's executive order protects taxpayers from having to pay exorbitant fees to lawyers.

"The top priority of a lawsuit must be to compensate Alabamians for their losses, not to enrich lawyers. Earlier, the attorney general tried to hire a law firm whose lawyers would get 14 percent of whatever BP ultimately pays out, and his office confirmed to us they would receive that amount even if the lawyers did nothing. That's unacceptable to me and to the people of Alabama. So I have signed an executive order that restates existing law and long-standing policy regarding the payment of legal contracts. This executive order does not bar the attorney general from doing anything or from pursuing this lawsuit, but it does protect the taxpayers from getting ripped off by lawyers who expect to make millions of dollars, even when they play no actual role in getting Alabamians the payments they deserve from BP," said Governor Riley.

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