More than 100 lawyers who are suing BP PLC over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have applied for coveted places on the committee that will lead the multidistrict litigation, citing either the extensive work they’ve already done or the unique role they would serve as the representative of a specific group of alleged victims.
The plaintiffs’ steering committee will conduct discovery, decide which motions to file and — perhaps most important — pocket the largest attorney fees. The litigation involves about 300 lawsuits so far. The case became even more significant in light of criticism that the BP-financed $20 billion Gulf Coast Claims Facility was rejecting too many claims and failing to pay others promptly.
