[UPDATED] San Juan businessmen ask AG to cap lawyers’ fees

THE San Juan Business Association (SJBA) has suggested that government put a cap on all legal fees paid to attorneys, after Attorney General John Jeremie, SC, raised concern over what he claimed were hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees owed to attorneys hired by the previous administration.

“The revelations made by AG Jeremie on the huge legal fees paid by the government to attorneys, came as no surprise to the nation,” said SJBA president Abrahim Ali.

“His findings also disclosed large unpaid bills to the tune of hundreds of millions dollars.

“The expectation of attorneys wanting large remittances for legal work done for the AG’s office, has affected the private sector in ways that interfere with delivery of justice, as in many cases the demand for exorbitant legal fees are not feasible for the private sector to address any challenges that may come up against their businesses."

Ali recommended that the cap be based on the magnitude of cases worked at an hourly rate.

On May 8, Jeremie, in a local news report, said the Attorney General’s office is looking at a debt of more than $70 million, noting that the “vote” – an allocation given to ministries by the Parliament for certain purposes – was all spent.

Jeremie said by his calculations the outgoing PNM government spent over $1 billion in less than two terms with some payments still owed to attorneys.

“I do not think that a system that allows for the selective employment of a few attorneys with no oversight, either in terms of who is selected or how much money is paid, is to the benefit of the citizens of TT,” he said.

He said he spoke with the Law Association of TT (LATT) on how he intended to handle the matter.

Head of the Criminal Bar Association Israel Khan, SC, said it would be very difficult to determine a proper wage cap if one were to be imposed.

“Payment depends on the complexity of the matter, the nature of the matter, the availability of the lawyer, the experience of the lawyer. This is a complex matter.”

He said there was already an hourly rate of $4,000 for senior lawyers.

LATT president Lynette Seebaran-Suite told Newsday that the Jeremie did raise concern with the LATT executive during a courtesy call last week on the high cost of litigation on behalf of the state to taxpayers.

"He indicated he was working on a proposal and we await same," she said.

She said the proposal would have to be deliberated by the LATT council.

This story was originally published with the headline San Juan Business Association suggests cap on lawyers' fees and has been updated to include additional details. See original post below.

The San Juan Business Association (SJBA) has suggested that government put a cap on all legal fees paid to attorneys, after Attorney General John Jeremie, SC, raised concern over the hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees being owed to attorneys, left over from the previous administration.

“The revelations made by AG Jeremie on the huge legal fees paid by the government to attorneys, came as no surprise to the nation,” said SJBA president Abrahim Ali.

“His findings also disclosed large unpaid bills to the tune of hundreds of millions dollars.

“The expectation of attorneys wanting large remittances for legal work done for the AG’s office, has affected the private sector in ways that interfere with delivery of justice, as in many cases the demand for exorbitant legal fees are not feasible for the private sector to address any challenges that may come up against their businesses.

Ali recommended that the cap be based on the magnitude of cases worked at an hourly rate.

On May 8, Jeremie in a local news report said the Attorney General’s office is looking at a debt of more than $70 million, noting that the "vote" ­­­– an allocation given to ministries by the Parliament for certain purposes – was all spent.

Jeremie said by his calculations the outgoing PNM government spent over $1 billion in less than two terms with some payments still owed to attorneys.

“I do not think that a system that allows for the selective employment of a few attorneys with no oversight, either in terms of who is selected or how much money is paid, is to the benefit of the citizens of TT,” he said.

He said he spoke with the Law Association of TT on how he intends to handle the matter.

Head of the Criminal Bar Association Israel Khan, SC, said it would be very difficult to determine a proper wage cap if one were to be imposed.

“Payment depends on the complexity of the matter, the nature of the matter, the availability of the lawyer, the experience of the lawyer. This is a complex matter.”

He said there is already an hourly rate for senior lawyers. They get paid $4,000 an hour.