A question about John Edwards' backing (answered)

[lazarus]

I got in a slight, civil debate with my dad last night. He's a former Republican. He's disillusioned with Bush, but isn't sold on Kerry.

I recalled during the campaigns that he liked Dean and Edwards. When I mentioned Edwards' being on the ticket, he suddenly turned sour, and mentioned "trial lawyers". I explained Edwards' first case, the poor girl who was gutted by a drain.

He acknowledged then that Edwards is a good guy, but is afraid that the ambulance chasers are going to get a benefit of some kind from Edwards' being in the VP chair. He went on to say that some of the worst of these types of the lawyers (you know the ones, they advertise all night on TV that they'll take any case and win you lots of money) and the class action lawyers are the ones funding Edwards.

I can't make him back this up, as he's here on vacation. I'm seeing him this afternoon, and I'd love some ammo to give him.

Y'all know me, this is in no way an attack on Edwards. I love the guy. I just need to be able to show my dad where he's wrong. This is a major Republican, in Texas, that is on the verge of sliding over to the Dem side, so I need to play this carefully.

I've toned down some of my more liberal aggressiveness, and I'm playing it safe. This is the big one, I think, though.

Any help, folks?

On edit, I finally found a page with his top contributors. Anybody want to weigh in on these?

http://www.opensecrets.org/presidential/contrib.asp?id=N00002283&cycle=2004

Goldman Sachs $91,750
finance company

Baron & Budd $86,650
The National Law Journal (July 21, 2003) recently named Baron & Budd to "The Plaintiffs' Hot List" of 25 exemplary firms in the U.S.

Beasley, Allen et al $71,350
Henry County , AL – A Henry County jury awarded a record $2.9 Million verdict in a securities fraud case today. The jury awarded $900,000 in compensatory damages and an additional $2 million in punitive damages against World Capital Brokerage of Tampa, Florida. Ray and Shirley Robinson, who reside in Abbeville, invested $275,000 with the defendant. The funds were to be invested in commodity futures with a guarantee that the investments were totally safe. A 12.5% annual return was guaranteed on the investment. Evidence at trial revealed that the funds were never invested by the defendant.

Girardi & Keese $65,675
Girardi & Keese represents all types of individuals and businesses, emphasizing the areas of environmental damage and toxic torts, insurance failure to pay (bad faith), hazardous products, entertainment law, business litigation, employment law, professional malpractice, automobile accidents, and other personal injury.

Weitz & Luxenberg $52,250
Croteau v. Consolidated Edison Inc. (New York Co., N.Y., Sup. Ct. 2003), lead counsel—Michael Roberts and Jerry Kristal. The plaintiff, who developed mesothelioma while working as a boiler maker, sued New York's Con Edison power company and Long Island's now-defunct Long Island Lighting Co. The jury awarded him $47 million. Brown v. Honeywell Corp. (New York Co., N.Y., Sup. Ct. 2002), lead counsel—Michael Roberts and Jerry Kristal. The plaintiff died from cancer linked to asbestos he was exposed to while working for an automotive brake manufacturer. The jury awarded him $53.5 million. Williams v. A.C. and S. Inc. (New York Co. Sup. Ct. 2001), lead counsel—Robert J. Gordon. The plaintiffs, who have all died, were nine mesothelioma victims. The reverse-bifurcated trial featured a damages phase followed by a liability apportionment phase. Individual awards, issued in July 2001, ranged from $7.2 million to $18.18 million. The total was $111.61 million.

Robinson & Cole $50,200
has provided legal representation to businesses since 1845.

Simmons Firm $49,500
advises and assists individuals and businesses in corporate law, entity formation, small business counseling, business and real estate transactions, risk-minimization planning and general business matters. The firm is devoted to providing exceptional legal services tailored to the individual needs of each client, with a priority on cost-effective dispute avoidance and resolution.

Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson $38,250
A 42-year-old ski-lift maintenance supervisor, sustained a traumatic amputation of both of his legs while performing maintenance on a chairlift at the Snow Valley Ski Area in San Bernardino, California. The plaintiff contended that the owner of the lift was negligent for its failure to record a similar accident in 1990 and for its failure to implement additional safety precautions to prevent a reoccurrence. A San Bernardino jury found in favor of the plaintiff and his wife, awarding them $30.8 million in damages.

Morris, Haynes & Hornsby $38,000
"Aside from Morris, Haynes, & Hornsby's fundamental faith in our legal system's unique power to address injustices and right wrongs, we take pride in the number of harmful and fraudulent practices which have been abolished as a result of cases we have prosecuted."
Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder $37,500
"If you get a call from Koskoff, you should start to sweat, because you know it’s not frivolous” says Sally R. Bergwerk, M.D., M.P.H. ’98.

Ness, Motley et al $36,600
apparently didn't do to well by its clients in a class action suit

Wilkes & McHugh $36,000
Experienced nursing home abuse lawyers. "In what is believed to be the first California case in which the plaintiff proved wrongful death by elder abuse, Wilkes & McHugh, P.A. represented Frank Hernandez who suffered a stage IV pressure sore during his residence at Upland Rehabilitation and Care Center. Jurors heard testimony that staff at the facility would sleep during their shifts and were not providing the care needed by the residents. The jury returned a verdict of $727,500 plus attorneys' fees and costs. "

Fieger, Fieger et al $35,500
"A Cuyahoga County jury sympathized with a brain-damaged 17-year-old boy Monday and slammed a doctor and hospital with a $30 million medical malpractice verdict the largest ever awarded in the county.
Walter Hollins of Cleveland, who has the mental capacity of a 1-year-old, clapped when the verdict was announced, but couldn't comprehend the historic event unfolding in Judge Robert Lawther's courtroom.
Walter's mother, Regina Harris, could not suppress her appreciation as she hugged one of her lawyers and gushed to the jury, "Oh my God, thank you. Oh my God."
The panel of four men and four women decided 6-2 that Dr. Ronald Jordan and the medical staff at the now-defunct Mt. Sinai Medical Center were negligent at the boy's birth Jan. 29, 1987. Witnesses testified that Harris waited for more than two hours to receive an emergency Caesarean section, during which time the flow of oxygen was cut off to Walter's brain. "

Cotchett, Pitre et al $35,500
"The Cotchett firm has few peers that equal their ability in litigation. Their commitment to the cause of justice and their ethical standards stand apart. They are people who give back to the community and give lawyers a good name."
- Hon. Melvin Cohn, Judge Retired

Corboy & Demetrio $34,325
A complaint was filed today by the Estate of Zachary Tran, the six year old Vernon Hills boy who died when a soccer goal tipped over and crushed him. The lawsuit, seeking unspecified money damages, alleges that the goal was defectively designed and that the Vernon Hills Park District and Greater Libertyville Soccer Association ignored the danger of it tipping over and striking players.
According to Shawn Kasserman of Corboy & Demetrio, who represents Zachary Tran’s estate:
“ Zac Tran deserved better. He went from pretending to be a goalie to being crushed by the very goal he was defending. The goal that crushed him is extremely top heavy and is easily tipped forward. The only feature designed to keep the goal from tipping forward are ground anchors that are not attached to the goals and often not re-installed after the goals are moved. Neither the Park District nor the soccer association took the steps necessary to make sure the goal was properly anchored down.”
“This was not a freak accident,” Kasserman added. “Rather, this was a problem known throughout the soccer industry. Zac was far from the first victim. Hopefully, this lawsuit will help assure that he is the last.”

Morgan Stanley $34,050
financial

Kline & Specter $33,000
"represents catastrophically injured people and their families for medical and professional malpractice, brain and spinal cord injury, birth and neonatal injury, failure to diagnose cancer, product and premises liability, catastrophic automobile litigation, construction, and aviation accidents. "

Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer $32,500
provides a full range of services to individuals and corporations

Watts Law Firm $32,500
Rupp v. Sulzer Orthopedics, Inc.
Mikal Watts, and Kevin Liles with Graham Hill and Hector Canales in 2001. Three women had defective hip implants surgically placed in their bodies after Sulzer Orthopedics, Inc. knew it was manufacturing implants contaminated with machining oil. The jury found Sulzer guilty of manufacturing a defective product, guilty of malice and guilty of a penal code violation for knowingly causing injury to an elderly person. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the three women for $4,500,00 in actual damages and for $11,000,000 in punitive damages. The penal code violation found by the jury is believed to be the first time in Texas a product manufacturer was found guilty of a penal code violation for knowingly causing injury to an elderly person.

Lieff, Cabraser et al $31,150
Lieff Cabraser, with co-counsel, filed a class action lawsuit against the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc., which operates A&P, The Food Emporium and Waldbaum’s. The plaintiffs, former employees of the supermarkets, charge that the chains fail to pay employees overtime wages and delete hours actually worked from time records in violation of New York labor law.

[shoelace414]

1. Lincoln is a Trial Laywer

[lazarus]

2. perfect

as I look into this, I think it's meaningless.

For instance, here's where I've gotten so far. I'm going to update the whole list eventually:

Goldman Sachs $91,750
finance company

Baron & Budd $86,650
The National Law Journal (July 21, 2003) recently named Baron & Budd to "The Plaintiffs' Hot List" of 25 exemplary firms in the U.S.

Beasley, Allen et al $71,350
Henry County , AL – A Henry County jury awarded a record $2.9 Million verdict in a securities fraud case today. The jury awarded $900,000 in compensatory damages and an additional $2 million in punitive damages against World Capital Brokerage of Tampa, Florida. Ray and Shirley Robinson, who reside in Abbeville, invested $275,000 with the defendant. The funds were to be invested in commodity futures with a guarantee that the investments were totally safe. A 12.5% annual return was guaranteed on the investment. Evidence at trial revealed that the funds were never invested by the defendant.

Yeah, these are evil people alright.

[Sean Reynolds]

3. Is?

The Court of High Heaven?

:shrug:

[LiberalEsto]

4. Morgan Stanley is a huge investment firm. n/t

[JayS]

5. Not all trial lawyers are evil. Tell him that because of Affirmative...

...Action, the American Bar Association has to certify that a certain percentage of trial lawyers must be non-evil. :)

Or ask him if he would like to be stuck in traffic behind a Ford Pinto and in front of an Audi while riding on his Firestone tires. :)

[lazarus]

6. heh

I'll be using that one, thanks.

[billybob537]

7. Bush's* single biggest contributer,

recently endited on fraud and insider trading. Hired same lawyer as Bush*

[AP]

8. Ask him who he thinks will look after the interests of the little guy.

If he says the government, I'm sure you could cite plenty of examples of the last 4 years which proves that's not the case.

Also, ask him if you grew up without many options, and only your work ethic to get you ahead, and you didn't want to rip off the public working for a corporation, what other professions are open to you. Sure you could be a doctor. But what if you want to make a big impact helping people who are hurt every day and not just when they have a physical injury?

Basically, you can be a lawyer or you can run for President. Edwards did both.