Across the country, unscrupulous litigators are using their “trial lawyer playbook” to exploit countless developments in order to enrich themselves, often at the expense of those with legitimate claims.

These entrepreneurial law firms gallivant from state to state seeking out favorable judicial climates and deep pockets. Everywhere they go, real victims get pennies while their lawyers collect massive sums in legal fees. It’s time to expose these law firms and their trial lawyer playbook.

 

What is the Trial Lawyer Playbook?

Mass tort law firms fund outreach teams that search the country for companies, organizations, and governments with deep pockets to target. Next, they concoct far-flung legal theories which, conveniently, happen to further their own ambitions. They market these theories to potential classmembers — both individuals desperate for relief and others who have suffered no harm at all. They spend millions of dollars advertising their services across television, radio, and social media.
Law firms file complaints on behalf of clients they recruit while negotiating legal fee agreements that maximize the firm’s profits. According to a study released by Jones Day, in 2019 and 2020, plaintiffs’ lawyers bringing class actions received on average 10% more than the classes they represented. In claims-made settlements, class members as a whole received on average less than 30% of the total monetary award.
Once a lawsuit is settled, law firms use the profits they secured to invest in identifying their next potential lawsuit. These same law firms donate millions of dollars every year to politicians that protect their ability to continue utilizing their playbook, putting profits before people.

The trial lawyer playbook is an abuse of our judicial system. This type of costly and time-consuming litigation only benefits lawyers who walk away with millions of dollars. Across the country, lawsuit abuse wipes out billions of dollars in economic activity and increases the costs of everyday goods and services.

Mass Tort Litigation Machine

The Trial Lawyer Playbook in Action: