Lawsuit a dream for Community College defense lawyers
The lawsuit between former Yavapai Community College Aviation Director and the College in some respects is a dream come true for the defense team representing the College and its various employees who have been individually sued. The reason is that the defense team, in a lawsuit like this, finds itself riding a legal fee gravy train without a clear stopping point. After all, this lawsuit has dragged on for almost six years. It involves multiple parties and requires lots and lots of lawyer time.
The records show that so far there have been interrogatories, video depositions and several summary judgment motions, briefs and oral arguments in federal district court. The case is now poised to go to trial.
While the lawyers have not revealed exactly how much they charge by the hour, it is not uncommon for lawyers in cases like this to be asking the College to pay from $200 to $400 an hour for legal services.
The names of lawyers listed as involved in some way in some portion of this case over the years only representing the College and its individually named employees includes: Elizabeth Ann Gilbert , Jones Skelton & Hochuli PLC, Georgia A Staton , Jones Skelton & Hochuli PLC., Steven Douglas Leach , Jones Skelton & Hochuli PLC., Donald Peder Johnsen , Gallagher & Kennedy PA, Georgia A Staton , Jones Skelton & Hochuli PLC & Steven Douglas Leach , Jones Skelton & Hochuli PLC., Jodi R. Bohr, Gallagher & Kennedy PA.
It is hard to estimate the total amount that the defense lawyers have charged the college so far for legal representation in this legal action. One person interviewed close to the lawsuit claimed that one of the parties not covered by College insurance, Guidance Aviation, may have already been billed over a million dollars to defend the lawsuit. The claim could not be confirmed by the Blog.
Even better for the College defense team, the legal fees appear guaranteed by the College’s insurance fund. If this case goes through trial and there are appeals, the defense team will walk away with a ton of guaranteed cash for legal representation (unless the court orders the plaintiff to pay legal fees). A lawsuit like this appears to the Blog to be a legal fee gravy train for college defense lawyers.