10 Highest Paid Lawyers in the World. Lawyers are among the highest paid professionals in the world. That’s right: there are a few high-earning lawyers who make even more than surgeons and actuaries do. This list contains names of some of those top earners, along with their salary ranges (from lowest to highest). So if you’re interested in becoming a lawyer for the money, read this article and see how much money you can make.
10 Highest Paid Lawyers in the World
The following below are the 10 Highest Paid Lawyers in the World:-
Richard Scruggs
Richard Scruggs founded the law firm of Scruggs, Millette & Smith in 1977. At the time, it was one of the first and largest plaintiff’s personal injury firms in Mississippi. His practice focused on representing injured people and families who had lost loved ones due to medical malpractice or wrongful death.
In 2006, Richard Scruggs was sued by former clients seeking $3 million in fees. The lawsuit alleged that he had overbilled them for legal work by billing by the hour when they had hired him on a contingency-fee basis (meaning only if he won their case).
William Lerach
William Lerach is an American attorney who was the head of Milberg Weiss, a major law firm in the United States. He served as a partner at Milberg Weiss and one of the highest paid lawyers in America. He represented some high-profile clients such as Enron Corporation, Apple Inc., Microsoft Corporation and AT&T Inc., among others.
He led Milberg Weiss from its formation until 2009 when he resigned due to ethical violations surrounding his work on behalf of class action lawsuits on behalf of small investors against large public companies during which time he also made large donations to Democratic politicians including presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for whom he raised $100 million between 2006 and 2008
Joe Jamail
Joe Jamail, Jr. is a trial lawyer and the founder of Houston-based law firm Jamail, Anderson, & Sibley. He is known for winning the largest personal injury verdict in U.S. history and has been named America’s top personal injury lawyer by National Law Journal for seven consecutive years.
Born in Houston to Lebanese parents who had immigrated to the United States after World War II, he graduated from the University of Texas School of Law and began his career as a criminal defense attorney before making a name for himself in civil law cases involving major corporations like ExxonMobil and Texaco (later merged with Chevron).
In 1954 he won his first major civil case against oil companies when two strippers were killed in an explosion at an industrial facility owned by Phillips Petroleum Company; he claimed that workers at the plant had been exposed to hazardous materials without adequate protection resulting in their deaths due to cancerous tumors on their lungs which they then passed on through sexual intercourse with their male partners (this part sounds kind of implausible).
The case ended up costing Phillips over $200 million dollars but was used as precedent when future lawsuits related thereto were brought before them again later on down line; this would go onto become standard practice within industry when dealing with similar claims made against them.
David Boies
David Boies is a partner at Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP. He is a renowned trial lawyer who has won more than 140 cases in the past 25 years, including Bush v. Gore and United States v. Microsoft. He has also been involved in some of the most high-profile political scandals in recent history, including Clinton’s impeachment hearings, Enron’s collapse and the legal fight over same-sex marriage rights.
He has been recognized for his work with numerous awards and honors including being named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People.”
Boies is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Council on Foreign Relations; Economic Club of New York; Academy of Achievement; Princeton University Center for Human Values Advisory Board; International Tennis Hall of Fame Nominating Committee; Ted Stevens Excellence In Public Service Series Council Member (Stevens Institute); Advisory Council Member (American Civil Liberties Union); Public Interest Deans’ Association Advisory Council Member (National Jurist Magazine).
Willie E. Gary
Willie E. Gary is an American civil rights attorney and the founder of the law firm Gary, Williams, Parenti, Watson, L.L.P., which is based in Miami, Florida.
In addition to being a practicing lawyer and business executive consultant, he has been involved in several political campaigns including those of Jesse Jackson Jr., Harry Reid and Patrick Murphy (then mayor of West Orange).
According to his website bio: “Mr. Gary was born in Brooklyn New York on February 26th 1942 where he grew up during the turbulent times when racial discrimination was prevalent throughout society.”
Bill Neukom
Bill Neukom is the founder of the law firm of Neukom, Weinberg & Williams. He was previously a partner at the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Prior to his legal career, he was director of corporate strategic planning for Microsoft Corporation and vice president for policy development at Vulcan Inc., Paul G. Allen’s investment company.
In 2009 he received an honorary doctorate from Willamette University College of Law; in 2012 he was awarded their Distinguished Service Award; and in 2013 he became a member of their Board of Visitors
Roy Black
Roy Black is a highly successful and renowned criminal defense lawyer who has been involved in some of the most famous cases in the world, including OJ Simpson’s murder trial. He has been dubbed one of the best lawyers in America by publications such as Forbes and Time magazine, and he also practices law with his son Jason Black.
Roy Black was born on September 20th, 1940 in Miami Beach, Florida to Russian immigrant parents who had fled from the Soviet Union following World War II. He attended high school at Staunton Military Academy (now known as Stuart Hall School) before going on to Princeton University where he graduated with honors from their Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs. After graduating college he went on to study law at Harvard Law School before joining a private practice in Miami where he worked for nearly 20 years until finally opening up his own firm called Black & Black Attorneys At Law.
Johnnie Cochran, Jr.
Johnnie L Cochran, Jr. was an American lawyer and former criminal defense attorney who became famous for his role in a number of high-profile criminal cases. He gained recognition for defending O.J. Simpson in the murder trial of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, which ended in Simpson’s acquittal by a jury.
He also represented boxer Mike Tyson during his rape trial; the athlete was convicted but granted a new trial by California’s Supreme Court due to racial misconduct by the prosecutor during closing arguments. During this time period Cochran also served as chairman of The Johnnie L Cochran Firm until his death in 2005 from lung cancer at age 67.
Philip Beck
Philip Beck is an American lawyer and politician who served as the Mayor of Miami Beach, Florida from 1994 to 2001. Beck was born in New York City and attended the University of Miami. He received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1960, and then moved back home to Miami where he worked for Theodore R. Rothstein for five years before establishing his own law firm with partner Ronald Fischetti in 1964.
A Republican candidate for Governor of Florida in 1970 and 1974, Beck lost both elections by wide margins (his closest margin of defeat being 42%).
Helge Sander
Helge Sander, a German lawyer and partner at the international law firm White & Case, is one of the world’s most successful lawyers. He has won numerous cases against tobacco companies and has become the highest paid lawyer in 2012. Sander represented thousands of smokers who sued cigarette manufacturers for compensation over their health problems caused by smoking. The case against tobacco companies became notorious worldwide and resulted in billions of dollars being paid out as compensation by major tobacco companies.
What type of lawyer is highest paid?
On the other side of the spectrum, there are a handful of lawyers who make anywhere from $1 million to $10 million per year. These include:
- Criminal defense attorneys
- Plaintiff’s attorneys, who represent individuals filing claims against others (such as personal injury lawyers)
- Tax attorneys
- Business attorneys, such as those in corporate law or finance. Corporate and business law can get complicated quickly because they involve so many different areas under one umbrella it is not uncommon for these types of lawyers to require years of specialized training in order to practice effectively.
- Medical malpractice attorneys and other specialized practice areas like product liability/defects, patent infringement/breach and employment discrimination cases
While income varies greatly depending on where your specialty lies within these fields and whether or not you’ve been practicing long enough you may be able to count on making six figures simply by specializing in one area over another
How do lawyers make money
Lawyers are paid by many different means. The most common way is by the hour, which can be charged at $300 or more per hour. Lawyers can also be paid by the case, meaning they get a percentage of what they win for their client in court. However, this method is generally less lucrative than hourly payouts because it requires greater initial investment from the lawyer’s end before any money is earned back.
Another popular form of payment comes from individual clients who want legal representation for their particular needs and choose to pay out-of-pocket rather than seek out insurance coverage for their needs (which would otherwise cover all costs).
Lawyers often receive government funding through grants and contracts that are provided by federal agencies; this type of income typically comes with specific rules about how much money should be earned per year versus how much time should be spent working on behalf of these projects as well as other requirements set forth by whoever awards these funds in order to ensure quality control measures are taken properly throughout each project undertaken during its lifespan cycle until completion date arrives.”
Are all lawyers rich?
Not all lawyers are rich. It’s true that many earn a great deal of money, but others struggle to pay their bills and put food on the table. Some lawyers have to take on pro bono cases or take out loans in order to stay afloat.
Some people believe that becoming a lawyer is easy because they see them on television shows like Suits and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. However, becoming a lawyer is no piece of cake it takes hard work and dedication! After law school, you’ll have to pay off your student loans while working long hours in an office environment where everyone expects you to be perfect at everything you do (and sometimes even more than perfect).
You might think that it’s impossible for these people to make mistakes or mess up at work since they’re paid so well but just because someone has a high salary doesn’t mean they never make mistakes either! In fact, most of us could probably relate more closely with fictional characters like Denny Crane from Boston Legal than we would with any actual lawyer!
How to Become a Lawyer
- Go to law school.
- Get a law degree.
- Pass the bar exam (some states have other requirements).
- Get a job as a lawyer in your state of residence (or another state, if you are licensed in more than one).
Conclusion
In conclusion, becoming a lawyer is not easy. It requires years of hard work and dedication to achieve your goals. However, if you are willing to put in the effort, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to reach the top of your profession someday. 10 Highest Paid Lawyers in the World
