So, who are they? Here is a fast look in the wealthiest attorneys in the world, ranked from the lowest net value to the greatest. Please note that the people on this list are practicing lawyers or judges. There are plenty of additional "attorneys " with a substantially higher net worth, but they just have a law degree and no longer use it.
Richard Scruggs: $1.7 billion
A 1976 graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law and a prominent trial attorney, Richard Scruggs is famous for his love of asbestos and tobacco cases as well as the fact he won more than $1 billion in judgements against different companies. He was also highly involved in 2000's Ritalin class action lawsuits, in addition to the 2003 situation against Lehman Brothers for which he won a $51 million verdict. But in 2007, he was accused of judicial bribery. In 2008, he pled guilty and eventually served six years in prison. Now, in age 70, he's completed his sentence, and it has kept his large fortune.
Wichai Thongtang: $1.1 billion
Thought of by many in the industry to become "one of the best names in the profession from across the planet," Wichai Thongtang is a powerful lawyer in Thailand. After graduating from Thammasat University in 1970he went into corporate law, where he represented a number of leading Thai executives and corporations and took the chance to learn about the stock market and investing. In addition to his law career, Thongtang is the Chairman of Cable Thai Holding PLC and owns 15 percent of Dusit Medical, a Bangkok healthcare firm.
Joe Jamail: $1.7 billion
Although he passed away at the age of 90 at December 2015, Joe Jamail makes this list because he was the wealthiest practicing attorney in the USA at the time of his passing. Often known as the "King of Torts," he represented Pennzoil at a 1985 lawsuit against rival Texaco. His contingency fee was $335 following the courts decided in Pennzoil's favor. The 1953 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law was a former marine who had a longstanding reputation in the court to be abrasive, rude, and vulgar. But outside the court, he was known for his generous philanthropy.
William Lerach: $900 million
Although he was disbarred in 2009 for his participation in a kickback scheme, William Lerach had a rewarding career as a corporate lawyer with a specialty in private securities class actions lawsuits for over 30 years, which is the way he amassed his considerable fortune. Nicknamed the "King of Pain" and often known as the most dreaded attorney in American during his heyday, Lerach, a University of Pittsburg School of Law graduate, holds the record for the largest sum ever recovered at a group of securities class actions lawsuits for its $7.12 billion decision he obtained against Enron.
Roy Black: $100 million
Still another civil and criminal defense attorney, Roy Black, a graduate of the University of Miami, is the senior partner at Black, Srebnick, Kornspan, & Stumpf. For over 40 years, he's represented high profile customers, including William Kennedy Smith (acquitted on rape charges), Albertson's, Inc., and Helio Castroneves. Known by most in the industry for getting "the best national standing in Florida," he acts as a legal analyst on "The Today Show" and "Good Morning America" and instructs advanced criminal signs in the University of Miami.
John Branca: $50 million
A graduate of the UCLA School of Law, John Branca has had a lengthy career as an entertainment and corporate lawyer with a focus on representing roll and rock acts and independent investors. He's represented over 30 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and is about pretty much every list of premier entertainment lawyers in the world. On a side note, he serves as the co-executor of Michael Jackson's estate.
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