Slave laborers, lawyers and the limelight

The outrage can be felt by all. Every prejudice against lawyers, barristers, attorneys and the rest of them has been resurrected after it became known that the more than 50 legal firms representing Nazi-era slave and forced laborers in the class actions they have brought have netted a grand total of US$53.9 million in fees and retainers.

Admittedly, this is nothing new, the sum having being agreed long ago. Furthermore, by American measures, the figure is not in the least spectacular, representing just over one per cent of the total amount claimed by the lawyers for Nazi-era victims.

What's more, without the legal backup, the victims living in eastern Europe -- whose need is still great today -- would not have had a hope of receiving any sort of compensation. Lawyers, such as Michael Hausfeld of the US, have incurred astronomical costs in bringing the matter to a successful conclusion. They have spent time and money in years of research, and sent whole teams to pore through archives just to break down with hard names, dates and documents the defenses of those who were refusing to pay. The gigantic sums involved are reflected in the handsome fee package.

The dedicated lawyers on the case can surely not be begrudged a fitting reward for their painstaking detective work, tenacious skill in negotiations and, above all, their patience. Those who should go short, on the other hand, are definitely those solo artists whose legal shenanigans only detracted from the genuine hard work of others.

Actually, the people in the limelight are already amply remunerated. The limelight itself is not a position worthy of an entry on the inevitable invoice. But these lawyers must accept that the moral obligations on which they have pontificated at length apply to their own guild too. So why not let them chip in to the fund with a portion of their fees?

-- Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Germany