If 11 Laywers Take $100 Million As Their Fee, Ratepayers Will Get Only The Crumbs.”

We are aware that this question is going to raise a few hackles in the legal community – and it should.

We hope it will raise lawyers’ concerns about the public’s perception of them as greedy and out to get all they can from every court ruling or settlement.

We know many fine lawyers who agree with us that some contingency fees in decisions involving millions – even billions – of dollars is far too much for lawyers to be paid.

Take the recent settlement of lawsuits against SC Electric & Gas, its owners at Lexington County-based SCANA Corp. and the Virginia electric giant Dominion Energy that sees an opportunity for major profits in taking over both companies.

Dominion’s top executives, lawyers and lobbyists have been at work in South Carolina for months now. Their aim is to sway lawmakers’ opinions if not the voters they serve.

They are dangling the promise of a 15% roll back in the 18% higher rates 727,000 ratepayers have been paying over the last 11 years.

We don’t know what they may be offering House Speaker Jay Lucas and his lawmaker colleagues. It is a safe bet they are smarter than to make crass financial offers now. Their inference may be that they will be generous donors in future.

Why is Lucas doing this?

A large question remains unanswered: What should the winning lawyers be paid for opposing SCE&G and SCANA.

11 lawyers who we name in this week’s news articles want 5% of the $2 billion settlement or $100 million SCANA set aside for golden parachutes for executives who would lose their jobs if Dominion takes over.

Most of that money should go to the ratepayers, not lawyers.

If the lawyers take $100 million, the ratepayers will get less than $15 million. This is a good deal for the lawyers but not as good for 727,000 ratepayers.

Should we not cap excessive contingency fees?

In his hearing, Judge Joe Anderson should cut them and their fees down to size.

- JerryBellune@yahoo.com

If 11 laywers take $100 million as their fee, ratepayers will get only the crumbs.