So, who are they? Here is a quick look in the richest attorneys in the entire world, ranked from the lowest net worth to the highest. Please note that the individuals on this list are practicing lawyers or judges. There are loads of additional "lawyers" using a considerably higher net value, but they just have a law degree and no more use it.
Thomas Mesereau: $25 million
Also a criminal defense attorney (Are you noticing a trend?) , Thomas Mesereau graduated from Harvard University and The University of California's Hastings College of Law and has been appointed "Trial Lawyer of the Year for 2015" by the National Trial Lawyers. (He's won lots of other awards including "Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year. ") He's notorious for carrying high stakes instances with impossible odds and getting extraordinary results. He was Michael Jackson's lawyer when he was acquitted of 14 child molestation charges and has won an unprecedented three federal criminal jury trials in a row. While his hourly rate is so high it's not printed, he does pro bono work through the Mesereau Free Legal Clinic, go to website.
Joe Jamail: $1.7 billion
Although he passed away in age 90 at December 2015, Joe Jamail makes this record because he was the wealthiest practicing attorney in the USA at the time of his death. Often referred to as the "King of Torts," he represented Pennzoil at a 1985 lawsuit against rival Texaco. His contingency fee was $335 following the courts chose in Pennzoil's favor. The 1953 graduate from the University of Texas School of Law was a former marine who had a longstanding reputation in the courtroom for being abrasive, rude, and vulgar. But outside of the courtroom, he was famous for his generous philanthropy.
Robert Shapiro: $50 million
Presently a senior partner at Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs, Howard, Avchen, and Shapiro, LLP, Robert Shapiro graduated from Loyola Law School in 1968 and started a career as a criminal lawyer. After serving on O.J. Simpson's legal group (and representing other celebrities), he opted to move into civil lawsuit. In addition to his law career, he's written a kids 's publication and can be a co-founder of LegalZoom and Shoedazzle.com.
Roy Black: $100 million
Yet another criminal and civil 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 has represented high profile clients, 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 at the University of Miami.
William Lerach: $900 million
Although he had been disbarred in 2009 because of his involvement in a kickback scheme, William Lerach had a lucrative career as a corporate attorney with a specialization in private securities class actions suits for more than 30 years, which is how he amassed his substantial fortune. Nicknamed the "King of Pain" and often known as the most feared lawyer in American through his heyday, Lerach, a University of Pittsburg School of Law graduate, holds the record for the largest sum ever regained in a group of securities class action lawsuits for the $7.12 billion judgement he received against Enron.
