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Committee debates limits on contingency-fee contracts for counties and cities; witnesses split
Summary
A Senate Judiciary Committee substitute for Senate Bill 543 would restrict when counties and municipalities can hire private contingency-fee lawyers, require an open procurement and public approval of contingency agreements, and cap fees under a tiered schedule modeled on Attorney General guidance.
A Senate Judiciary Committee substitute for Senate Bill 543 would restrict when counties and municipalities in West Virginia may hire private lawyers on contingency and would cap fees and require an open selection process, committee counsel told senators at a lengthy hearing.
The bill would add matching articles to Chapters 7 (county government) and 8 (municipal government) and require posting a request for proposals, public approval of contingency arrangements, and consideration of specific selection factors including skill, staffing, ethical history and conflicts, counsel said. "The fee limitations are identical to those provided by the AG's office, and code," counsel said during the presentation.
The measure establishes a tiered fee schedule modeled on the Attorney General's guidance, a hard aggregate cap…
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