Sierra Madre hires wildfire litigation counsel on contingency to pursue Southern California Edison claims
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Summary
The council approved professional services agreements with Baron & Budd PC and D.F. Chambers LLP to join or pursue wildfire litigation related to the Eaton Fire; the firms will work on contingency (15% of recoveries) and the council approved the contracts in public session after previous closed‑session direction.
Sierra Madre City Council approved professional services agreements with Baron & Budd, PC and D.F. Chambers LLP to pursue litigation connected to the Eaton Fire and related impacts, the city attorney said.
City Attorney Gregosian explained the firms specialize in wildfire litigation; Baron & Budd told council members it has represented more than 100 public entities in fire investigations. The firms proposed contingency arrangements: they will not bill the city for attorneys’ fees unless a recovery is secured, and the stated contingency percentage for recovery was 15 percent — noted in staff materials as below the typical average contingency for similar matters.
Councilmembers asked about firm reputations and fee terms; Gregosian said staff negotiated the contingency and that the firms bring specialized experience in utility‑related wildfire litigation. Councilmember Kelly Krieps disclosed her firm represents Edison on unrelated matters and recused herself from the discussion and vote on litigation matters; council voted on the contracts while Krieps was recused.
Ending: The council directed staff to finalize and execute professional services agreements with the named firms and continue coordination for any necessary investigative and recovery actions.
