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Commission approves local counsel to pursue DuPont/3M drinking‑water settlement claims
Summary
Leesburg’s commission authorized retention of a local law firm to join a national team pursuing claims under a multi‑billion‑dollar settlement fund set aside by DuPont and 3M for drinking‑water impacts; commissioners were told the fund totals about $13 billion and local counsel would work on a contingency basis with national counsel.
The Leesburg City Commission voted May 26 to retain local counsel to pursue possible claims against manufacturers under a national settlement fund described in the meeting as established by DuPont and 3M for drinking‑water contamination.
The city attorney told the commission that the settlement mechanism has set aside approximately $13 billion and is intended to compensate water‑system operators and others who incurred costs cleaning certain chemicals from drinking water (the attorney emphasized the fund discussed is for drinking‑water impacts, not sewer). He said two local firms were under consideration — one in Orlando and a local Leesburg firm associated with Phil Smith — and that either would work with the same national firm handling the larger litigation. The attorney said fee structures and contracts were comparable and that local counsel typically work on a contingency basis (commonly one‑third of recovery, as described in the discussion).
Commissioners asked about the timing for potential payouts; the attorney said the money is in the fund and that the city must file a claim within the claims window or risk losing the opportunity. He estimated a timeframe for claim processing and potential payouts could be months to about a year, and he pledged to return to the commission with a cleaned contract and further details.
Motion and vote: The commission moved to retain the local firm identified in the motion (referred to in the meeting as Smith Campbell) to serve as local counsel; the motion passed by roll call.
Why it matters: If permitted claims are successful, recovery could offset past expenses the city incurred to treat contamination in its drinking‑water system. The selection of local counsel is an early procedural step; the commission authorized staff to finalize and execute agreements with the chosen firm.
