Appeal Court Sides With Merchant Over Legal Fees

Friday, March 30, 2007 at 15:21

 

 

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has ruled that a Regina law firm should get at least $25 million for the work it did on the $5 billion residential school settlement.

 

The ruling upholds an earlier decision by a Court of Queen’s Bench judge in a fee dispute between the federal government and the Merchant Law Group.

 

The federal government had argued that the Queen’s Bench judge did not have enough evidence to conclude that the $25 million minimum payment to the firm was both fair and justifiable.

 

But the Appeal Court found that the record, while slim, was sufficient to make that decision.

 

The Appeal Court also noted that the Queen’s Bench judge didn’t err when he ruled $25 million was the minimum owed to the Merchant Law Group, based on an agreement the firm had with the federal government.

 

(courtesy of Broadcast News)