Friday’s guilty verdict in the case of William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr. and today’s decision to disgorge $30 million wrongfully gained should send a message to some in the plaintiffs’ bar that justice is about putting their clients’ interests first, not about advancing their own self-interest.

Unfortunately, many class action lawsuits, which are routinely originated by lawyers with little or no consultation with their clients, are very vulnerable to this type of fraud and abuse. In just over the past year, some of the biggest names in the plaintiffs’ bar have been convicted or pled guilty to criminal acts that have benefited them financially to the detriment of shareholders, their clients and even other plaintiffs’ lawyers.

Last Friday’s conviction and today’s decision will hopefully send a message that justice is never served when lawyers are enriched at the expense of their own clients.

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