Who is the richest lawyer in the world?

Aug 14, 2024

Written By Thomas Cserep

Working as a lawyer is one of the best-paying professions in the UK. However, some legal practitioners have amassed fortunes that most of us can only dream of. We will look at some of the richest lawyers in the world and how they have earned their fortunes.

Becoming the richest lawyer in the world

Who is the richest lawyer in the world? On the surface, the question seems very simple. However, the response really depends on the perspective you consider the question from.

While some of the richest lawyers have accumulated their wealth via business ventures in addition to their legal career, others have solely gained their fortune from winning cases for the clients they have represented.

Here, we will uncover some of the richest lawyers in the world and discuss how they earned their wealth.

Richard Scruggs

Richard Scruggs is undoubtedly the richest lawyer at the time of writing who has amassed his fortune from a career in law.

Graduating in 1976 from the University of Mississippi Law School, he first caught the attention of the public when he successfully represented Pascagoula shipyard workers against the asbestos industry when they fell ill.

In the 1990s he acted on behalf of the State of Mississippi, helping them file a lawsuit against tobacco companies in order to recover tobacco-induced healthcare-related costs. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he represented victims of the event against insurance companies.

During his career he has earned over $1 billion in court and his net worth stands around $1.7 billion. today. In 2008 he was found guilty of bribery, which saw him serve six years in a federal prison. He can be considered retired as he was subsequently disbarred.

Wichai Thongtang

Wichai Thongtang is a prominent Thai lawyer who graduated in 1970 from Thammasat University. Throughout his legal career he represented major corporations in Thailand.

His most famous case involved successfully representing Thaksin Shinawatra in an asset concealment case in 2001, who was the Prime Minister of Thailand at the time.

Thongtang’s work in corporate law piqued his interest in business and he began investing in a range of companies. His business acumen led him to become the CEO of a number of companies in Thailand, including businesses in the healthcare sector such as E For L Aim and Bangkok Dusit.

Thongtang has an estimated wealth of $2 billion, which makes him richer than Scruggs. However, he accumulated most of his wealth from investments rather than via his legal career.

William Lerach

William "Bill" Lerach graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and he specialised in securities class action lawsuits.

This involves investors suing businesses from whom they bought publicly traded securities, but suffered an economic loss due to the omission of key information during the sale.

He is best known for successfully filing a securities class action lawsuit against Enron, which led to a $7.2 billion settlement, the largest in US history.

In 2007 Lerach was found guilty of obstruction of justice, for which he was sentenced to prison for 2 years and was disbarred by the California State Bar. His net worth stands around $900 million.

Joe Jamail

Even though Joe Jamail passed away in 2015, the “King of Torts” deserves an honorary mention. At the time of his death he was the richest practising lawyer with an estimated fortune worth around $1.7 billion.

His most famous case came in 1985, when he successfully represented Pennzoil against Texaco in a lawsuit, for which he earned $335 million.

Some of the best lawyers have been able to amass incredible wealth during their career. However, as in the case of Thongtang, lawyers are often able to increase their net worth by investing in businesses in addition to practising law.

Becoming a Lawyer