U. of Houston Law Library benefactor must pay back >$35.7 million

The Houston Chronicle reports that John O'Quinn, benefactor of the O'Quinn law library at the University of Houston, has been ordered to pay more than $35.7 million dollars to over 3000 clients he represented in breast implant litigation. The decision was reached by an arbitration panel over a class action lawsuit filed against O'Quinn in 1999 by three former clients. The lawsuit was later joined by thousands of women alleging that O'Quinn improperly took funds from their settlements for group charges they had not agreed to pay. The implants case was not decided by the County court where it was filed because O'Quinn's contract with the women required arbitration for disputes. A decision like this in a contracted arbitration generally cannot be appealed. Joe Jamail, lead lawyer for the suing women,"a victory for the bar."