春節期間，最適合來讀一讀平常想碰卻沒時間的小說。說到大部分的法律驚悚小說 Legal thriller 都聚焦在刑案上，畢竟那種挖掘真凶、有罪無罪一線隔的緊張感通常較能讓人心跳加快。不過，最近我看了一本 John Grisham 約翰葛里遜寫的民事案件法律小說《The Litigators》，一路讀來也讓人拍案叫絕呢！尤其描寫書中主角之一的 Wally 想搭上集體訴訟大案順風車的心態，以及律師間怎麼談分錢算數學，實在讓人看得心頭癢癢，現在就來邊看原文邊嗑瓜吧。

英文街頭小案 Street law 有哪些?

三十年來要倒不倒、遊走在法律邊緣的小型事務所 Finley & Figg，簡稱FF，原文說「Their scam was hustling injury cases」就是在講「他們老找傷害索賠當案源」，兩位合夥人Oscar & Wally 基本上就是「Ambulance chaser 追著救護車找客戶」，看看他們辦的街頭小案 Street law 有哪些：

• Fender benders 輕微車禍案件

• Slip-and-fall 消費者在營業場所受傷案件

• Past-due accounts receivable 催收帳款

• Quickie divorces 快速離婚案件

• Will and testament 預立遺囑

• DUI—Driving under the influence 酒後駕駛

  
  

為什麼集體侵權訴訟案 Mass tort cases 可以是律師的大金礦？

不同於年過 60 的 Oscar Finley 總想著要退休，另一個合夥人Wally Figg 想要的可是上電視、做大案子 hit it big！！而他的築夢計畫便是「Mass tort cases 集體侵權訴訟案」，我們來看看原文，他是怎麼計畫他的撈錢之路的：

“That’s my point, Oscar. We have got to get serious about these mass tort cases. This is where the money is. Millions in fees paid by companies that make billions in profits.” . “We get us a few of these cases, then hook up with the mass tort specialists, give them a piece of the cake, then ride their coattails until they settle, and we walk away with a truckload. It’s easy money。

這裡 Wally 跟他的合夥人 Oscar 說：

• That’s my point. 我說的就是這個 。

• We have got to get serious about these mass tort cases. 我們必須認真對待這些集體侵權案件。

• This is where the money is. 這就是錢坑。

• Millions in fees paid by companies that make billions in profits. 那些賺幾十億的公司來付我們幾百萬。

  
  

• We get us a few of these cases 我們弄到幾個這樣的案件

• hook up with the mass tort specialists 與大規模集體訴訟案的專家聯手

• give them a piece of the cake 跟他們分分紅

• ride their coattails until they settle 一路搭著他們的順風車直到和解達成

• and we walk away with a truckload 然後我們就帶著一大筆錢走人。

• It’s easy money 好賺到不行啦！

  
  

一個藥物過失致死案 A wrongful death case 賠多少？

後來，Wally 總算找到了一間製藥公司當箭靶子，瞄準了降血壓的藥物 Krayoxx，在還沒有任何專家進行正式調查前，我們來看看他們發財夢裡數學計算過程：

The lawyers were speculating that a wrongful death case involving the drug could potentially be worth $2 to $4 million. The lawyers would take 40 percent, and of course, have to share their fee with other tort firm spearheading the litigation. Still, after all the fee splitting, the drug was a gold mine.

• A wrongful death case involving the drug could potentially be worth $2 to $4 million 一件涉及藥物過失致死案可能值200萬到400萬美元。

• The lawyers would take 40 percent 律師抽四成

  
  

注意！本書關鍵字來啦！「fee splitting 抽成」，他們得跟其他的主導侵權訴訟律所分抽成，這裡就是上文的 「share their fee with other tort firm spearheading the litigation 」，不過想想，如果真如他們所想，只要找到受害人 Victim 就可以分錢，這種案子對他們可真是一個 a gold mine 一座金礦呢！

小律所 VS 大律所的分錢 Fee splitting 大計：

接著，Wally 找上了一間大型事務所，畢竟要找上實際有出庭經驗的訴訟律師 Trial Lawyer，被告藥廠才可能會考慮和解還是訴訟。這裡我們來看看 Wally 與訴訟律師 Jerry 間的對話：

Wally: “My contracts provide for a contingency fee of 40 percent. How much do you want?”

Wally 說：我的合約讓我抽四成。那你要多少？

• 這裡「Contingency Fee 後酬」是美國律所主要的三種收費方式之一，如果想進一步了解，歡迎閱讀我之前發的《美國律師費與預付酬金條款 Lawyer’s Fees and Retainer Clauses》一文。

接著，我們看看書中這個長期找上藥廠的大律師 Jerry，是怎麼跟這種負責找原告的小律師們打交道：

Jerry: “In our typical deal, we front the expenses, and these are not cheap cases. We find the doctors, experts, researchers, whomever, and they cost a fortune. We take half the fee, 20 percent, but the expenses are paid back to us before any split of the fee.”

Jerry 怎麼說呢？

• In our typical deal 在我們典型的交易中

• we front the expenses 我們會預付費用

  
  

這裡預付的費用包括像是要給 doctors, experts, researchers 之類的，而且「 whomever, they cost a fortune 無論是誰，都收很貴。」，所以呢，「We take half the fee, 20 percent, but the expenses are paid back to us before any split of the fee 我們抽兩成，但是費用在任何分紅之前都要先償還給我們。」

對只想搭便車的 Wally ，當然是對這個交易點頭啦，他說：“That sounds fair. What’s our role in this?” （這聽起來很合理。那我們扮演什麼角色呢？）

我們來看看這裡大律師 Jerry 還有什麼事情要交代呢？

• "Find more cases, death and non-death. Round ’em up… The next big step is the creation of an MDL—multi-district litigation.

  
  

• The court will appoint a plaintiff’s trial committee, usually five or six seasoned lawyers who will control the litigation. That panel is entitled to an additional fee, usually around 6 percent, and this comes off the top and out of the lawyers’ portion.”

第一，Find more cases, death and non-death. Round ’em up. 去給我找案子，死亡還非死亡的，全部都要。

第二，對於這種 「MDL—multi-district litigation 多區訴訟案」，美國聯邦法院會找「seasoned lawyers 有經驗的律師們」「appoint a plaintiff’s trial committee 指派為原告委員會」。

第三，當然啦，天底下當然沒有白吃的午餐，這個「 Panel 委員會」要分的部分可是「this comes off the top and out of the lawyers’ portion 全體律師後酬中的 6% 」囉！

哩哩摳摳扣完後，那究竟小律所可以分多少？

Wally 回去交代後，合夥人 Oscar 便開始掐指算算究竟可以分多少：

"It says that we get a fee of 40 percent on each case, half of which goes to them. But in the fine print it says that a fee of 6 percent is paid to the Plaintiffs’ Litigation Committee, and the 6 percent comes off the top of the settlement and out of our portion. So, as I figure it, we lose 6 percent off the top, and that gives us 34 percent to split with Jerry."

• get a fee of 40 percent on each case 在每個案件上我們可分四成，呃，不過「half of which goes to them」這四成的一半要給他們。

  
  

• 再來，「in the fine print 暗藏在小字眼的款項裡」這個片語就有點諷刺的意味了， Oscar 挺不開心「that a fee of 6 percent is paid to the Plaintiffs’ Litigation Committee 還有 6% 要給原告委員會」——而且，「 the 6 percent comes off the top of the settlement and out of our portion.」這 6% 是最先從和解金扣除，也就是說，從我們的部分中扣除。

  
  

所以，按 Oscar 的理解，「we lose 6 percent off the top, and that gives us 34 percent to split with Jerry 咱們一開始分錢就會少了 6%，然後拿剩下的 34% 去跟 Jerry 平分。」

這個數學題終於解開啦！FF 事務所最後拿到的是一個案子的 17% — 不過，各位讀者，若有興趣想知道，這到頭來是真的一個金礦錢坑，還是一場巨大的災難臨頭，我非常推薦去看這本難得全書只談民事案件，劇情好笑又心酸的小說《The Litigators 訟棍們》!