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Becoming a lawyer is one of the most fulfilling jobs ever. Getting to defend the weak, going against corporate giants, getting a call from celebrities for their divorces and showing off badass knowledge in the court of law seems like a dream come true for many people worldwide. Although sometimes there are cases that are an embarrassment to defend, still they need to fight for their clients. Not only that, working as a lawyer is considered one of the highest paying professions all across the globe. Because of the notoriety that comes with being a lawyer, it is easy to imagine that some legal practitioners have amassed great wealth – and a great reputation – during the course of their career.
Whether that’s through a reality show, by defending royalty or big names in politics, or by being smart enough to topple down some of the biggest enterprises known to man, these lawyers sure have earned their keep. Curious to see who they are? Keep on reading below to find out!
Jerry Falwell Jr. (Net worth of $100 Million)
Jerry Falwell Jr. is an American attorney, and former academic administrator. From 1987 to 2007, Jerry served in a private practice in Virginia and acted as the lawyer for Liberty University. By the year 2000, he was appointed in the university’s board of trustees. Throughout his career, Jerry played a huge part in making this institution a powerhouse, while working as a lawyer and real estate developer. However, due to his sexual misconducts, he had been forced to step down and resign from Liberty University.
Willie E. Gary (Net Worth of $200 Million)
Willie E. Gary is also an American lawyer hailing from Eastman, Georgia. After attending Shaw University for his undergrad studies, he earned his Juris Doctor degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law. During his career, Willie had been given the nickname, The Giant Slayer, after having challenging major powerhouses in the industry, such as Anheuser-Busch and Disney. The latter of which he won a $240 million verdict against for stealing the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex’s concept.
Felipe Gozon (Net Worth of $200 Million)
Felipe Gozon is a Filipino lawyer and the current chairman and CEO of GMA Network Inc, a large media network in the Philippines. Felipe took his undergrad studies at the University of the Philippines, and subsequently entered and graduated from Yale School of Law. After this, he had worked at the Belo Gozon Elma Parel Asuncion & Lucila law firm, and then worked towards bringing GMA Network’s current stature as a leading media network in the country. He has been in charge of GMA Network since the 2000s.
Steuart Walton (Net Worth of $310 Million)
Attorney and businessman Steuart Walton was actually born into the rich status, as a part of the billionaire Walton family. He received his undergrad degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, and earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Steuart started practicing law in Chile, before working on the mergers and acquisitions division at Walmart, his family’s business. He currently acts as the director of Walmart, and has co-founded the private equity firm, RZC Investments. Moreover, he is the founder of Game Composites, which is a composite aircraft manufacturer.
Judy Sheindlin (Net Worth of $440 Million)
Famously known as Judge Judy on TV, Judy Sheindlin is a court show arbitrator, and has been CBS’s family court judge since 1996. She passed the New York state bar examination back in 1965, and got hired that same year as a corporate lawyer for a cosmetics firm. She became a prosecutor in 1972, where she worked on child abuse, domestic violence, and juvenile crime cases. She gained notoriety after getting appointed as a criminal court judge, and was offered the chance to star in her own reality show.
Allan Myers (Net Worth of $588 Million)
Australian-born barrister, academic, and businessman Allan Myers takes the sixth spot on this list. He became a lawyer back in 1971, after getting his degree from the University of Melbourne. He later taught at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University in Toronto, Canada, and served as an assistant editor at the Australian Taxation Law Review. In 1975, he was admitted to the Victorian Bar, and has been part of the Queen’s Counsel, a group of barristers and lawyers appointed by the monarchy in the UK.
Bill Neukom (Net Worth of $850 Million)
William Horlick Neukom, or Bill for short, is an American lawyer and was the former managing general partner of the San Francisco Giants baseball team which had a lot of famous players including retired professional baseball player Willie Mays. He held this position for four years, managing the group during the time that the Giants won the World Series. He was also the principal legal counsel for Microsoft for almost 25 years, and chairman of the law firm of Preston Gates & Ellis in Seattle, Washington. Now, Bill is the founder and CEO of the non-profit organization, World Justice Project, which is an organization that works to advance the rule of law around the world.
William Lerach (Net Worth of $900 Million)
William Lerach is a lawyer (now disbarred) who specialized in private Securities Class Action lawsuits. During his career, he obtained $7.12 billion while acting as the lead plaintiff’s attorney in the case against Enron, making it the largest sum of money ever recovered in a class-action lawsuit in US history. In 2009, he was disbarred from practicing law after pleading guilty to a felony count of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and perjury. By the end of his career, he recovered over $45 billion on behalf of his clients.
Wichai Thongtang (Net Worth of $1.1 Billion)
Wichai Thongtang is a Thai business lawyer who has represented some of Thailand’s biggest executives and corporations. He graduated from Thammasat University in 1970, and received his Master’s Degree in Political Science and Bachelor’s Degree in law. He also made money through his investments, where it is reported that he has a minority ownership in Bangkok Dusit Medical Services. He rose to fame after defending former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2001, in an asset concealment case. He now owns a TV cable company called Cable Thai Holdings.
Richard Scruggs (Net Worth of $1.7 Billion)
Former naval aviator and now disbarred trial lawyer, Richard Scruggs takes our top spot as the highest-paid lawyer in the world. Brother-in-law to former US Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, Richard rose to fame after a successful case against the asbestos industry while representing ill shipyard workers. He also represented the state of Mississippi in the tobacco litigations back in the 1990s. His colorful career got halted after his indictment during a judicial bribery scheme, where he pled guilty to conspiracy to bribe Circuit Judge Henry Lackey, and to influence Circuit Judge Bobby Delaughter.
Sources: Scholarship Shall, Current School News, Techie Gamers