Karma's a bitch - Shyster who fraudulantly sued breast implant manufacturers loses $36-60 million for defrauding clients

Instant Karma meet one John O'Quinn, attorney-at-law of Houston, TX. Mr. O'Quinn is best know as the shake-down artist who fleeced several implant manufacturers in the 1990's for a billion dollars +(USD) over the since dismissed claims of diseases allegedly caused by silicone breast implants. O'Quinn's total attorney fees while his firm represented the plaintiffs was over $260 million.


It seems like a only quarter of a billion dollars was not enough for counselor O'Quinn, who was stung Friday with a judgement for (with interest) nearly $60 million dollars for defrauding his clients with irregular (and undeclared) attorney fees as well as bogus and phantom expense reports.

O'Quinn was a particularly nauseating player in the late "silicone crisis" phantom menace that was driven to ridiculous heights by O'Quinn et. al. To this day his breezy attitude toward the truth (or as best we understand the truth on breast implants) represents the worst stereotypes of the American trial lawyer., ie. "Never let truth get in the way of a class action payday".

In lawsuits against the since bankrupted Dow Corning, O'Quinn made ridiculous leaps of logic during arguments with an over the top closing statement urging jurors to ignore the science and instead rely on “common sense, circumstantial evidence,” and post hoc ergo propter hoc (If "x" happened it must be from "y") reasoning. America, being the home of jackpot justice, rewarded these lawyers with staggering wealth.

From the Houston Chronicle:

An arbitration panel Thursday ordered O'Quinn to pay at least $35.7 million to more than 3,000 former breast implant litigation clients for collecting improper fees. The award includes $10.7 million in improper fees and a $25 million
penalty, the panel said.

The 3,000-plus women joined in a 1999 lawsuit claiming O'Quinn took funds from their settlements for group charges they had not agreed to pay. One of their lawyers estimated that with interest and lawyer fees, O'Quinn could pay up to $60 million out of his estimated $263.4 million in fees from the implant litigation.

$60 million, huh. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Rob