Convicted Ex-Qwest CEO Sues over $25M Legal Bill, Claims Lawyers Billed Him for Their Underwear
Contending that he was “grossly overbilled” for a negligent defense in an insider trading case, the jailed former CEO of Qwest Communications International Inc. has sued over his legal bill of more than $25 million.
Joseph Nacchio, who is serving a 70-month prison term for illegally selling $52 million in Qwest stock in reliance on inside information, complains that his defense lawyers even billed him for their underwear, reports Bloomberg.
His lawsuit, which was filed today in state Superior Court in New Jersey, seeks compensatory and punitive damages and attorney’s fees from the defendants, attorneys Herbert Stern and Kevin Kilcullen and their Stern & Kilcullen law firm. The two lawyers did not immediately respond to the news agency’s request for comment.
“As a result of bad lawyering, my client has a 70-month jail and nearly $70 million in fines,” says Nacchio’s current attorney, Bruce Nagel of Nagel Rice, of the ex-CEO’s conviction and sentence in federal court in Denver. “He’s innocent, and he didn’t get his best shot with the lawyer he had.”
Hat tip: Associated Press.
