FAQs

Established in 2023, Billion Dollar Law Firms was established as the natural next step for law firms that have achieved million-dollar and multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts, with a minimum cumulative value of one billion dollars or more. It is made up of the most prestigious trial lawyers in the United States. Its members have won million, multi-million, and billion-dollar cases.

The organization was created by a prominent Nevada trial lawyer to serve two essential purposes. First, to recognize the skills, experience, and accomplishments of trial lawyers who have won large and complex cases. Second, to provide a national network of experienced colleagues who handle such cases, to facilitate information exchange, local assistance, and case referrals. The organization was created and membership invitations were sent to a number of trial lawyers throughout the country who had won million and multi-million dollar cases. Membership invitations are now sent only to attorneys who objectively appear to be qualified, including those whose names have been proposed from case reports and nominations of current members. Other attorneys who are qualified may apply for membership. Membership requires completion, review, and approval of a detailed membership application and submission of the one-time application fee.

DESIGNATION
Designation and membership provide a dignified and professional means by which trial lawyers may communicate (to referring attorneys, clients, and others) the fact of their successful experience in handling large and complex cases. Members are authorized to hold themselves out as a Billion Dollar Law Firms member in any manner consistent with rules of professional conduct applicable in their jurisdictions.

PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING & REFERRALS
Membership provides an informal national network of highly experienced trial counsel for professional referrals, local assistance, and information exchange.

MEMBER LIST
All members are listed in the online MEMBER DIRECTORY. The list is not intended as a "find a lawyer" list for the general public. It is primarily intended to be a resource for other attorneys (members and non-members) for professional referrals and information exchange. Directory Listing includes their firm name, firm website link, and Areas of Practice.

MEMBERSHIP CERTIFICATE
Members receive a high-quality membership certificate certifying that they are members of Billion Dollar Law Firms. 

USE OF LOGOS AND OTHER TRADEMARKS
Members may use the logos and other identifying marks of Billion Dollar Law Firms to indicate their membership subject to certain terms of use. See the LOGO USE page. Members may use such logos on websites, letterhead, business cards, advertising, etc., in any manner consistent with Rules of Professional Conduct applicable in members' jurisdictions. 

Fees will be refunded if the Application for Membership is not approved. There are no annual dues or fees to maintain membership status (Member must remain a member in good standing of the bar, licensed to practice in his or her jurisdiction.). 

A $2,500.00 one-time fee for application, certification, Lifetime Membership, logo usage, and directory listing. There are no further or annual dues.

Membership is currently growing and is made up of a number of respected and well-known law firms that have reached the billion dollar benchmark. Please see MEMBER DIRECTORY.

The quality of our membership includes firms that practice a variety of litigation, including: major personal injury, products liability, malpractice, construction, environmental, employment, insurance, class action and business litigation. The common fact is that they have each demonstrated, in an objective and tangible way, their ability to accomplish superior results in complex cases.

Confidential Settlements
Qualifying settlements are often subject to confidentiality provisions. In such cases, the applicant may provide a general description of the case, certifying as a member of the Bar that such description is true. Such description should include sufficient information (to the extent allowed by the terms of the settlement) as to case identity, jurisdiction, case type and terms to identify a specific case, even if not by name. For example: "Los Angeles Superior Court, 1999; medical malpractice, failure to diagnose breast cancer; Doe vs Roe Hospital, et al.; settled for $2 Million (present cash value)", or, if terms prevent stating the amount, "settled for payment of One Million Dollars or more (present cash value)". We prefer to have as much specificity as possible. If the information provided is stated to be confidential, we will not divulge it absent legal obligation to do so.

Therefore, the actual case name need not be disclosed. If possible, we would like to see the nature of the case, the jurisdiction and year of settlement. As to the amount, if you are not comfortable stating the actual amount, you may include a statement such as “settled for a confidential amount which was at least one million dollars [two million for the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum] in cash or present cash value at time of settlement.” At a minimum regarding the amount, you might state "settled for a confidential amount which qualifies under the membership requirements of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum [or, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum]."  If we do not feel such information is sufficient, we will contact you in that regard. If you believe it will be helpful, you may attach a redacted copy of the settlement agreement or other relevant documents. Whatever information you provide will be kept confidential by us. We do not disclose information about members’ qualifying cases, whether confidential or not.

Entry Of Final Judgment Or Final Settlement
There must be an entered final judgment or a final (present cash value) settlement in the amount of One Million Dollars or more. A verdict that does not result in a final entered judgment (or a settlement) of One Million Dollars or more does not qualify.

Definition Of "Principal Counsel"
The term "principal counsel" is intended to include one or more attorneys who were primarily in charge of and responsible for the preparation, management, settlement, and trial of a qualifying case. It is not necessarily limited to one attorney, nor is it limited to lead (i.e., "first chair") trial counsel. It is recognized that the responsibility for, and management of, a complex case often involves a team of attorneys who serve as co-principal counsel with different responsibilities. However, it is not intended to include an attorney simply because he or she worked on the case, referred the case, or brought the case into the office. Where a case has concluded in trial (as opposed to settlement), and one of the principal counsel in the case did not actively participate in the trial, all counsel in the case should agree as to their co-principal counsel status. Therefore, it is presumed that an applicant who states that he or she was "principal counsel" in a qualifying case has clarified that status (as defined herein) with co-counsel and that there is agreement among all co-counsel that the applicant acted in the capacity of principal counsel.

Definition Of "Final Judgment"
If the qualifying case was a jury trial verdict or court trial decision, there must have been an entry of a final judgment. The judgment must be: 1) entered; and, 2) no longer subject to change. The judgment is not "final" for purposes of qualification if it is subject to post-trial motions or appeals. A judgment reversed on appeal does not qualify.

Settlement After Trial (without entry of judgment)
In some cases, a trial may result in an award of One Million Dollars or more and then the case is settled post-trial and dismissed without a final judgment being entered. In such cases, regardless of the amount of the trial verdict, the amount of the ultimate settlement (One Million Dollars or more, present value) is the determining factor for qualification. Example: verdict of One Million Dollars, post-trial settlement of $750,000 with dismissal of case (and, therefore, no entry of One Million Dollar judgment) – does not qualify.

Settlement After Trial (with entry of final judgment)
If a verdict and the entered final judgment are in the amount of One Million Dollars or more, a case will qualify even if an ultimate settlement is reached which is less than One Million Dollars. The determining factor in such a case is the final entry of judgment in the qualifying amount. Example: verdict of One Million Dollars, with final judgment entered in such amount, and then settled for $750,000 – qualifies.

Settlement After Trial Verdict Of Less Than One Million Dollars
Regardless of the amount of a trial verdict, if the ultimate settlement is One Million Dollars or more the case qualifies based upon such settlement.

Effect Of Damage Cap Laws
Some states have statutory limits on the amount of damages that may be awarded in certain types of cases (e.g., medical malpractice claims in California, government tort claims in New Mexico) which may result in a verdict being reduced prior to entry of judgment. The final entered judgment (after any such reduction) or settlement must be in the amount of One Million Dollars or more.

Costs, Interest & Fees As Part Of Judgment
A judgment will qualify if the amount entered as the final judgment, or the amount actually paid, is One Million Dollars or more including costs, interest, and fees. Example: verdict $900,000, final entry of judgment $1,050,000 (with interest and costs) qualifies.

Summary Adjudication And Default Judgments
Judgments entered upon summary adjudications and default judgments do not qualify. Qualification as a verdict or award requires the presentation of evidence at a contested trial or binding arbitration proceeding.

Award To Multiple Clients / Class Actions
Qualifications require that the applicant's client(s) received a verdict, award or settlement in the amount of One Million Dollars or more. If the applicant represented more than one client in a single case and the total verdict, award or settlement to such clients was One Million Dollars or more the case qualifies. However, amounts awarded to others (not the applicant's own clients) in the same case do not apply to qualification. A single class action case in which the applicant represented multiple clients who, as a group, received a verdict, award or settlement of at least one million dollars would qualify. For example,

The following would qualify: Representation by the applicant of multiple clients in a single class action case in which the total received by all such clients was one million dollars or more (although no individual client received such an amount).

The following would not qualify: Representation by the applicant of multiple clients in separate cases against the same defendant(s) concerning the same issues (for example similar product liability cases concerning the same product and defendant) unless the client(s) in a single case received a qualifying amount.

Membership Application forms must be submitted online.