So, who are they? Here is a quick look in the wealthiest attorneys in the entire world, ranked from the lowest net value to the greatest. Please be aware that the people on this list are all practicing lawyers or judges. There are plenty of additional "attorneys " with a substantially higher net value, but they simply possess a law degree and no longer use it.
Harish Salve: $6 million
At 59 years old, Harish Salve has worked tirelessly to develop a reputation among India's best (and most expensive) lawyers, specializing in commercial, constitutional, and tax law. Salve, that comes from a long line of attorneys and formerly served as the Solicitor General of India, currently charges clients about $45,000 per day. In addition to representing many government entities, big company clients, and industrialist Mukesh Ambani, he has represented Bollywood celebrities in criminal cases. In reality, he is often known as famed actor Salman Khan's "guardian angel" for keeping him from prison on a hit and run charge. (Indian prisons are renowned for harsh conditions)
Judy Sheindlin: between $150 million and $250 million
Best known for being a no-nonsense TV judge, Judge Judy earns $47 million annually. A 1965 graduate of New York Law School, Judge Sheindlin was initially a corporate lawyer, though she quickly grew tired of it and choose to become a household court prosecutor. In 1982, she was appointed as a criminal court judge, in which she earned a reputation for a "demanding " judge and presided over more than 20,000 cases. This, together with various novels she wrote, caught the attention of TV executives and eventually resulted in her TV series. Additionally, she's the author of seven books and has served as legal analyst on various TV shows.
Mark Geragos: $25 million
A 1992 graduate of Loyola Law School, Mark Geragos is a criminal defense attorney who's also been involved in several of landmark civil lawsuit class action instances. He's represented everyone from Chris Brown, Michael Jackson, and Winona Ryder into Scott Peterson and Susan McDougal. Named "One of the 100 Most Influential Attorneys in California," he holds a listing for one of the top 10 verdicts in California history to get a 2008 situation where he obtained a jury verdict awarding over $38 from a pharmaceutical company. He currently serves as a managing partner at Geragos and Geragos.
Richard Scruggs: $1.7 billion
A 1976 graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law and also a prominent trial attorney, Richard Scruggs is famous for his love of asbestos and tobacco cases as well as the fact that he won more than $1 billion in judgements against different companies. He was also highly involved in 2000's Ritalin class action suits, as well as the 2003 situation against Lehman Brothers for which he won a $51 million verdict. But in 2007, he had been accused of judicial bribery. In 2008, he pled guilty and finally served six years in federal prison. Now, in the age of 70, he's completed his sentence and has kept his large fortune.
