Members of the Capitol Press Corps

MEMORANDUM DATE:	June 26, 2001
TO:
FROM:	John H. Sullivan
RE:	Self-Proclaimed "Consumer" Attorneys' Not-So-Consumer Friendly Agenda Exposed by New York Times Research on Tire Investigations

The results of a New York Times investigation published June 24 provide further evidence that plaintiffs' lawyers are promoting anti-lawsuit confidentiality legislation (SB 11 - Escutia and AB 36 - Steinberg) to increase their contingency fee winnings, not to protect the general public as they claim.

Hundreds of organizations and firms have joined to oppose AB 36 and SB 11, bills that would jeopardize the protection of intellectual property and legitimate confidential business information of those named in a lawsuit. A different approach (AB 881 - Simitian) would let regulators quickly get the kind of information like the Times reported personal injury lawyers have been selfishly concealing.