Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Litigation
On September 16, 1994, a jury trial of several months duration resulted in a record punitive damages award of $5 billion against the Exxon defendants as a consequence of one of the largest oil spills in U.S. history. The award was reduced to $507.5 million pursuant to a Supreme Court decision. David Berger was co-chair of the plaintiffs’ discovery committee (appointed by both the federal and state courts). Harold Berger served as a member of the organizing case management committee. H. Laddie Montague was specifically appointed by the federal court as one of the four designated trial counsel. Both Mr. Montague and Peter Kahana shared (with the entire trial team) the 1995 “Trial Lawyer of the Year Award” given by the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.
