Mississippi § 7-5-8 - Congtingent fee contracts with outside counsel.

§ 7-5-8. Congtingent fee contracts with outside counsel.

Before entering into a contingency fee contract with outside counsel, the state, an arm or agency of the state, or a statewide elected officer acting in his official capacity must first make a written determination that contingency fee representation is both cost-effective and in the public interest. The required written determination shall include specific findings for each of the following factors: Whether there exist sufficient and appropriate legal and financial resources within the Attorney General’s office to handle the matter. The time and labor required; the novelty, complexity, and difficulty of the questions involved; and the skill requisite to perform the attorney services properly. The geographic area where the attorney services are to be provided. The amount of experience desired for the particular kind of attorney services to be provided and the nature of the outside attorney’s experience with similar issues or cases. The state, an arm or agency of the state, or a statewide elected officer acting in his official capacity may not enter into a contingency fee contract that provides for the outside attorney to receive a contingency fee, exclusive of reasonable costs and expenses incurred in connection with the case, which is in excess of the following: Twenty-five percent (25%) of any recovery of up to Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00); plus Twenty percent (20%) of any portion of such recovery between Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00) and Fifteen Million Dollars ($15,000,000.00); plus Fifteen percent (15%) of any portion of such recovery between Fifteen Million Dollars ($15,000,000.00) and Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00); plus Ten percent (10%) of any portion of such recovery between Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00) and Twenty-five Million Dollars (25,000,000.00); plus Five percent (5%) of any portion of such recovery exceeding Twenty-five Million Dollars ($25,000,000.00). Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, a contingency fee shall not exceed an aggregate of Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000.00), exclusive of reasonable costs and expenses incurred in connection with the case, and irrespective of the number of lawsuits filed or the number of attorneys retained to achieve the recovery. A contingency fee shall not be based on penalties or civil fines awarded or any amounts attributable to penalties or civil fines. The limits on fees set forth in subsection (2) of this section shall not apply if: The state, an arm or agency of the state, or a statewide elected officer acting in his official capacity makes a written determination stating the reasons why a greater fee is necessary, proper, and in the best interests of the state in a particular case; and The Outside Counsel Oversight Commission approves any terms of the contingency contract that exceed the limits set forth in subsection (2) of this section. The Outside Counsel Oversight Commission shall consist of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Secretary of State; actions of the commission shall be taken by majority vote. Appeal from a decision of the Outside Counsel Oversight Commission shall be to any court of competent jurisdiction. Copies of any executed contingency fee contract and the applicable written determination to enter into a contingency fee contract with the outside attorney shall be posted on the Attorney General’s website for public inspection within five (5) business days after the date the contract is executed unless the state, arm or agency of the state, or statewide elected officer retaining outside counsel makes a determination, subject to the approval of the Outside Counsel Oversight Commission, that to do so would negatively affect the state’s interest, and shall remain posted on the website for the duration of the contingency fee contract, including any extensions or amendments to the contract. If the determination is made and duly approved that posting the contract will negatively affect the interests of the state, the contract will be posted on the Attorney General’s website within five (5) days of the occurrence of the earliest of the following: Filing of the lawsuit for which the contract was executed; Entry of appearance for any pending matter for which the contract was executed; or From the time the outside attorney engages in any substantive action on behalf of the state relative to the subject matter for which the contract was executed. Any payment of contingency fees shall be posted on the Attorney General’s website within fifteen (15) days after the payment of the contingency fees to the outside attorney and shall remain posted on the website for at least one (1) year after the date payment is made. An outside attorney under contract to provide services to the state on a contingency fee basis shall, from the inception of the contract until not less than four (4) years after the contract expires or is terminated, maintain detailed current records, including documentation of all expenses, disbursements, charges, credits, underlying receipts and invoices, and other financial transactions that concern the providing of attorney services. In addition, the outside attorney shall maintain detailed contemporaneous time records for the attorneys and paralegals working on the matter in increments of no greater than one-tenth (1/10) of an hour, and shall promptly provide these records to the Attorney General upon request. If an arm or agency of the state or a statewide elected officer contracts for outside legal counsel pursuant to Section 7-5-39(3) on a contingency fee basis, the arm or agency of the state or the statewide elected officer shall provide complete and timely information to the Office of the Attorney General as to every requirement of this section for inclusion in the report under this section. The Office of the Attorney General shall post the information as received on its website within five (5) days of receipt. The arm or agency of the state or statewide elected official responsible for retaining outside counsel shall provide complete and timely information to the Office of the Attorney General as to every requirement of Section 7-5-21 for inclusion in the docket required by that section.