Latest news with #AllenOveryShearmanSterling
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Suffolk County agrees to pay out $18 million in court settlement over ‘inhumane' conditions in county jails
New York's Suffolk County has agreed to end a 14-year court battle and shell out $18 million to former inmates who said they were forced to live in filthy jail cells alongside rats and roaches for over a decade. The class-action lawsuit accused officials of turning a blind eye to horrifying living conditions at the Riverhead and Yaphank lockups — and now taxpayers are footing the bill. The deal, quietly filed in court, grants payouts to anyone jailed in the county since 2009, with the 20 original plaintiffs pocketing $20,000 each. Inmates who were locked up in the newer Yaphank facility after 2013, however, were excluded. 'This settlement provides much-needed relief to the many incarcerated New Yorkers who have been subject to inhumane and unconstitutional conditions at the Suffolk County jails,' Gabriella Larios, staff attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement. 'It also means that the county's long-standing indifference to this manufactured crisis will finally come to an end,' she added. The settlement also requires Suffolk County to implement a series of sweeping reforms aimed at cleaning up conditions inside its two jail complexes. As a part of the agreement, the county will be required to appoint an employee dedicated to addressing environmental health concerns at both facilities for at least the next three years, and must also provide cleaning and sanitation training to staff and inmates working in housing units and kitchen areas. Inmates will also be guaranteed access to personal cleaning supplies and protective gear like masks and gloves, as well as clean mattresses and blankets. In addition, the jails must bring their outdated ventilation systems up to standard and address any plumbing, rust and mold problems. Suffolk County officials must also implement a full pest control program and pay for an independent expert, approved by both the county and the plaintiffs' attorneys, to conduct annual assessments of the jails for the next three years. The lawsuit was first filed back in May 2011 by former Suffolk inmate, Rickey Lynch and 19 others from the Riverhead jail, who claimed their constitutional rights were being violated by the inhumane and dangerous living conditions. According to the suit, those conditions included 'ongoing exposure to human waste, mold, rust, vermin, freezing temperatures, and inadequate access to clean drinking water.' Attorneys from the Manhattan-based firm Allen Overy Shearman Sterling, and the New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation later joined the case — which was eventually expanded into a class-action suit on behalf of 163 plaintiffs who had filed individual complaints about conditions inside the jails. Michael Martino, a spokesman for Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine, said in a statement that the lawsuit stemmed from the prior administration and had the potential to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions. 'Through the excellent work of our county attorney's staff, we have drastically reduced the liability facing the county,' he said. Martino noted that Suffolk remains committed to improving its jail conditions and will pay roughly $5 million toward the settlement, with the remaining amount covered by various insurance policies.
New York Post
22-05-2025
- New York Post
Suffolk County agrees to pay out $18 million in court settlement over ‘inhumane' conditions in county jails
New York's Suffolk County has agreed to end a 14-year court battle and shell out $18 million to former inmates who said they were forced to live in filthy jail cells alongside rats and roaches for over a decade. The class-action lawsuit accused officials of turning a blind eye to horrifying living conditions at the Riverhead and Yaphank lockups — and now taxpayers are footing the bill. The deal, quietly filed in court, grants payouts to anyone jailed in the county since 2009, with the 20 original plaintiffs pocketing $20,000 each. Inmates who were locked up in the newer Yaphank facility after 2013, however, were excluded. 4 Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, center, said that an $18 million settlement over conditions at the county jail actually saved taxpayers millions. Dennis A. Clark 'This settlement provides much-needed relief to the many incarcerated New Yorkers who have been subject to inhumane and unconstitutional conditions at the Suffolk County jails,' Gabriella Larios, staff attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement. 'It also means that the county's long-standing indifference to this manufactured crisis will finally come to an end,' she added. The settlement also requires Suffolk County to implement a series of sweeping reforms aimed at cleaning up conditions inside its two jail complexes. As a part of the agreement, the county will be required to appoint an employee dedicated to addressing environmental health concerns at both facilities for at least the next three years, and must also provide cleaning and sanitation training to staff and inmates working in housing units and kitchen areas. 4 The settlement relates to living conditions at the Riverhead and Yaphank lockups. Doug Kuntz Inmates will also be guaranteed access to personal cleaning supplies and protective gear like masks and gloves, as well as clean mattresses and blankets. In addition, the jails must bring their outdated ventilation systems up to standard and address any plumbing, rust and mold problems. Suffolk County officials must also implement a full pest control program and pay for an independent expert, approved by both the county and the plaintiffs' attorneys, to conduct annual assessments of the jails for the next three years. 4 Inmates had said they were subjected to inhumane living conditions. New York Post The lawsuit was first filed back in May 2011 by former Suffolk inmate, Rickey Lynch and 19 others from the Riverhead jail, who claimed their constitutional rights were being violated by the inhumane and dangerous living conditions. According to the suit, those conditions included 'ongoing exposure to human waste, mold, rust, vermin, freezing temperatures, and inadequate access to clean drinking water.' Attorneys from the Manhattan-based firm Allen Overy Shearman Sterling, and the New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation later joined the case — which was eventually expanded into a class-action suit on behalf of 163 plaintiffs who had filed individual complaints about conditions inside the jails. Michael Martino, a spokesman for Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine, said in a statement that the lawsuit stemmed from the prior administration and had the potential to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions. 4 Jail officials must address the pest problem, bring ventilation systems up to date and more. New York Post 'Through the excellent work of our county attorney's staff, we have drastically reduced the liability facing the county,' he said. Martino noted that Suffolk remains committed to improving its jail conditions and will pay roughly $5 million toward the settlement, with the remaining amount covered by various insurance policies.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump announces $600 million in new deals with five law firms
President Trump announced a series of agreements with five major law firms Friday, signing deals for some $600 million in pro bono work as the Trump administration continues its pressure campaign on the legal profession. Kirkland & Ellis, Allen Overy Shearman Sterling, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Latham & Watkins all agreed to perform $125 million each in pro bono legal work — the highest figure seen yet in any of the agreements brokered by Trump with various legal firms. In exchange, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will withdraw letters sent to each of the firms asking questions about their hiring practices and implying firms' efforts to diversify their workforce could violate employment laws. Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, which was not contacted by the EEOC, signed a deal with the Trump administration for $100 million in pro bono work. That firm previously employed Todd Blanche, Trump's former defense attorney and deputy attorney general, but forced him to leave when he took on Trump as a client. None of the firms immediately responded to requests for comment. The deals bring to nine the number of firms that have struck agreements with Trump in the wake of numerous actions targeting major law offices. Trump signed orders stripping personnel at four major law firms of their security clearances. Attorneys at Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, and WilmerHale were also barred from entering federal buildings while the government was ordered to suspend any contracts with the firms. Those three have sued, each scoring initial victories blocking much of Trump's executive orders from taking effect. Trump has separately signed an order broadly targeting the legal profession, encouraging the Justice Department to sanction attorneys who file 'frivolous, unreasonable, and vexatious litigation.' Critics have said the orders are designed to chill advocates and nonprofits across the country who routinely challenge Trump policies in court, as well as the major law firms who help back such litigation with pro bono work. The deals signed by the five firms Friday, like those announced previously, call on the firms to take up pro bono work on a number of topics prioritized by the Trump administration. 'President Trump and the Law Firms both support and agree to work on, including in the following areas: Assisting Veterans and other Public Servants, including, among others, members of the Military, Gold Star families, Law Enforcement, and First Responders; ensuring fairness in our Justice System; and combatting Antisemitism,' Trump wrote in announcing the deals on Truth Social. They also commit to not denying representation based on political views and to 'give Fair and Equal consideration to Job Candidates, irrespective of their political beliefs, including Candidates who have served in the Trump Administration.' In an email to staff obtained by The Hill, Kirkland and Ellis's firm committee defended the deal. 'The Firm will continue to determine which matters we take on – both pro bono and otherwise – consistent with our non-partisan mindset. In exchange, this resolves the EEOC's investigation, including its broad request for information about our people and our clients, which we no longer will be required to provide, and we will not be the target of an executive order,' it wrote in the note. 'We made the decision to pursue this solution because at our very core our mission is to protect and support our people and our clients, and this agreement does both.' Updated at 1:57 p.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
11-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Trump announces $600 million in new deals with five law firms
President Trump announced a series of agreements with five major law firms Friday, signing deals for some $600 million in pro bono work as the Trump administration continues its pressure campaign on the legal profession. Kirkland & Ellis, Allen Overy Shearman Sterling, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Latham & Watkins all agreed to perform $125 million each in pro bono legal work – the highest figure seen yet in any of the agreements brokered by Trump with various legal firms. In exchange, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will withdraw letters sent to each of the firms asking questions about their hiring practices and implying firms' efforts to diversify their workforce could violate employment laws. Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, which was not contacted by the EEOC, signed a deal with the Trump administration for $100 million in pro bono work. That firm previously employed Todd Blanche, Trump's former defense attorney turned deputy attorney general, but forced him to leave when he took on Trump as a client. None of the firms immediately responded to requests for comment. The deals bring to nine the number of firms that have struck agreements with Trump in the wake of numerous actions targeting major law offices. Trump signed orders stripping personnel at four major law firms of their security clearances. Attorneys at Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, and WilmerHale were also barred from entering federal buildings while the government was ordered to suspend any contracts with the firms. Those three have sued, each scoring initial victories blocking much of Trump's executive orders from taking effect. Trump has separately signed an order broadly targeting the legal profession, encouraging the Justice Department to sanction attorneys who file 'frivolous, unreasonable, and vexatious litigation.' Critics have said the orders are designed to chill advocates and nonprofits across the country who routinely challenge Trump policies in court, as well as the major law firms who help back such litigation with pro bono work. The deals signed by the five firms on Friday, like those announced previously, call on the firms to take up pro bono work on a number of topics prioritized by the Trump administration. 'President Trump and the Law Firms both support and agree to work on, including in the following areas: Assisting Veterans and other Public Servants, including, among others, members of the Military, Gold Star families, Law Enforcement, and First Responders; ensuring fairness in our Justice System; and combatting Antisemitism,' Trump write in announcing the deals on Truth Social. They also commit to not denying representation based on political views and to 'give Fair and Equal consideration to Job Candidates, irrespective of their political beliefs, including Candidates who have served in the Trump Administration.'
