Attorneys specializing in certain legal specialties typically earn higher incomes due to their specialized nature and clientele they attract.
Intellectual property lawyers typically command high salaries due to their role managing the legalities surrounding creative works or inventions, while bankruptcy, tax and personal injury lawyers also earn competitive pay scales.
David Boies
Boies is one of America’s premier litigators and charges clients $2,000 an hour – this figure covers both legal fees for himself and paralegal services. He owns an impressive multimillion-dollar mansion overlooking Central Park in New York and another home outside the city in Westchester County; as well as hosting an annual picnic for hundreds of new Teach for America volunteers at his estate in Mount Kisco.
Boies first rose to fame during 2000 as Al Gore’s counsel in the contentious US presidential election of Bush v. Gore; however, this fame was short lived as his practice expanded rapidly thereafter with high-stakes cases and battles against powerful interests, such as Carl Icahn and Michael Milken; eventually being described by The New York Times as being “the lawyer everyone wants”.
Boies Schiller is well known for taking on challenging cases and successfully representing those accused of wrongdoing; for example, Boies Schiller successfully represented an executive from Blackwater during an arms trafficking case, and unsuccessfully defended tobacco giant Philip Morris against lawsuits filed by former smokers with lung diseases.
Boies is often associated with representing high-profile celebrities and corporate titans; however, he also regularly represents low-profile plaintiffs. His intense cross-examination of witnesses has become legendary; once, for 38 days straight. Partly because he is dyslexic.
Although he enjoys a lucrative legal practice, he remains dedicated to public service and pro bono work. He sits on the Board of Trustees for Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center museum dedicated to the US Constitution; donates food bank donations; helps raise funds for children’s hospitals in New York City; has established scholarship funds for students with disabilities and has even divorced three times himself! Among those marriages was with one wife whom he divorced in 1992 before marrying another with law degrees who is now successful herself as an attorney herself!
Daniel Petrocelli
Petrocelli is a partner at O’Melveny & Myers law firm and chairs its Trial Practice Committee, boasting one of the country’s premier entertainment practices. He receives compensation based on a sliding scale; fees are billed hourly with additional charges applied when court appearances occur.
He has represented prominent clients such as former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, boxer Manny Pacquiao and rapper Travis Scott. Additionally, he has handled many personal injury cases.
Petrocelli first gained national media coverage in 1997 as a partner at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp when, as Fred Goldman’s attorney representing him against O.J. Simpson after his 1994 criminal acquittal for their murders (Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman), he filed a wrongful death suit. With Petrocelli as his advocate, Fred won this lawsuit which resulted in a $33.5 million judgment awarded to their families; additionally he published a best-selling book detailing this event.
Petrocelli has become an invaluable attorney in high-profile entertainment cases in recent years, such as defending Disney against Scarlett Johansson’s allegations that she was underpaid for her role in Black Widow, representing Kesha in her defamation lawsuit against music producer Dr. Luke, advising studios on restructuring distribution models while avoiding legal trouble, and protecting Disney’s rights to several Marvel characters against writers’ estates while defending Google from government claims that it monopolizes advertising technology.
Petrocelli realized after earning his Bachelor of Music at University of California, Los Angeles that a career as a musician would not pay his bills and switched majors to economics before attending night law school at Southwestern University – eventually graduating as a Bachelor in 1980. At first joining Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp as music attorney but quickly transitioning into civil litigation for the O.J. Simpson case. When his work paid off successfully he left to join much larger O’Melveny & Meyers where he remains today; winning several high profile cases for clients before eventually being chosen as his legal dream goal – something which may never happen in his lifetime!
John Gotti
John Gotti was an extremely wealthy gangster. It is estimated that he earned an estimated $500 million while leading the Gambino crime family and living an extravagant lifestyle. John Gotti was known both for being loved and hated among his associates and became one of the world’s most beloved and feared figures.
He became a mobster as an escape from poverty and to provide for his family. Joining his family’s business as a teenager, he quickly transitioned into full-time gangster mode; being arrested multiple times for street fighting, public intoxication and car theft but serving little jail time due to plea bargaining deals; as well as legitimate employment such as working as presser in coat factories before eventually working as assistant truck drivers.
In 1973, Gotti assumed command of Carmine Fatico’s Bergin crew but had not yet been fully inducted into Cosa Nostra. As part of this role, he participated in the murder of Jimmy McBratney that ultimately lead to his arrest and did so without hiding his activities from witnesses – something which led to more witnesses testifying against him than necessary.
The McBratney murder resulted in a federal racketeering indictment against Gotti. While facing criminal charges on multiple occasions, Gotti used various strategies to avoid conviction: jury tampering, witness intimidation and other forms of corruption to avoid conviction – earning him the moniker “Teflon Don.”
At his final trial in 1986, Gotti was found guilty on nine counts of racketeering and sentenced to six years in prison. While in incarceration he appointed John “Junior” Gotti as acting leader of his family. Unfortunately he passed away two years later from throat cancer at an age of 61.
Frank Abagnale was an internationally renowned check forger, impostor and confidence man who also served as an FBI consultant. Known as one of the most notorious criminals of all time with an estimated net worth estimated at $10 Million, Abagnale’s hobbies included collecting rare coins and traveling; baseball and football were his passions as well.
Steven Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert of Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report is one of the highest paid late night talk show hosts in terms of earnings – surpassing Jimmy Fallon, James Corden and Conan O’Brien in earnings alone. Additionally, his strong social media following helps him reach younger audiences; yet at one time in 1994 when working between acting gigs as a waiter. However he acknowledges his early financial struggles by admitting it on The Late Show episode about him stating he was broke and working part-time waitering jobs between acting gigs to survive financially.
Colbert began his professional life as an improvisational actor. After studying theater at Hamden-Sydney College and Northwestern University in Chicago, he performed at No Fun Mud Piranhas and Chicago Annoyance Theater before joining Second City’s touring company and becoming part of its touring company touring company. Later he worked on HBO sketch comedy show Exit 57 as well as other programs like Dana Carvey Show and Good Morning America either as cast member or writer.
While at Second City, Colbert met fellow comedians Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello. Together they created the satirical TV show Strangers with Candy which depicted Jerri Blank as an outcast forced to live on the streets after her mother died in an airline crash; critics found offensive humor within its moral lessons.
After his stint with Second City, Colbert moved to New York. There he continued writing and performing on various television programs such as The Dana Carvey Show, Good Morning America and Saturday Night Live as both cast member and writer; additionally he contributed material for HBO sketch comedy show Strangers with Candy as both performer and writer.
Since replacing David Letterman on The Late Show, Stephen Colbert has amassed an incredible fortune. Currently the highest-paying late night talk show host he reportedly earns an estimated annual salary of $15 Million and boasts a huge social media following that keeps his content relevant and fresh; in turn his success has increased The Late Show ratings.