The Litigators
Encyclopedia
The Litigators is a 2011 legal thriller novel by John Grisham
, his 25th fiction
novel overall. The Litigators is about a two-partner
Chicago law firm
attempting to strike it rich in a class action
lawsuit
over a cholesterol
reduction drug by a major pharmaceutical drug company. The protagonist
is a Harvard Law School
grad big law firm burnout who stumbles upon the boutique and joins it only to find himself litigating against his old law firm in this case. The book is regarded as more humorous than most of Grisham's prior novels.
Critical reviews were mixed for the book, with several opinions noting a lack of suspense. Nonetheless, the book has achieved both hardcover and ebook #1 best seller status on various lists, including both The New York Times
and The Wall Street Journal
. However, since some services do not separate fiction and non-fiction books, it did not debut as a #1 bestseller on certain lists, such as the USA Today
. Some reviewers noted that this story would lend itself to an adapted screenplay.
Having sold 250 million copies of his previous 24 novels in 29 languages, Grisham had produced an international best seller with each prior book. Including the release of The Litigators, Grisham has produced 23 adult fiction novels and 2 childrens fiction novels as well as a short story
collection. In addition, he has produced one non-fiction book. Thus, various sources claim this to be his 23rd, 25th, or 26th book.
In the first of a two-part interview with The Wall Street Journal
, Grisham claimed that although he usually attempts to include humor in his submitted drafts, it is usually removed during the editorial process. However, in this case much of the humor survived editing. In the second part of the interview the following week, Grisham noted that his inspirations for the book included television advertisement
s and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
.
ers such as Amazon.com
, Barnes & Noble
, and Walmart released the book in hardcover format in the United States as a Doubleday publication on October 25, 2011. In the United Kingdom, the book was published with different cover art
by Hodder & Stoughton
on the same date.
The book is also available in ebook and audiobook formats on October 25. Other formats available on October 25, included large-print, compact disc and abridged compact disc. A limited edition will be available on November 22, 2011. An excerpt from the book was included in some editions including the iTunes Store
edition of The Confession
, which was his prior adult novel.
in the western part of the South side of Chicago that tries to appear to be successful although it is really a small-time operation. Generally, the firm focuses on simple divorces and DUI
cases, with an occasional automobile accident that provides a boon to the firm. Oscar's character holds the firm together despite the childish junior partner Wally and his questionable ethics. The story depicts a Finley & Figg law firm so far down the food chain that it advertises on bingo
cards.
The story depicts the changes that occur when a young formerly successful down-and-out attorney, David Zinc, relegates himself to working as an associate with Finley & Figg (F&F) and an enormous case avails itself. Zinc is the hero, but after an anxiety attack and drinking binge, he finds himself on the doorstep of F&F. With the change in employment, Zinc instantly goes from a 93rd-floor office at Rogan Rothberg to a South Side firm that is conveniently located near one of Chicago's most accident prone intersections between a massage parlor and a lawnmower repair shop. An early client in the story is DeeAnna Nuxhall, who was a repeat divorce customer but unable to pay her legal fees. When her boyfriend failed to coerce the firm into service, she paid her divorce fees in kind and became Wally's love interest. He would break up with her much later when it was convenient for him to do so.
As part of the routine, Rochelle checks the obituaries
to see if any of their estate clients has passed away. One day, Chester Marino's name is listed and Wally makes his way to the proper funeral home. He meets Lyle Marino, the son whose interests F&F were suppose to represent against children from a second marriage. Lyle claims that his father was killed by Krayoxx, whetting Wally's tongue to the case. After finding a few former clients who had valid claims, the firm was able to generate publicity in the Chicago Tribune
with a picture of their filing. This induced an avalanche of communications and led them to several additional claimants.
At first, the case seems to be a simple opportunity to sign up patients who took the extremely popular cholesterol reduction drug, Krayoxx, which was the number one prescription for obese patients. Varrick Labs is the third largest pharmaceuticals company in the world. Krayoxx is produced by Varrick Labs, a $25 billion/year pharmaceutical giant which is dealing with a preponderance of heart attacks by its customers. Wally notices a blossoming class action
lawsuit
in Florida against Varrick and realizes that if he can find some patients to sign as clients, he can earn a big payday on another firm's coattails. However, some complications make the story interesting. Although none of the three F&F lawyers had previously argued in United States federal court
, that is where they find themselves pitted against Zinc's old firm with this case. In fact, David's expertise was in long-term bonds
.
Once the Finley & Figg become prominent, mass tort operators approach them about being part of a mass settlement. Wally flies to Las Vegas to meet with the other mass tort interests, most notably Jerry Alisandros. Varrick flew to Chicago to meet with Nadine Karros, a leading defense attorney. Karros works for Rogan Rothberg. Believing that they can get federal judge Harry Seawright to claim jurisdiction, Karros is chosen for her firms' ties to him and her expertise. The case was soon expedited on Seawright's docket with Finley & Figg's claim singled out of the tort claimants. Eventually, Karros takes action to have Finley & Figg's eight death cases separated. Eventually, Alisandros learns that tests of Krayoxx yield benign results. Oscar and his wife, Paula, are often at odds, and as a large settlement looms, she attempts to divorce him and cash out. After settlement talks break down with Varrick, Alisandros withdraws as co-counsel and Finley & Figg motions to withdraw their claims.
Once at Finley & Figg, Zinc stumbles upon a lead poisoning
brain damage
case involving Burmese immigrants. He expends his own time and resources on their case. He also succeeds in representing immigrants in a labor law case. During the labor case, the employer attempted to have Finley & Figg burned down and the individual who attempted to do so stumbled upon Wally at the office. Wally shot him and added an unnecessary debilitating shot that shattered the person's leg. He was sued for excessive force.
With Varrick having spent 18 million dollars defending himself and the mass tort bar having vociferously discredited Krayoxx in the mass media, Karros motioned for frivolous lawsuit sanctions pending a withdrawn motion. Additionally, actions were initiated for legal malpractice
regarding Wally's letters that promised $2million dollar settlement followed by motions to dismiss without notifying his clients. After realizing that they could be sued for defense costs and malpractice for withdrawing the case, Finley & Figg withdraw their motions and agree to a jury trial
that they believe to be futile. The trial commenced as originally scheduled. During opening statement
s, Oscar suffered a myocardial infarction
. Wally attempted to make light of the situation by proclaiming it an example of Krayoxx effects. Karros moved for mistrial and the motion was granted, leading to the need to seat a new jury. Wally stood in for Oscar as lead attorney while a new jury was seated and for the first day of testimony. The next day, the recovering alcoholic Figg was nowhere to be found although an empty pint
bottle of Smirnoff Vodka was. After Wally was AWOL for a second day, David was pressed into service. Rueben Massey, Varrick CEO, instructed Karros not to motion for likely-successful summary judgment
. Zinc declined to cross-examine the first handful of expert witness
es that Varrick called, Eventually, Zinc discredited the reputation Varrick's clinical trial
s during cross-examination of the final expert witness. Nonetheless, the jury rendered a very quick not guilty verdict
.
Zinc continued to pursue the led poisoning product liability
case. He settled the case for $6.5 million (including $1.5 million in legal fees). He attempted to become equal partners as Finley, Figg & Zinc. The partnership did not work out and was dissolved after twelve months. Zinc opened his own product liability practice, David E. Zinc, Attorney-at-Law.
The Wall Street Journals Christopher John Farley
noted that the book is lighter than Grisham's other works. Publishers Weekly
called it a "bitingly farcical look at lawyers at the bottom of the food chain". CNN
described the book as an original perspective of "the best and worst the American system of justice has to offer". Louis Bayard of The Washington Post
, who described himself as someone who abandoned Grisham after his first three novels, noted that this book might be a good starting point for those who have tired of Grisham. Andrea Simakis of The Plain Dealer describes the book as a "heartier meal" than Grisham's usual "potato-chip fiction". Publishers Weekly also notes that the fairy tale ending is not really in keeping with the introduction's dark humor. Rick Arthur of The United Arab Emirates
publication The National
describes the book unfavorably as a cross between prior Grisham works The Street Lawyer
and The King of Torts
and similarly describes the protagonist unfavorably to those of The Firm and The Rainmaker
. Geoffrey Wansell of the Daily Mail
presented one of the more favorable reviews describing the book as "a spectacular return to form, displaying the clarity and passion that were there in his first thrillers but seemed to ebb away." Wansell notes that Grisham returned to one of his seminal themes of the idealistic young lawyer fighting with the realization that corporations only care about maximizing profits.
There book has been derided for its lack of suspense. Carol Memmott of USA Today
says that Grisham's latest attempt to capture the spirit of the legal David and Goliath story is missing "the ratcheting-up of suspense" that he has employed successfully in recent adult and youth novels. Harshaw claims that the book is lacking in the suspense that made The Firm so successful. Arthur finds elements of the plot implausible and the story unsuspensful as well as unsatisfying. Although the book is somewhat predictable, Bayard notes that "Grisham swerves clear of the usual melodramatic devices. Corporations aren’t intrinsically venal; plaintiffs aren’t lambent with goodness. And best of all, no one is murdered for stumbling Too Close to the Truth."
Some sources noted that the book has potential to become an adapted screenplay. Irish Independent
describes Grisham's new book as "following his usual route to the bestsellers list" and projects it as a candidate to be his next hollywood film. Although it is standard Grisham fare, Independent noted that it provides the usual thrills in Grisham's comfortable legal world and should be a gripping read for his usual fans. The Sunday Express
noted that the book could be readily converted to a screenplay, but its critic, Robin Callender Smith, viewed the "ambulance chasing" ethos as a foreign thing that Brits might have to worry about in the near future.
Simakis praised the book for having more depth of character than Grisham's novels customarily do. She compares the protagonist to Mitch McDeere
from The Firm and Rudy Baylor from The Rainmaker. Memmott says that most of the claimants that they find are unsympathetic, but a few are from somewhat sympathetic immigrant families. Simakis notes that Wally trades sex for legal services with one claimant. Harshaw says that the book is a bit sentimental and comparatively lacking in terms of secondary character development for Grisham. Larry Orenstein of Canada's Globe and Mail notes that on the dramatic scale this book has instances of laugh out loud humor that make it more like Boston Legal
than The Practice
, which Boston Legal was spun-off from.
. It was also listed as the #1 best-seller by The New York Times in the November 13, 2011 book review section for the week ending October 29, 2011 for Hardcover Fiction, E-Book Fiction, Combined Hardcover & Paperback Fiction, and the Combined Print and E-Book Fiction. It dropped from the #1 position in its second week on the list. The Wall Street Journal
announced that on Saturday October 29, it would begin incorporating digital book sales in its best seller lists. When the book debuted in The Wall Street Journal list on November 5 for the week ending October 30, it was listed first in Hardcover Fiction, Fiction E-Books and Fiction Combined. It retained the hardcover lead the following week, but lost the other leads. After two weeks it was surpassed on the hardcover list as well.
The book was released the day after Walter Isaacson
's biography of Steve Jobs
, entitled Steve Jobs
, was released by Simon & Schuster
. Jobs had died on October 5 and the release date was moved forward. The Jobs book's release had been moved forward twice; It had been moved from spring 2012 to November 21 after Jobs stepped down and then to the October 24 date after his death. When The Litigators debuted on November 03 on the USA Today
best-seller list, which does not separate fiction and non-fiction, it debuted at number 2 behind the Jobs book.
John Grisham
John Ray Grisham, Jr. is an American lawyer and author, best known for his popular legal thrillers.John Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981 and practiced criminal law for about a decade...
, his 25th fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
novel overall. The Litigators is about a two-partner
Partner (business rank)
A partner in a law firm, accounting firm, consulting firm, or financial firm is a highly ranked position. Originally, these businesses were set up as legal partnerships in which the partners were entitled to a share of the profits of the enterprise. The name has remained even though many of these...
Chicago law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
attempting to strike it rich in a class action
Class action
In law, a class action, a class suit, or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued...
lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
over a cholesterol
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a complex isoprenoid. Specifically, it is a waxy steroid of fat that is produced in the liver or intestines. It is used to produce hormones and cell membranes and is transported in the blood plasma of all mammals. It is an essential structural component of mammalian cell membranes...
reduction drug by a major pharmaceutical drug company. The protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
is a Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
grad big law firm burnout who stumbles upon the boutique and joins it only to find himself litigating against his old law firm in this case. The book is regarded as more humorous than most of Grisham's prior novels.
Critical reviews were mixed for the book, with several opinions noting a lack of suspense. Nonetheless, the book has achieved both hardcover and ebook #1 best seller status on various lists, including both The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
. However, since some services do not separate fiction and non-fiction books, it did not debut as a #1 bestseller on certain lists, such as the USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. Some reviewers noted that this story would lend itself to an adapted screenplay.
Background
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
collection. In addition, he has produced one non-fiction book. Thus, various sources claim this to be his 23rd, 25th, or 26th book.
In the first of a two-part interview with The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, Grisham claimed that although he usually attempts to include humor in his submitted drafts, it is usually removed during the editorial process. However, in this case much of the humor survived editing. In the second part of the interview the following week, Grisham noted that his inspirations for the book included television advertisement
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
s and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
.
Publication
Leading book retailRetail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
ers such as Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
, and Walmart released the book in hardcover format in the United States as a Doubleday publication on October 25, 2011. In the United Kingdom, the book was published with different cover art
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
by Hodder & Stoughton
Hodder & Stoughton
Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette.-History:The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged fourteen, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publisher for the Congregational Union...
on the same date.
The book is also available in ebook and audiobook formats on October 25. Other formats available on October 25, included large-print, compact disc and abridged compact disc. A limited edition will be available on November 22, 2011. An excerpt from the book was included in some editions including the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
edition of The Confession
The Confession (novel)
The Confession is a 2010 legal thriller novel by John Grisham, his second novel to be published in 2010 . The Confession is about the murder of a high school cheerleader and how an innocent man is arrested for it...
, which was his prior adult novel.
Plot summary
Oscar Finley and Wally Figg are the bickering partners of a small twenty-plus year old law firmLaw firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
in the western part of the South side of Chicago that tries to appear to be successful although it is really a small-time operation. Generally, the firm focuses on simple divorces and DUI
DUI
DUI is a three letter acronym that may stand for:* Driving under the influence * Democratic Union for Integration — the largest ethnic Albanian party in the Republic of Macedonia* Data Use Identifier...
cases, with an occasional automobile accident that provides a boon to the firm. Oscar's character holds the firm together despite the childish junior partner Wally and his questionable ethics. The story depicts a Finley & Figg law firm so far down the food chain that it advertises on bingo
Bingo (card game)
Bingo is a card game named by analogy to the game bingo. The game is played with a bridge deck of 52 cards. The dealer gives each player X cards, which are held in the hand or placed face-down in front of the player. The dealer places Y cards face down in the center of the table...
cards.
The story depicts the changes that occur when a young formerly successful down-and-out attorney, David Zinc, relegates himself to working as an associate with Finley & Figg (F&F) and an enormous case avails itself. Zinc is the hero, but after an anxiety attack and drinking binge, he finds himself on the doorstep of F&F. With the change in employment, Zinc instantly goes from a 93rd-floor office at Rogan Rothberg to a South Side firm that is conveniently located near one of Chicago's most accident prone intersections between a massage parlor and a lawnmower repair shop. An early client in the story is DeeAnna Nuxhall, who was a repeat divorce customer but unable to pay her legal fees. When her boyfriend failed to coerce the firm into service, she paid her divorce fees in kind and became Wally's love interest. He would break up with her much later when it was convenient for him to do so.
As part of the routine, Rochelle checks the obituaries
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
to see if any of their estate clients has passed away. One day, Chester Marino's name is listed and Wally makes his way to the proper funeral home. He meets Lyle Marino, the son whose interests F&F were suppose to represent against children from a second marriage. Lyle claims that his father was killed by Krayoxx, whetting Wally's tongue to the case. After finding a few former clients who had valid claims, the firm was able to generate publicity in the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
with a picture of their filing. This induced an avalanche of communications and led them to several additional claimants.
At first, the case seems to be a simple opportunity to sign up patients who took the extremely popular cholesterol reduction drug, Krayoxx, which was the number one prescription for obese patients. Varrick Labs is the third largest pharmaceuticals company in the world. Krayoxx is produced by Varrick Labs, a $25 billion/year pharmaceutical giant which is dealing with a preponderance of heart attacks by its customers. Wally notices a blossoming class action
Class action
In law, a class action, a class suit, or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued...
lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
in Florida against Varrick and realizes that if he can find some patients to sign as clients, he can earn a big payday on another firm's coattails. However, some complications make the story interesting. Although none of the three F&F lawyers had previously argued in United States federal court
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
, that is where they find themselves pitted against Zinc's old firm with this case. In fact, David's expertise was in long-term bonds
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
.
Once the Finley & Figg become prominent, mass tort operators approach them about being part of a mass settlement. Wally flies to Las Vegas to meet with the other mass tort interests, most notably Jerry Alisandros. Varrick flew to Chicago to meet with Nadine Karros, a leading defense attorney. Karros works for Rogan Rothberg. Believing that they can get federal judge Harry Seawright to claim jurisdiction, Karros is chosen for her firms' ties to him and her expertise. The case was soon expedited on Seawright's docket with Finley & Figg's claim singled out of the tort claimants. Eventually, Karros takes action to have Finley & Figg's eight death cases separated. Eventually, Alisandros learns that tests of Krayoxx yield benign results. Oscar and his wife, Paula, are often at odds, and as a large settlement looms, she attempts to divorce him and cash out. After settlement talks break down with Varrick, Alisandros withdraws as co-counsel and Finley & Figg motions to withdraw their claims.
Once at Finley & Figg, Zinc stumbles upon a lead poisoning
Lead poisoning
Lead poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body. Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems...
brain damage
Brain damage
"Brain damage" or "brain injury" is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors...
case involving Burmese immigrants. He expends his own time and resources on their case. He also succeeds in representing immigrants in a labor law case. During the labor case, the employer attempted to have Finley & Figg burned down and the individual who attempted to do so stumbled upon Wally at the office. Wally shot him and added an unnecessary debilitating shot that shattered the person's leg. He was sued for excessive force.
With Varrick having spent 18 million dollars defending himself and the mass tort bar having vociferously discredited Krayoxx in the mass media, Karros motioned for frivolous lawsuit sanctions pending a withdrawn motion. Additionally, actions were initiated for legal malpractice
Legal malpractice
Legal malpractice is the term for negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, or breach of contract by an attorney that causes harm to his or her client...
regarding Wally's letters that promised $2million dollar settlement followed by motions to dismiss without notifying his clients. After realizing that they could be sued for defense costs and malpractice for withdrawing the case, Finley & Figg withdraw their motions and agree to a jury trial
Jury trial
A jury trial is a legal proceeding in which a jury either makes a decision or makes findings of fact which are then applied by a judge...
that they believe to be futile. The trial commenced as originally scheduled. During opening statement
Opening statement
An opening statement is generally the first occasion that the trier of fact has to hear from a lawyer in a trial, aside possibly from questioning during voir dire. The opening statement is generally constructed to serve as a "road map" for the fact-finder...
s, Oscar suffered a myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. Wally attempted to make light of the situation by proclaiming it an example of Krayoxx effects. Karros moved for mistrial and the motion was granted, leading to the need to seat a new jury. Wally stood in for Oscar as lead attorney while a new jury was seated and for the first day of testimony. The next day, the recovering alcoholic Figg was nowhere to be found although an empty pint
Pint
The pint is a unit of volume or capacity that was once used across much of Europe with values varying from state to state from less than half a litre to over one litre. Within continental Europe, the pint was replaced with the metric system during the nineteenth century...
bottle of Smirnoff Vodka was. After Wally was AWOL for a second day, David was pressed into service. Rueben Massey, Varrick CEO, instructed Karros not to motion for likely-successful summary judgment
Summary judgment
In law, a summary judgment is a determination made by a court without a full trial. Such a judgment may be issued as to the merits of an entire case, or of specific issues in that case....
. Zinc declined to cross-examine the first handful of expert witness
Expert witness
An expert witness, professional witness or judicial expert is a witness, who by virtue of education, training, skill, or experience, is believed to have expertise and specialised knowledge in a particular subject beyond that of the average person, sufficient that others may officially and legally...
es that Varrick called, Eventually, Zinc discredited the reputation Varrick's clinical trial
Clinical trial
Clinical trials are a set of procedures in medical research and drug development that are conducted to allow safety and efficacy data to be collected for health interventions...
s during cross-examination of the final expert witness. Nonetheless, the jury rendered a very quick not guilty verdict
Verdict
In law, a verdict is the formal finding of fact made by a jury on matters or questions submitted to the jury by a judge. The term, from the Latin veredictum, literally means "to say the truth" and is derived from Middle English verdit, from Anglo-Norman: a compound of ver and dit In law, a verdict...
.
Zinc continued to pursue the led poisoning product liability
Product liability
Product liability is the area of law in which manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, retailers, and others who make products available to the public are held responsible for the injuries those products cause...
case. He settled the case for $6.5 million (including $1.5 million in legal fees). He attempted to become equal partners as Finley, Figg & Zinc. The partnership did not work out and was dissolved after twelve months. Zinc opened his own product liability practice, David E. Zinc, Attorney-at-Law.
List of characters
- Oscar Finley, Finley & Figg Senior PartnerPartner (business rank)A partner in a law firm, accounting firm, consulting firm, or financial firm is a highly ranked position. Originally, these businesses were set up as legal partnerships in which the partners were entitled to a share of the profits of the enterprise. The name has remained even though many of these...
- A lazy, unhappily married, nearing retirement "fender-benders, slip-and-falls and quickie divorces veteran" and former police officer. University of Chicago Law SchoolUniversity of Chicago Law SchoolThe University of Chicago Law School was founded in 1902 as the graduate school of law at the University of Chicago and is among the most prestigious and selective law schools in the world. The U.S. News & World Report currently ranks it fifth among U.S...
grad who took the bar exam three times. - Wally Figg, Finley & Figg Junior Partner - A former DUI convictee and four-time divorcé who trolls funeral parlors and sickrooms for clients. Took the bar exam three times.
- David Zinc, Finley & Figg Associate attorneyAssociate attorneyAn associate attorney is a lower-level employee of a traditional law firm who does not hold an ownership interest as a partner.-Attorneys:An associate may be a junior or senior associate, but normally does not yet hold an ownership interest in the firm even if they have been associated with the...
- Prototypical Grisham young hot shot Harvard grad lawyer whose life is turned upside down. - Rochelle Gibson, Finley & Figg secretary - Former claimant against Finley & Figg who holds the firm together.
- Nadine Karros, Defendant's leading litigator recruited by Varrick.
- Harry Seawright, federal judge.
- DeeAnna Nuxhall, repeat Finley & Figg divorce customer and eventual love interest of Wally's
- Jerry Alisandros, mass tort operator who brings F&F into his firms fold.
- Paula Finley, Oscar's wife
- Rueben Massey, CEO Varrick.
Critical review
The Litigators is said to be "an amusing and appalling look into the machinations of a nationwide class-action suit," according to Tobin Harshaw of Bloomberg L.P.Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...
The Wall Street Journals Christopher John Farley
Christopher John Farley
For the late comedian and SNL actor, see Chris Farley.Christopher John Farley is a Jamaican-born American journalist, columnist, and author.-Early life and education:...
noted that the book is lighter than Grisham's other works. Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
called it a "bitingly farcical look at lawyers at the bottom of the food chain". CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
described the book as an original perspective of "the best and worst the American system of justice has to offer". Louis Bayard of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, who described himself as someone who abandoned Grisham after his first three novels, noted that this book might be a good starting point for those who have tired of Grisham. Andrea Simakis of The Plain Dealer describes the book as a "heartier meal" than Grisham's usual "potato-chip fiction". Publishers Weekly also notes that the fairy tale ending is not really in keeping with the introduction's dark humor. Rick Arthur of The United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
publication The National
The National (Abu Dhabi)
The National is a government-owned English-language daily newspaper published in Abu Dhabi. The editor-in-chief since June 8, 2009 has been Hassan Fattah. Prior to this, and from the launch of the newspaper Martin Newland was editor-in-chief. Mubadala Development Company, an investment company...
describes the book unfavorably as a cross between prior Grisham works The Street Lawyer
The Street Lawyer
The Street Lawyer is a legal thriller novel by John Grisham. It was released in the United States on 1 January 1998, published by Bantam Books, and on 30 March 1998 in the UK, published by Century.-Plot:...
and The King of Torts
The King of Torts
Not to be confused with Kings of Tort, a book written by Alan Lange, editor of the website, Y'all Politics.The King of Torts is a legal/suspense novel written by American author John Grisham...
and similarly describes the protagonist unfavorably to those of The Firm and The Rainmaker
The Rainmaker (John Grisham)
The Rainmaker is a 1995 novel by John Grisham. It differs from most of his other novels in that it is written almost completely in the simple present tense.-Plot summary:...
. Geoffrey Wansell of the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
presented one of the more favorable reviews describing the book as "a spectacular return to form, displaying the clarity and passion that were there in his first thrillers but seemed to ebb away." Wansell notes that Grisham returned to one of his seminal themes of the idealistic young lawyer fighting with the realization that corporations only care about maximizing profits.
There book has been derided for its lack of suspense. Carol Memmott of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
says that Grisham's latest attempt to capture the spirit of the legal David and Goliath story is missing "the ratcheting-up of suspense" that he has employed successfully in recent adult and youth novels. Harshaw claims that the book is lacking in the suspense that made The Firm so successful. Arthur finds elements of the plot implausible and the story unsuspensful as well as unsatisfying. Although the book is somewhat predictable, Bayard notes that "Grisham swerves clear of the usual melodramatic devices. Corporations aren’t intrinsically venal; plaintiffs aren’t lambent with goodness. And best of all, no one is murdered for stumbling Too Close to the Truth."
Some sources noted that the book has potential to become an adapted screenplay. Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
describes Grisham's new book as "following his usual route to the bestsellers list" and projects it as a candidate to be his next hollywood film. Although it is standard Grisham fare, Independent noted that it provides the usual thrills in Grisham's comfortable legal world and should be a gripping read for his usual fans. The Sunday Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
noted that the book could be readily converted to a screenplay, but its critic, Robin Callender Smith, viewed the "ambulance chasing" ethos as a foreign thing that Brits might have to worry about in the near future.
Simakis praised the book for having more depth of character than Grisham's novels customarily do. She compares the protagonist to Mitch McDeere
Mitch McDeere
Mitch McDeere is a fictional character portrayed by Tom Cruise in Sydney Pollack's 1993 film adaptation of John Grisham's The Firm . The character has been cast with Josh Lucas for Entertainment One Television's forthcoming show also named The Firm...
from The Firm and Rudy Baylor from The Rainmaker. Memmott says that most of the claimants that they find are unsympathetic, but a few are from somewhat sympathetic immigrant families. Simakis notes that Wally trades sex for legal services with one claimant. Harshaw says that the book is a bit sentimental and comparatively lacking in terms of secondary character development for Grisham. Larry Orenstein of Canada's Globe and Mail notes that on the dramatic scale this book has instances of laugh out loud humor that make it more like Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
than The Practice
The Practice
The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
, which Boston Legal was spun-off from.
Commercial success
It immediately was listed as the Publishers Weekly #1 best-seller among fiction hardcover books according to ReutersReuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
. It was also listed as the #1 best-seller by The New York Times in the November 13, 2011 book review section for the week ending October 29, 2011 for Hardcover Fiction, E-Book Fiction, Combined Hardcover & Paperback Fiction, and the Combined Print and E-Book Fiction. It dropped from the #1 position in its second week on the list. The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
announced that on Saturday October 29, it would begin incorporating digital book sales in its best seller lists. When the book debuted in The Wall Street Journal list on November 5 for the week ending October 30, it was listed first in Hardcover Fiction, Fiction E-Books and Fiction Combined. It retained the hardcover lead the following week, but lost the other leads. After two weeks it was surpassed on the hardcover list as well.
The book was released the day after Walter Isaacson
Walter Isaacson
Walter Isaacson is a writer and biographer. He is the President and CEO of the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C. He has been the Chairman and CEO of CNN and the Managing Editor of TIME...
's biography of Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
, entitled Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs (biography)
Steve Jobs is the authorized biography of Steve Jobs. The biography is written at the request of Jobs by acclaimed biographer Walter Isaacson, a former executive at CNN and Time who has written best-selling biographies about Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein.Based on more than forty interviews...
, was released by Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
. Jobs had died on October 5 and the release date was moved forward. The Jobs book's release had been moved forward twice; It had been moved from spring 2012 to November 21 after Jobs stepped down and then to the October 24 date after his death. When The Litigators debuted on November 03 on the USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
best-seller list, which does not separate fiction and non-fiction, it debuted at number 2 behind the Jobs book.
External links
- Official Site
- Excerpt at Doubleday (Chapters 1 & 2)