WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent New York attorney known as the “Queen of Torts” for her courtroom defense of some of the country's top companies is tackling a vastly different job — running the $2.78 billion fund to compensate ground zero workers and others who say they were sickened by the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack wreckage.
The Justice Department tapped Sheila Birnbaum for the post on Wednesday, citing her previous work as the mediator in lawsuits brought by families of the victims of the attack. In that role she negotiated a settlement of $500 million for 92 families who sought claims.
“My first priority will be to sit down with the people who will be most affected by the program, and see how we can design a program that is fair, transparent and easy to navigate,” Birnbaum, 71, said in a statement announcing her appointment. “The fund needs to get up and running quickly. At the same time, I want to make sure we do it right.”
Birnbaum has spent much of her career working for big corporations, often fighting to reverse damages against them. The former elementary school teacher has been nicknamed the “Queen of Torts” and “Madame Products Liability” for her success in complex, massive tort and insurance litigation.
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