Outside lawyers for 2020 protest lawsuits have cost the city more than $20 million
Outside lawyers for 2020 protest lawsuits have cost the city more than $20 million
The City of Seattle has spent $20.1 million on outside counsel fees for four lawsuits related to the 2020 George Floyd protests, according to the city attorney’s office. Nearly $13 million went to K&L Gates, a multinational corporate law firm the city hired to pitch in on Taylor v. Seattle. That suit was initiated in September 2020 by the family of protester Summer Taylor, who was struck and killed by a vehicle during a demonstration on I-5.
More than 50 people injured during SPD’s violent response joined the lawsuit as co-plaintiffs. Taylor v. Seattle covers most high-profile incidents from the 2020 protests, including the shooting of Daniel Gregory by a police officer’s brother outside the East Precinct. Another plaintiff is Aubreanna Inda, whose heart stopped after a blast ball struck her.
Because of its scope, the suit has dragged on for more than two years, but a trial date has been set for mid-October. The city settled the other large protest-related lawsuit in February, agreeing to pay business owners $3.6 million for damages sustained during the protests and the abandonment of the East Precinct. Outside legal services for that lawsuit cost $6.7 million.
Since the George Floyd protests began three years ago, 19 US cities have paid more than $80 million to settle protest-related lawsuits.
Though it’s hard to predict precisely what the city will pay to settle Taylor v. Seattle, the final bill will likely be high. The George Floyd protests in Seattle lasted longer than those in most cities and were met with intense force. Some of the costlier settlements in other cities approached $10 million.