Milberg To Settle Kickback Case For $75 Million

LOS ANGELES — The Milberg law firm said yesterday it will pay $75 million to settle a federal kickback case involving class-action lawsuits against some of the nation's biggest corporations.

The New York firm said in a prepared statement the deal called for the government to dismiss all charges against it.

The U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles, which is handling the case, declined immediate comment.

The firm was accused of making $250 million over two decades by filing legal actions on behalf of professional plaintiffs who received $11.3 million in kickbacks.

The firm was charged with aiding and abetting mail fraud and money-laundering conspiracy. A trial had been expected to start in August.

Then known as Milberg Weiss, the firm dominated the industry in securities class-action lawsuits, which involve shareholders who claim they suffered losses because executives misled them about a company's financial condition.

The deal was disclosed in a statement by a member of the firm's executive committee, Sanford Dumain.

"This settlement enables us to move forward with our continuing representation of investors and consumers in class actions and other important lawsuits, and allows us to capitalize on the tremendous talents of the lawyers at the firm," he said.

The firm will make payments to the government totaling $75 million over the next five years, the statement said.