‘King of Torts’ Joe Jamail dies at age 90

Joe Jamail, a Texas billionaire who became the richest practicing attorney in the U.S. after winning jury verdicts in civil lawsuits that included a $10.5 billion award for Pennzoil in its landmark case against Texaco during the 1980s, has died. He was 90.

His death was confirmed Wednesday by the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, where Jamail was an alumnus and supporter.

Dubbed the “King of Torts” for his victories against large corporations, Jamail was lead counsel in more than 200 cases that resulted in verdicts or settlements of at least $1 million for clients in personal injury matters, according to his website. His representation of Pennzoil in a case against Texaco over the purchase of Getty Oil led to a record jury verdict of $10.5 billion.

Bloomberg News

This story was originally published December 23, 2015 at 2:04 PM with the headline "‘King of Torts’ Joe Jamail dies at age 90."