More Exxon Valdez money coming

Since November 2008, lawyers for commercial fishermen and other plaintiffs in the Exxon Valdez case have been paying out punitive damages and interest in stages.

And the process is continuing.

On Monday, federal Judge Russel Holland approved yet another distribution totaling $24.5 million before deduction of attorney fees.

Here's the lengthy payout list for this round.

It shows some pretty big amounts to be distributed across 51 claim categories.

For example, I saw a couple of claims topping $200,000 in the Chignik salmon seine category, and several for $100,000-plus in the Kodiak salmon seine category.

According to the Seattle law firm handling the distribution, this payout could take "a number of weeks" to complete because of possible impairments on the claims.

Exxon payments might come by year's end

The Seattle administrator who won court approval yesterday to distribute almost $300 million in Exxon Valdez interest is "committed to issuing payments before year end assuming no court orders or appeals to the contrary."

Click here for more details about the payout schedule, as well as deductions to be made from individual payments.

Here comes the Exxon money

Sure enough, Judge H. Russel Holland today signed the order authorizing distribution of a big piece of the interest money in the Exxon Valdez case.

I'll get back to you as soon as I know more about the timeline for sending checks and direct deposits.

Meantime, here is the main payout list, broken into two parts:

Distribution list, part 1

Distribution list, part 2

An Exxon Valdez update

In case anybody doubts it, David Oesting, the lead lawyer for thousands of fishermen and other plaintiffs in the Exxon Valdez case, appears to be working his butt off to get his clients paid.

As you'll recall, when we last visited our favorite 20-year court battle, the judge had just ordered a delay in Oesting's plans to distribute close to $300 million in interest payments from Exxon Mobil Corp.

In this eight-page response, Oesting forcefully attempts to explain to the judge that processor Seafood Sales Inc. and a lawyer purporting to represent cannery workers are trying to grab an extra $27.6 million.

Their "dramatic request," if granted, could mean six months of further delay and potentially blow up a complex allocation plan everybody agreed to years ago, Oesting writes.

One other note: The principal behind Seafood Sales is Terry Bertoson. He's also the owner of Sea Hawk Seafoods, which likewise made a play for more cash but was shot down.

Judge delays huge oil spill payout

The Exxon Valdez case — pardon my metaphor. Wesley Loy photo

As you might recall, Deckboss reported in early September how lawyers for the thousands of plaintiffs in the Exxon Valdez case were seeking to distribute the largest sum yet — close to $300 million in interest payments from Exxon Mobil Corp.

That post included a long list showing dollar amounts each person in the affected claim categories could expect.

Well, it seems we now have — big surprise here! — yet another delay in this marathon case of constant waiting.

On Oct. 9, federal Judge H. Russel Holland signed this order explaining why he can't yet approve the big money handout.

"The prospect of delaying that distribution troubles the court a good deal," Holland writes.

The delay has to do, in part, with a challenge from cannery workers hoping for additional payments.

Once the issue is resolved, and assuming no further snags, the distribution will commence in late November or early December, lawyers for the plaintiffs say.

That will take us through a full year since the process began to distribute winnings accumulated so far from Exxon.

Lawyers try to save big payout after Exxon objects

Last month we told you about a huge payout of money coming in the Exxon Valdez case. This is the interest on the U.S. Supreme Court's punitive damages award.

Since that post, Exxon Mobil Corp. filed an objection that jeopardized the payout happening quickly.

It's complicated, but in a nutshell, Exxon contends that lawyers holding money for the plaintiffs failed to mark down the company for $4.4 million it believes it's owed back under "assignment agreements" with some fish processors.

To get around the problem, lawyers for the plaintiffs have submitted a new plan to the judge for approval. The plan would reserve the disputed sum for Exxon but otherwise go ahead with the massive distribution of interest money.

It means, however, that the figures needed to be slightly rejiggered in terms of what commercial fishermen and other plaintiffs can expect.

Overall, the lawyers now aim to distribute $294.5 million — down from the $299 million originally proposed — covering 17,297 claims in 47 categories.

Here is the new, two-part list reflecting the new proposed payment amounts before deduction of lawyer fees:

Payment list, part 1
Payment list, part 2

Huge round of Exxon Valdez payments coming

Since last December, lawyers for plaintiffs in the Exxon Valdez oil spill case have been gradually distributing $383 million collected thus far as punitive damages.

Now they're preparing to hand out an even bigger sum — $470 million.

This is interest Exxon paid July 1 on the punitive damages award the U.S. Supreme Court ordered last year.

Yesterday, lawyers asked federal Judge H. Russel Holland of Anchorage for permission to distribute almost $299 million of the interest money to 17,297 claimants in 47 categories.

Unless I'm mistaken, this will be the biggest single chunk of Exxon Valdez money to be paid out to date.

Here is a very long list, in two parts, showing gross amounts each claimant is to receive:

Payment list, part 1
Payment list, part 2

I scanned the list and saw lots of payments in excess of $100,000, with some topping $200,000 and even $300,000.

Caretakers of the Exxon Valdez money also are proposing to hand out some additional chunks. Read the details here.

Exxon reportedly to pay interest

Exxon Mobil Corp. will heed the recent ruling from a federal appeals court and pay interest on the U.S. Supreme Court judgment from last year.

That's the word from Frank Mullen, a Homer salmon fisherman and closer watcher of the 20-year Exxon Valdez case.

Mullen says in an e-mail that Brian O’Neill, one of the lead lawyers for the plaintiffs, announced the news to a group of Cook Inlet fishermen on Saturday.

The lawyer said the interest amounts to as much as $540 million, which is an even larger sum than the $507.5 million in punitive damages the Supreme Court awarded.

"Brian assured the crowd that checks for the interest portion of the award would be forthcoming in September," Mullen wrote.

I've checked with the court, but nothing official has been filed from lawyers on either side of the case.

I've also checked the Web site of the Seattle law firm that's handling distribution of Exxon Valdez money, but nothing is posted there either about the interest.

Deckboss has no reason to doubt Mullen's report, however.

More on today's Exxon Valdez ruling

Here's a sliver of additional information on the appeals court decision holding Exxon Mobil Corp. liable for interest payments in the spill case.

"Any party seeking a rehearing must do so within 14 days of today's ruling," says Seattle law firm Keller Rohrback, which is handling distribution of damages to fishermen and other plaintiffs.