The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is spending millions of dollars to lawyer up for a flurry of lawsuits over its handling of the Palisades Fire.
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At least a dozen plaintiffs are already suing the utility, alleging that it failed to mitigate the fire’s destruction due to fire hydrants running dry and the Santa Ynez Reservoir being empty. Many more lawsuits are expected.
The L.A. Times reports that LADWP approved a $10 million contract with top law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson to defend the utility. Partners at the firm charge up to $1,975 per hour.
The L.A. Times also noted that Munger, Tolles & Olson began representing the city five days after the Palisades Fire began – a marked contrast the utility’s long delay in fixing the Santa Ynez Reservoir, which LADWP officials said was partly due to the lengthy competitive bidding process for repair work.
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