The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) recently published a report that scrutinizes the political donations of twenty New York-based law firms from 2017 to 2023. The report discovered that these firms collectively contributed $4,701,674 to campaign and political action committees (PACs) during this period.
According to the ATRA's report, the two largest donors were Sacks & Sacks and Gair, Gair, Conason, which donated $553,350 and $538,480 respectively. Three other donors—Block O’Toole & Murphy, Wingate Russotti & Shapiro, and Kramer Dilloff—each contributed more than $400,000. The data for this report was sourced from the New York State Board of Elections.
The ATRA's report also identified fifteen campaign committees that have received over $10,000 from these top trial lawyer donors since 2017. LawPAC of New York—an affiliate of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association—received a total of $3,249,228 from the firms listed in the report between 2017 and 2023. This made it the largest recipient. Campaign committees associated with Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) were the second and third largest recipients at $465,554 and $272,500 respectively. The report highlighted that LawPAC has been used to bundle trial lawyer contributions for distribution in larger amounts than individual contributions would allow.
According to a piece by the New York Post, LawPAC’s legislative priorities have included bills that simplify filing lawsuits, increase litigation rates and result in larger payouts for personal injury attorneys. Governor Hochul recently vetoed a medical malpractice bill for the second time; this bill would have allowed families to sue for damages related to pain and suffering rather than having to claim "economic hardship."
In an official statement, the ATRA acknowledged that despite Governor Hochul being among the top recipients of donations from these law firms, she has maintained a "commonsense" approach when dealing with "egregious" priorities from the New York trial bar. However, state lawmakers continue to support legislation that leads to increased litigation. ATRA President Sherman "Tiger" Joyce said that "the close financial ties between trial lawyers and politicians raise concerns about undue influence and a lack of transparency."
The ATRA is a nationwide network of state-based legal reform groups, as per its website. The American Council of Engineering Companies established the ATRA in 1986 and was soon joined by the American Medical Association. The ATRA operates at both state and federal levels to ensure fairness in the civil justice system.