Lexington lawyer named one of 2009′s top lawyers

December 16, 2009 | Beth Musgrave | Comments 9

LEXINGTON — A Lexington lawyer who fought for five years to uncover one of the largest legal frauds in Kentucky history has been selected as one of the best lawyers of 2009 by a legal publication.

Lawyers USA, an online and monthly legal news publication, named Angela Ford as one of 10 top lawyers for 2009. Ford is named along with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson.

Ford was named for her five-year, ongoing struggle to recover millions of dollars for more than 430 former clients of William Gallion, Shirley Cunningham Jr., and Melbourne Mills. The three men represented the clients in a 2001 settlement over damages caused by the diet drug fen-phen. Ford filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of the former clients in 2004 that led to a civil judgment against the former lawyers and federal criminal charges.

Cunningham and Gallion were convicted earlier this year of conspiracy and wire fraud charges. Cunningham was sentenced to 20 years. Gallion was sentenced to 25 years. Mills was acquitted but still faces a civil judgment and possible disbarment. Gallion and Cunningham were disbarred last year.

– Beth Musgrave

Filed Under: KY Courts

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Lexington lawyer named one of 2009′s top lawyers

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