ABSTRACT
Joe Jamail and James Paul Linn were legal heavyweights. Jamail was a “bare knuckles” personal injury lawyer renowned for his ability to wring huge judgments from Texas juries. In 1986, Jamail helped Pennzoil win a $10.3 billion judgment against rival Texaco. The judgment was the largest ever upheld on appeal and netted Jamail $345 million in fees. Five years later, Jamail represented a group of Texans who had lost $20 million on MiniScribe Corp. debentures. The bondholders sought damages from MiniScribe’s officers, the auditors, and the bond underwriters. Linn was the polished attorney chosen by MiniScribe’s auditors to defend
their reputation and assets. Linn’s international clientele included former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos, British rock star David Bowie, and Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. “It’s going to be a good fight,” Linn said shortly before his bout with Jamail. “I expect to prove that the auditors were the victims.”1
