Caption: Attorney General John Jeremie
By Prior Beharry
SINCE assuming office on May 1, 2025, the Government has paid $82 million out of $151.6 million in outstanding fees owed to attorneys.
This was revealed in a written response to a question posed by Stuart Young, MP for Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West, to Attorney General John Jeremie.
Young asked the Attorney General to provide details regarding attorneys-at-law briefed or retained by the Office of the Attorney General (including the Solicitor General’s Department) between May 1, 2025, and January 31, 2026. Specifically, he requested the number of matters each attorney was retained for, the nature of those matters, and the amount paid to each attorney.
In his response, Jeremie stated, “Upon assuming office on May 1, 2025, the Attorney General met outstanding invoices totaling $151,611,135.22; of this amount, $82,393,780.12 has since been paid as detailed.”
Breakdown of Fees Paid
Out of the $82.3 million paid, foreign law firms accounted for the largest portion of the disbursements. UK-based Charles Russell Speechlys was the top foreign earner, while Senior Counsel Israel Khan topped the list of local attorneys.
Asked to comment on the answer from Jeremie, Young said, “It was predictable that the AG would seek to deflect on the briefs that he has given out since May 1, 2025, by saying he met unpaid legal bills.
“What is clear is that in the period of less than one year there are questions to be answered with respect to how legal matters that the state is involved in are being handled since May 1, 2025, and in particular, whether matters are being compromised and on what basis they are being compromised.”
Here is a breakdown of the top earners:
| Attorney / Law Firm | Location / Category | Amount Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Russell Speechlys | Foreign Firm (UK) | $27 million |
| Steptoe International (UK) LLP | Foreign Firm (UK) | $18.8 million |
| White & Case LLP | Foreign Firm | $7.7 million |
| Israel Khan, SC | Local Attorney | $3.4 million |
| Jagdeo Singh (House Speaker) | Local Attorney | $2.9 million |
| Ian Benjamin, SC | Local Attorney | $1.3 million |
| Anthony Bullock | Local Attorney | $1.3 million |
OUTSTANDING LOCAL FEES AS AT APRIL 30, 2025:
