Top Ten Richest Lawyers

So, who are they? Here is a quick look at the richest lawyers in the world, ranked from the lowest net value to the highest. Please be aware that the individuals on this list are practicing lawyers or judges. There are plenty of additional "attorneys " using a considerably higher net worth, but they just have a law degree and no more use it.

Jane Wanjiru Michuki: $60 million

Educated in the Kenya School of Law and Warwick University, Jane Wanjiru Michuki is a managing partner at Kimani & Michuki Advocate, a corporate law firm in Nairobi, Kenya that represents Many of the biggest companies in Kenya, such as Equity Group Holdings Limited. In addition to her law career, she is the biggest female stockholder in the Nairobi Stock Exchange, which is where a good bit of her net worth comes from.

William Lerach: $900 million

Although he had been disbarred in 2009 for his participation in a kickback scheme, William Lerach had a rewarding career as a corporate attorney with a specialty in private securities class actions lawsuits for over 30 years, which is the way he amassed his considerable fortune. Nicknamed the "King of Pain" and often referred to as the most feared lawyer in American during his heyday, Lerach, a University of Pittsburg School of Law graduate, holds the record for the largest sum ever recovered at a group of securities class actions lawsuits for its $7.12 billion decision he obtained against Enron.

Mark Geragos: $25 million

A 1992 graduate of Loyola Law School, Mark Geragos is a criminal defense attorney who has also been engaged in a number of landmark civil litigation class action instances. He has represented everyone from Chris Brown, Michael Jackson, and Winona Ryder into Scott Peterson and Susan McDougal. Named "One of the 100 Most Influential Attorneys in California," he holds a listing for one of the top 10 verdicts in California history for a 2008 situation where he obtained a jury verdict awarding over $38 against a pharmaceutical firm. He currently serves as a managing associate at Geragos and Geragos.

Thomas Mesereau: $25 million

Also a criminal defense lawyer (Are you noticing a trend?) , Thomas Mesereau graduated from Harvard University and The University of California's Hastings College of Law and has was named "Trial Lawyer of the Year for 2015" by the National Trial Lawyers. (He's won plenty of other awards such as "Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year. ") He is known for taking high stakes instances with hopeless odds and getting extraordinary results. He was Michael Jackson's lawyer when he was acquitted of 14 child molestation charges and has won an unprecedented three federal criminal jury trials in a row. While his hourly rate is so large it's not printed, he does pro bono work through the Mesereau Free Legal Clinic.

David Boies: $20 million

Currently serving as the chairman of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, David Boies previously served as Chief Counsel for the US Senate. He graduated from Yale University in 1966 and almost instantly made a name for himself. He amassed his fortune by representing a number of large corporations, such as IBM, Napster, George Steinbrenner (proprietor of the NY Yankees), CBS, and the NBA Players Association during the 2011 NBA lockout. According to Fortune magazine, he's "corporate America's number 1 hired gun. "

Wichai Thongtang: $1.1 billion

Considered by many in the industry to become "one of the top titles in the profession from across the planet," Wichai Thongtang is a strong lawyer in Thailand. After graduating from Thammasat University in 1970, he moved into corporate law, where he represented a number of leading Thai executives and businesses and took the opportunity to learn about the stock market and investing. In addition to his law career, Thongtang is the Chairman of Cable Thai Holding PLC and owns 15 percent of Dusit Medical, a Bangkok healthcare firm.