KEY POINTS:
Law firm Kensington Swan has topped the list of recipients of legal aid payments, a legal website says.
LawFuel, a legal news and job website, has published the latest legal aid payments, obtained under the Official Information Act.
The figures showed Kensington Swan as the largest beneficiary of legal aid payments for the 18-month period until December 31, 2007.
The firm was paid more than $3.6 million in that period, including more than $1.3 million in the six months until the end of last year.
Second on the website's "Legal Aid Rich List" was Wellington lawyer Sonja Cooper, who has been suing the Government on behalf of psychiatric patients for the past several years. She was paid $2.8 million in legal aid in the 18-month period.
Other top earners included the Auckland Maori law chambers of Charl Hirschfeld (more than $2.8 million), Wellington's Rainey Collins, who also handle substantial Maori claims work, (more than $2 million), Rotorua's Rangitauira & Co ($1.6 million), Wellington barrister Greg King ($1.4 million), and former Victoria University lecturer John Miller ($1.3 million).
The highest earning region in the past six months was Waikato/Bay of Plenty, with the top 10 recipients receiving more than $3.8 million. By contrast, Canterbury's top 10 earners took $1.7 million.
CHEQUE LIST
Top Five legal aid earners - 18 month period to December 31, 2007, rounded to nearest $1000:
* Kensington Swan $3,625,000
* Sonja M Cooper $2,865,000
* Charl Hirschfeld $2,818,000
* Rainey Collins $2,080,000
* Rangitauira & Co $1,618,000
- NZPA
