Joseph Cotchett

Taking on Wall Street's prominent financial institutions hasn't gotten in the way of this trial lawyer's pro bono work. His firm recently led Oakland, Los Angeles and Stockton in lawsuits alleging banks and brokers cost these cities millions in a conspiracy to rig municipal bond rates. He also worked with Lawyers for Clean Water to provide free legal services for a group of California Indian tribal leaders in an environmental case against PacifiCorp. The high-profile Democratic contributor also came up against the Bush administration, when he agreed to represent ex-CIA agent Valerie Plame and her husband, former Ambassador Joe Wilson in their lawsuit accusing senior government officials of intentionally revealing Plame's identity in retaliation for her husband's criticism of the administration's case for the war in Iraq. That case is on its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.