Bucks County, Pennsylvania, has engaged the plaintiffs’ law firm Cossich Sumich Parsiola & Taylor LLC under a contingency-fee agreement to pursue litigation on its behalf. This information comes from a legal services contract obtained through a public records request.
Cossich Sumich Parsiola & Taylor LLC, based in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, represents both public and private clients in various legal matters including environmental and toxic tort cases. The firm has previously been involved in litigation concerning chemical exposure and industrial contamination.
According to the legal services agreement, the firm will receive a contingency fee of 25% of any gross recovery obtained through settlement, arbitration, or court judgment. If Bucks County does not secure a recovery, no attorneys’ fees or litigation costs are owed.
A July 2025 white paper by the Washington Legal Foundation raises questions about municipalities retaining private law firms for public-interest litigation. Authored by former Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, it argues that such contingency-fee arrangements could reduce transparency and weaken taxpayer oversight.
The agreement also specifies that Cossich Sumich Parsiola & Taylor LLC is entitled to 40% of any attorneys’ fees recovered in the case, matching the share allocated to Baron & Budd P.C. Both firms have agreed to share responsibility for representation and remain available for consultation with Bucks County.
The contract allows the firm to advance litigation expenses like expert witness fees and investigation costs, which are reimbursable only from a recovery. Additionally, it grants the attorneys a lien on any settlement or judgment proceeds obtained on behalf of the county.
