Los Angeles’ contract with Susman Godfrey said the city would not seek to bar the law firm from continuing to defend Chevron in climate-related litigation, in the event the city pursues such a lawsuit. Susman is on the team defending Chevron in litigation in New Orleans alleging it and other energy companies harmed the state's coastal areas.
Contingency-fee contract and company responses
Susman Godfrey will be paid on a contingency basis for the work, according to a copy of its contract obtained by Reuters through a records request.
The firm would receive 18% of any settlement fund if the case is resolved early on, and up to 33% at a later stage. The contract said Susman Godfrey can seek compensation only if there is a monetary recovery.
Los Angeles' city attorney office and Susman Godfrey did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for Oshkosh said Los Angeles and other cities are attempting "to turn what they agree are well-documented, industry-wide challenges into something they are not: unsubstantiated legal claims.” Oshkosh said it remains focused on “getting fire trucks to firehouses faster.”
A representative from Terex referred to a prior statement last year from a REV executive, who told a U.S. congressional panel that the fire apparatus industry is "complex and highly competitive."
Dozens of other lawsuits asserting similar claims have been filed by small and large cities since 2025 and consolidated in a federal court in Wisconsin.
The manufacturers have asked a judge to dismiss the earlier federal lawsuits. Lawyers from Jenner & Block are defending Oshkosh and Pierce in those cases. Law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell represents REV Group.
Other law firms representing plaintiffs in the federal litigation include Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro; Cuneo Gilbert Flannery & LaDuca; Simonsen Sussman; and Baron & Budd.
Los Angeles hires Susman Godfrey for fire truck price lawsuit
WASHINGTON, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Los Angeles has hired a top national litigation firm for a new lawsuit alleging major manufacturers conspired to overcharge the city for firefighting trucks and equipment, marking the latest case in a growing wave of similar lawsuits across the country.
The city tapped Susman Godfrey, known for high-stakes business litigation, to bring the case last week in California state court against Oshkosh and its subsidiary Pierce Manufacturing, Terex and its affiliate REV Group, and others.
The lawsuit said the companies "have used their market power, price fixing, bid rigging, and refusal to deal to dramatically raise prices for fire apparatus.” Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States, said it has spent at least $180 million on fire department purchasing, maintenance and repair since 2015.
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