With Vikings owner Zygi and Mark Wilf already facing $84.5 million in liability arising from a New Jersey fraud lawsuit, the total expense could now be exceeding $100 million.
According to Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, an arbitrator has decided that the Wilfs should pay more than $15 million in attorneys’ fees incurred by the plaintiffs during litigation that dates back more than 20 years.
A 132-page report from special master Stephen Orlofsky finds that the Wilfs should fully reimburse the plaintiffs for the legal fees associated with pursuing the case.
Morris County Judge Deanne Wilson will hear arguments regarding the issue on December 12.
The American civil justice system generally requires parties to civil litigation to pay for their own legal fees. Certain laws allow the prevailing party to recover legal fees, in order to encourage citizens to pursue relief for certain types of wrongdoing.
The Wilfs were found to be liable on various theories, including fraud and civil racketeering, in connection with a partnership that constructed an operated an apartment complex.