Bert Fish suit winners just shy of cool million

Who foots the bill? Why it's the taxpayers, silly

NSBNews.net videos by Henry Frederick / In these two videos shot on the opening day of the merger trial earlier this year,  Bert Fish Foundation lawyer Jon Kaney Jr. and Bert Fish attorney Maryanne Downs, were optimistic the judge would rule in their favor. Kaney won and Downs lost. 

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Everyone made money in the failed Adventists-Bert Fish hospital merger. Everyone that is, except the taxpayers of Southeast Volusia.

The lawyers for the plaintiffs? They just got under a cool million. The CEO of Bert Fish? Bob Williams? He walked away with a cool million, too. The lawyers for the defendants? They made out pretty good, too, with upwards of $3.4 million. 

Darryl Bloodworth, the attorney for the Southeast Volusia taxing district told the Daytona Beach News-Journal in a story published today that  the board will be asked to approve "slightly under $1 million" for the winning plaintiffs' attorneys, Jon Kaney Jr. and Noah McKinnon, in the lawsuit that led to Circuit Judse Richard Graham in February ruling the merger between Adventist Health System and Bert Fish hospital was unlawful.

That's because 21 meetings held over a 21-month period were done behind closed doors in violation of Floerida's Sunshine laws. The architects of those meetings were former CEO Bob Williams and attorney Jim Heekin.

Williams walked away with a $1 million golden parachute and Heekin got an undisclosed amount in legal fees as well, but he and his law form are now being dsued by the district for $22.5 million after acknowledging during the court trial that he gave faulty advice to the board. In all likilihood, his law firm's insurance would pay damages if the board prevailed.