Attorney Kenneth Feinberg is no stranger to emotionally charged negotiations. Some 30 years ago, he served on presidential commissions handling sensitive Agent Orange litigation.
But what he's most well-know for his taking on the harrowing task of determining compensation for the survivors and families of those lost on Sept. 11, 2001.
Feinberg later became the fund administrator following the shooting at Virginia Tech, and was appointed Special Master of TARP Executive Compensation by the treasury secretary in 2010. He is also the former administrator of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, established by the Obama administration to process claims for compensation arising out of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010.
Currently, Feinberg is the administrator of the General Motors faulty ignition-switch compensation fund. The fund recently extended its deadline to file claims to Jan. 31, 2015.
Feinberg has developed a unique legal practice – overseeing victim compensation funds. In other words, dealing with the messy reality of trying to place a value on an individual life.
He talked with KNPR's State of Nevada about his career while in Las Vegas to deliver the Judge Lloyd D. George Lecture on the Judicial Process at UNLV's William S. Boyd School of Law.
Guest:
Kenneth Feinberg, managing partner with Feinberg Rozen LLP
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