Top Ten Richest Lawyers In America

So, who are they? Here is a fast look at the richest attorneys in the world, ranked from the lowest net worth to the highest. Please note that the people on this list are practicing lawyers or judges. There are plenty of additional "lawyers" using a considerably higher net worth, but they just have a law degree and no longer use it.

David Boies: $20 million

Currently serving as the chairman of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, David Boies formerly served as Chief Counsel for the US Senate. He graduated from Yale University in 1966 and almost immediately made a name for himself. He gathered his fortune by representing a number of large corporations, including IBM, Napster, George Steinbrenner (owner of the NY Yankees), CBS, and the NBA Players Association during the 2011 NBA lockout. According to Fortune magazine, he is "corporate America's number 1 hired gun. "

Harish Salve: $6 million

At 59 years old, Harish Salve has worked hard to create a reputation as one of India's top (and most expensive) lawyers, specializing in commercial, constitutional, and taxation law. Salve, that comes from a long line of attorneys and previously served as the Solicitor General of India, currently charges customers about $45,000 a day. In addition to representing several government entities, large corporate clients, and industrialist Mukesh Ambani, he's represented Bollywood celebrities in criminal cases. In fact, he's often known as famed actor Salman Khan's "guardian angel" for keeping him from jail on a hit and run charge. (Indian prisons are renowned for harsh conditions)

Wichai Thongtang: $1.1 billion

Considered by many in the industry to be "one of the top names in the profession from across the globe," Wichai Thongtang is a powerful lawyer in Thailand. After graduating from Thammasat University in 1970he went to corporate law, where he represented a range of leading Thai executives and businesses and took the opportunity to learn about the stock exchange and investing. In addition to his law career, Thongtang is the Chairman of Cable Thai Holding PLC and owns 15% of Dusit Medical, a Bangkok healthcare company.

Roy Black: $100 million

Still another civil and criminal defense attorney, Roy Black, a graduate from the University of Miami, is the senior associate at Black, Srebnick, Kornspan, & Stumpf. For more than 40 decades, he's represented high profile customers, such as William Kennedy Smith (acquitted on rape charges), Albertson's, Inc., and Helio Castroneves. Known by many in the industry for getting "the very best national reputation in Florida," he also acts as a legal advisor on "The Now Show" and "Good Morning America" and instructs advanced criminal signs at the University of Miami.