The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s reputation hit a low six years ago when the agency’s new billing system sent out wildly inaccurate bills, overcharging hundreds of thousands of customers.
The chaos prompted widespread outrage and promises by the DWP to fix the problems and reimburse ratepayers $67 million in overcharges.
Now, the billing fiasco is sparking fresh controversy, this time centered on City Atty. Mike Feuer’s office and the role of an outside lawyer it hired to handle litigation stemming from the overcharges.
Attorney Paul Paradis worked for the city as special counsel in its lawsuit against PricewaterhouseCoopers, the consulting giant that implemented the billing system. At the same time, Paradis represented a DWP customer who would become the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the city, according to testimony in the case.
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