Troutman v. Southern Railway Co.
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
441 F.2d 586 (1971)
Southern (defendant) engaged attorney Troutman (plaintiff), a personal friend of President Kennedy, to lobby the President and DOJ on the merits of an unfavorable ICC rate order, promising in exchange to consider a joint property development; testifying government officials confirmed they acted solely on the merits without personal influence from Troutman, and after Southern reneged on the development promise, Troutman sued for the reasonable value of his services.
Whether, where a company asks an attorney who has access to both the President of the United States and other members of government to present the company's case against a federal regulation, the agreement between the attorney and the company violates public policy because of the attorney's use of influence.