Leviathan of litigation who proves Democrats are playing for keeps

ANY lingering doubts about Al Gore's seriousness of purpose inpushing his claim to the presidency to the limit were removed in onetelling moment on Tuesday.

Warren Christopher, the vice president's "observer" inTallahassee, introduced the "latest addition" to the Gore legal teamat his daily news conference.

It was not another faceless lawyer. Instead, Mr Christopherintroduced one of the true leviathans of American litigation, DavidBoies.

Mr Boies was none other than the nemesis of Bill Gates, the ownerof Microsoft. It was he was spearheaded the US government'ssuccessful anti-trust action against Microsoft, which has left theworld's biggest computer software firm toiling to prevent beingbroken up into several different companies.

But Mr Boies has claimed many other high profile scalps. In thesame week last year that the initial ruling against Microsoft wasdelivered, he got seven of the largest drug companies to pay out$1.7 billion over a lawsuit alleging price fixing.

He also successfully represented the internet song-swap siteNapster in its recent case against the Recording IndustryAssociation of America.

With a track record of almost unsurpassed success, Mr Boies hasnow targeted Katherine Harris, Florida's secretary of state,criticised by the Gore camp as a Bush partisan.

On Tuesday, he issued a "see you in court" warning after a rulingfrom a state judge which acknowledged Ms Harris's power to setdeadlines for voter returns but urged her to show discretion.

"We would all hope that the secretary of state, having receivedthis guidance from the court, would do the right thing," Mr Boiessaid.

"Now, if the secretary of state arbitrarily refuses to accept theamended returns based on the recount, and violates what this courthas ruled is her duty, which is to accept those results unless shehas a good reason not to, then we may be back in court."

It is a fair guess that the Gore campaign is paying top-notchfees for Mr Boies' services. He can command them.

Three years ago, he gave up a $2 million-a-year partnership withthe elite New York law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore because hewanted to represent clients with interests at odds with the clientsof some of his partners.

Mr Boies later represented the New York Yankees in an anti-trustcase against Major League Baseball, the sport's governing body.

Last week it was announced that the Gore campaign had set up arecount committee, for which funds were being solicited. Already,this week, it was disclosed that $3 million had been raised for thecommittee.

Mr Boies, with his courtroom virtuosity, is the first tangibleresult.