The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that a court sitting in admiralty has inherent authority to alter a contingent fee contract for legal services entered into by an uncounseled seaman. In the instant case, plaintiff foreign seaman retained an attorney to represent him in a personal injury suit against the owner of a ship on which he was injured. The contingent fee contract called for recovery (assuming success in the litigation) by the attorney of all expenses and advancements, as well as 40% of the gross recovery. In this case, the award was such that plaintiff seaman, who had long-since returned to his home in Bangladesh and could no longer work as a seaman due to his permanent injuries, would receive nothing in the final disbursement.