Texas-based Mike Watts, who denies the claim, is also acting for a number of claimants seeking compensation from the energy giant after the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But BP says that he has 'misrepresented' the position of some of his clients. They accuse him of trying to overstate the number of people he represents in order to improve his chances of being on the lawyers' steering committee over Deepwater Horizon. 

'Innocent man'

BP said in the filing: 'In short, more than 98 per cent of the Watts claimants never even filed a claim with the seafood compensation programme, while 96 per cent of the claims that he did file have been denied.' Lawyers for Mr Watts said he was 'an innocent man' and had 'never committed identity theft and did not defraud BP or anyone else'. Source: Financial Times