Prestigious law firm, Jackson Lewis, announced it is eliminating the billable hour for its associates on January 1, 2015, focusing its concentration on alternative fee arrangements instead.[2] It appears that Jackson Lewis (“the firm”) believes eliminating billable hour requirements throughout its nationwide offices will shift its associates’ focus to more efficient practices to achieve the […] Read More...
Posted On February 25th, 2015 by Legal Fee Advisors
In an October 2014 decision, the Supreme Court of Florida ruled that certain Florida statutes allowing awards of attorney’s fees to the prevailing parties were, in fact, applicable to the class action suit brought by firefighters and police officers for pension plan benefits.[1] This class action was brought by a retired beneficiary of the plan […] Read More...
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Posted On February 18th, 2015 by Legal Fee Advisors
A fee application was filed by Napoli Bern & Associates’ for $69.6 million in expenses, in addition to $152 million in gross fees, while co-representing Ground Zero workers afflicted with various illnesses after their heroism was successfully challenged by legal partner, Worby Groner Edelman, LLP.[1] In 2004, Napoli Bern partnered with Worby Groner to represent […] Read More...
Posted On February 4th, 2015 by Legal Fee Advisors
In an August 2014 opinion, while recognizing that it is well established that an attorney may receive fee payments for legal fees via credit card, The New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Professional Ethics (“Committee”) stated that attorneys may not charge that credit card for disputed fees. The New York Rules of Professional Conduct […] Read More...
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Posted On January 28th, 2015 by Legal Fee Advisors
A Law 360 article dated December 3, 2014 by Aebra Coe entitled Biggest Cos. Foresee Legal Cuts in 2015, reports that a significant number of legal in-house departments of companies with revenue in excess of $10 billion will be focused on reducing outside legal fees in 2015 as they begin to institute cost containment programs […] Read More...
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Posted On January 21st, 2015 by Legal Fee Advisors
On October 28, 2014, The New York Court of Appeals reversed an appellate court’s ruling that a contingent fee agreement was “unconscionable when made” thereby ordering the firm’s payout be paid in an hourly rate thereby significantly reducing their reward.[1] Since 1983, Alice Lawrence, the widow of commercial real estate tycoon, Sylvan Lawrence, had been […] Read More...
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Posted On January 14th, 2015 by Legal Fee Advisors
In a recent California decision, a district court judge slashed requested attorney’s fees of $244,711.68 by roughly half for billing in quarter hour increments, duplicative attorney’s fees, and unnecessary travel expenses, among other reasons. The case, Zest IP Holdings, LLC v. Implant Direct Mfg., LLC.[1] was originally brought by Plaintiffs alleging patent and trademark infringement. […] Read More...
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David Paige quoted in an Omaha.com article on alternative fee arrangements. Please click on the link below to view the article: DP Published: Legal Fee Advisors’ David Paige was quoted in “To benefit clients and attorneys more firms trade the billable hour for flat fees” Read More...
Posted On December 17th, 2014 by Legal Fee Advisors
In a June 2014 decision, an attorney in a divorce action who did not have a fee agreement in writing with his client was not allowed to use a lodestar multiplier for his fee award. This case involved an attorney who represented his client in two divorce cases. The attorney claims that he initially told […] Read More...
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Posted On December 10th, 2014 by Legal Fee Advisors
A recent survey by HBR Consulting LLC showed corporate legal spending growth slowing and more legal work being moved in-house over the past year[1]. Lauren Chung, senior director of HBR’s law consulting practice suggested that in an effort to control costs corporate consumers continue to pressure their law firms for alternative fee arrangements, including outcome-dependent […] Read More...
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