One of my least favorite tasks -- & I'm sure others' as well -- billing time! "As Abraham Lincoln once said, "A lawyer's advice is his stock in trade." That short phrase has been repeated by attorneys throughout the years and is etched on brass plaques hanging in law firms worldwide. "Clearly, Abe knew the value of his expertise. He also was reportedly a stickler for...
I guess this shouldn't be surprising news to anyone who's followed the Enron mess: "To the list of employees, investors and businesses who suffered financial misfortune in Enron Corp.'s demise, add this one: the law firm defending former chief executive Jeffrey K. Skilling. "Los Angeles-based O'Melveny & Myers LLP, which has represented Skilling on both civil and criminal charges...
And at least who will pay the legal bills has been decided: "Purdue Pharma has settled with its insurer over lofty legal costs the drug maker had racked up in defending against OxyContin suits. "None of the pending OxyContin lawsuits has gone to trial, WSJ reported. The report further noted that, although insurance payment disputes are common, the Purdue-Steadfast imbroglio was a...
Have paralegal billing practices gotten out of control? The New York Sun seems to think so: "A bitter legal brawl over attorneys' fees has erupted in a national cosmetics pricing class action lawsuit, with feuding camps of plaintiffs' lawyers slinging allegations of flagrant billing abuses and extortion. "Among the alleged abuses were bills of $195 an hour for work by paralegals who...
Interesting news about a company that audits legal bills: "Harry Maue tried to start a legal auditing business three times before getting his company off the ground in 1985."Stuart, Maue, Mitchell & James Ltd. of Bridgeton helps companies manage their legal bills, which can be a mystifying and burgeoning expense in a litigious society. "The third time, an article about the...
Do higher billing rates for lawyers -- partners & associates -- mean paralegal rates will be climbing too? Perhaps, but it's definitely "a good time to be a lawyer." "Billing rates for law firm attorneys jumped last year, with partners and associates raking in more dollars per hour than ever before. And at least one partner now charges $1,000, the first four-figure hourly rate...