Business Development

Bar Group Sues Texas Lawyers Who Practiced With Businessman

A committee of the Supreme Court of Texas has filed suit in state court against five lawyers and a politically connected businessman, contending that they collaborated in the unlicensed practice of law. Because the businessman, Mauricio Celis, is not a lawyer and operated a law firm in Corpus Christi, the…

Dec 5, 2007 1:26 AM CST

Fee Suit Against Reed Smith Claims Bigger Isn’t Better

A religious nonprofit has sued Reed Smith alleging the firm engaged in inappropriate billing practices and charged excessive fees of nearly $1 million. The Bair Foundation claims in its suit that Reed Smith overstaffed its defense of the foster care organization in a routine suit by two employees claiming religious…

Dec 4, 2007 11:35 AM CST

Bonds May Be Beefing Up ‘Legal Dream Team’

All-star slugger Barry Bonds is said to be assembling his own star-studded team, this one to defend him against perjury and obstruction of justice charges starting with a court appearance next week. On the possible short list is John Keker, a well-known San Francisco criminal defense attorney, according to the…

Nov 29, 2007 11:53 PM CST

Court Doesn’t Void $42M Contingency Deal Reached Before Settlement

A New York appeals court has refused to toss a 40 percent contingency agreement that resulted in a tab of about $42 million for work in an estate battle on top of $18 million in hourly fees and $5 million in “gifts” to three partners. The contingency agreement between 83-year-old…

Nov 29, 2007 3:17 PM CST

Judge Awards $4.2M Fees in Microsoft Case, a Fraction of the Request

A judge in Wisconsin ruled this week that Microsoft owes a Minneapolis law firm $4.2 million in fees and expenses. The underlying case involved one of the last antitrust lawsuits Microsoft was fighting, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. The case settled in 2006, but the fee continued on. The Business…

Nov 27, 2007 10:53 PM CST

Lawyers Seek Unpaid Fees From Anna Nicole’s Estate

A Texas law firm has sued the estate of the late Anna Nicole Smith to recover unpaid legal bills. Houston-based Cunningham Darlow filed a creditor’s claim Nov. 16 in Los Angeles Superior Court, arguing the firm hadn’t been paid for representing Smith in her battle over the estate of her…

Nov 27, 2007 6:26 PM CST

Milberg Weiss Sued Over Settlement

Texas billionaire Sam Wyly is among the investors who have filed a suit against Milberg Weiss that claims the law firm quickly settled a shareholder lawsuit to make big attorney fees. The suit claims the law firm settled the suit against Computer Associates to reap $40 million in attorney fees…

Nov 27, 2007 4:37 PM CST

Lerach Could Earn $50M in Enron Fees

Securities class-action lawyer William Lerach, who has pleaded guilty to paying kickbacks to lead plaintiffs, could get as much as $50 million in attorney fees from a settlement in Enron-related litigation. The Wall Street Journal Law Blog reported the figure based on anonymous sources familiar with the distribution. Lerach’s firm,…

Nov 26, 2007 11:35 AM CST

Judge: Put Capital Appeals in Lower Calif. Courts; Lawyers: Pay Us More

In an effort to deal with a backlog of death penalty appeals and speed up the appellate process, the chief justice of the California Supreme Court is calling for a constitutional amendment to allow some of the appeals to be shifted to lower state courts. It now reportedly takes more…

Nov 21, 2007 7:57 PM CST

Record $700M in Attorney Fees Sought in Enron Litigation

San Diego securities class-action firm Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins is seeking a record $700 million in fees for plaintiffs lawyers in litigation against professionals accused of aiding Enron accounting fraud. A $700 million attorney fee would be the largest ever in a securities class action, the Wall Street…

Nov 21, 2007 11:30 AM CST

Fee Arb Bars Legal Malpractice Suit

A divorce client who unsuccessfully contests her matrimonial counsel’s bill in arbitration can’t then turn around and sue for malpractice over the legal fees the law firm charged her, a New York appeals court has ruled. The arbitration was over a claim filed by Laurie Wallenstein with a grievance committee,…

Nov 20, 2007 9:26 PM CST

Attorney Fee Expert Angers Judge

A Philadelphia judge has chastised an expert witness for his testimony challenging attorney fees in two cases, including the class action case against Wal-Mart for unpaid overtime. In opinions issued last Wednesday, Judge Mark Bernstein criticized the defense witness, John Marquess of Legal Cost Control Inc., for testimony in the…

Nov 19, 2007 6:45 PM CST

Kansas Utility Owes CEO $2.46M in Defense Costs

Echoing a similar holding by a federal judge concerning another company executive, a special master in Kansas state court has found that a utility company wrongly refused to pay $2.46 million in legal fees to defend its former chairman and CEO in a criminal fraud case. The utility, Westar Energy…

Nov 15, 2007 7:17 PM CST

Warner Norcross & Judd Enters Flat-Fee Deal With Whirlpool

Michigan law firm Warner Norcross & Judd, tapped as Whirlpool’s North American business litigation counsel, has agreed to set up a flat-fee billing arrangement with the appliance maker. Jay Cragwall, the client service manager for the Whirlpool account, told the National Law Journal that the arrangement can benefit both sides.…

Nov 15, 2007 2:15 PM CST

Judge Adds $49M in Atty Fees to Wal-Mart OT Bill; Total Nears $200M

A judge in Pennsylvania has awarded $49 million in attorney fees to plaintiffs counsel in a successful class action against the world’s biggest retailer over unpaid overtime, bringing the total judgment in the state court case to nearly $200 million. Including $10 million in interest that has accrued since an…

Nov 14, 2007 10:28 PM CST