Tag Archives: Over Billing

Yet Another Cautionary Tale

Posted on May 21, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

In 2000, Elizabeth Berardi hired New York law firm Phillips Nizer to help negotiate and draft a post-nuptial agreement with her husband.  According to a May 17, 2016 article on abajournal.com titled, “Judge OKs malpractice suit over law firm’s successful … Continue reading →

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Pulling Back The Curtain On BigLaw – And Many Smaller Firms Too

Posted on February 7, 2015 by The Legal Reformer

We’ve all seen or heard about the high-end law firms, the ones with the well-appointed offices and the high billable hour fees.  Large or small, some of these firms are harboring a secret – one that can affect how they treat … Continue reading →

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“Is Your Lawyer’s Bill Too High?”

Posted on April 12, 2014 by The Legal Reformer

We have written about HALT.org (Help Abolish Legal Tyranny) in previous posts and its work for transparency in attorney discipline and reporting on state bar associations’ secrecy in the handling of attorney ethics complaints.  HALT also has a number of self-help brochures … Continue reading →

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“Rake” TV Show – Surprisingly Accurate

Posted on March 21, 2014 by The Legal Reformer

One of LPR’s followers suggested we watch last week’s episode of Rake, a new legal drama on Fox.  In last Friday’s episode, “Staple Holes,” the lead character, Keegan Dean, leaves his solo practice to join his best friend’s white shoe … Continue reading →

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Law Firm Refunds Fees . . . Voluntarily!

Posted on February 13, 2014 by The Legal Reformer

Imagine you hire a high-end law firm to handle a dispute for you.  The firm handles the matter to your satisfaction and, while the bill seems high, you willingly pay the fee.  Now imagine several months later you receive a … Continue reading →

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Manhattan Judge Rules For The Legal Consumer – Again!

Posted on January 23, 2014 by The Legal Reformer

Manhattan Civil Court Judge Frank P. Nervo issued an opinion on January 14, 2014 denying a law firm’s $126,000+ legal fee request for recovery of a $6,400 security deposit in a residential lease case.  The “BigLaw” firm, Mayer Brown LLP, submitted the 14 … Continue reading →

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Is Your Lawyer Guilty Of “Punchbowling”?

Posted on September 26, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

On legalproductivity.com, in an August 19, 2013 post titled, The Worst Business Lawyer Habit: “Punchbowling,” author Mike Moore told the story of an in-house attorney who turned a simple two-page contract to engage outside counsel into “an 8 page single-spaced monstrosity.”  The in-house attorney’s … Continue reading →

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Manhattan Judge Rules For The Legal Consumer

Posted on July 19, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

Manhattan Civil Court Judge Frank P. Nervo recently ordered attorney Ronny Buni to repay his former clients, Gerald and Vivian Klienerman, over $21,000 of the $22,000+ in fees they paid him, plus interest.  Attorney Buni had filed a civil suit … Continue reading →

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You Can’t Judge Attorneys By Their Reputations

Posted on May 25, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

So you’ve hired the most expensive, well-respected lawyer in the city to handle the most important dispute of your life.  Think that guarantees you will be well represented? Think again. On May 21, 2013, The Washington Post reported that the Virginia Bar … Continue reading →

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Instructive: United States Trustee Program’s Proposed Billing Guidelines

Posted on May 19, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

The United States Trustee Program (USTP), an agency of the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with “overseeing the administration of bankruptcy cases and private trustees,” has issued updated proposed guidelines for attorney compensation in chapter 11 cases with $50 million or … Continue reading →

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