Off Topics

Bankruptcy Fees Are Awhirl In Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy.      The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. has certainly been a financial boon for many involved law and investment banking firms.      Christopher Scinta and Linda Sandler, in their April 13, 2009 article “Lehman Brothers Law Firm Weil Gotschal Seeks $55 Million in Fees” (available for

April 2009 Issue of The American Lawyer Provides Top Ten List.      Who says lawyers are recession proof? Not at all, according to a top ten list of large law firms that have laid off nonpartner attorneys in recent times, as surveyed in an article printed in the April 2009 issue of The American Lawyer.

CelebriTrials Linked by Large Legal Fees Stevens Case Is Dismissed.      Over the weekend, in our April 5, 2009 post, we discussed the criminal trial of former Senator Ted Stevens—which likely cost him at least $2 million in legal fees to defend.      Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan dismissed the case at

DOJ Moves to Dismiss Case After Government Had Problems Turning Over Exculpatory Evidence.      Defending criminal cases can be an expensive proposition. Just ask former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens.      He was convicted on public corruption charges by a jury. However, his case was fraught with problems. Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) Public Integrity Section had

  Co-contributor Mike Hensley Is Quoted.      In “Slim Pickings: Meltdown business should be booming for lawyers. But it’s not,” an article posted on December 17, 2008 at thebigmoney.com, writer Chris Thompson posits that the corporate failure in America should be a big boom time for American lawyers. However, he does not believe that to

Congress Raises Rates $10 Per Hour After 2005 Survey Shows Menial Net Compensation to CJA Attorneys.      After March 11, 2009, attorneys accepting assignments under the federal Criminal Justice Act (CJA) get a $10 per hour pay raise for representing defendants financially unable to retain counsel in federal criminal proceedings. The rates have been raised

Entertainment Conservatorships Do Not Come Cheap.      Since a conservatorship was put in place for 27-year-old singer Britney Spears, the attorney’s fees have really soared. No less than 17 lawyers and firms have had a hand in Ms. Spears’ business and personal affairs since then, according to a March 24, 2009 Los Angeles Time article,

 “Attorney Fee Disputes In a Volatile and Uncertain Economy”     This CLE program on attorneys’ fees is being held this week in San Francisco.     March 19, 2009     Golden Gate Law School     San Francisco, CA     Noon-5pm (with lunch buffet)

County Spent Over $13,000 on Outside Counsel to Collect on $1,004 Detention Debt Owed by Grandmother.      California state law apparently allows a parent or guardian of minors to be charged for their criminal detention through county probation departments, although state law also prohibits billing the indigent. These laws have created quite an uproar when