California School District Loses Breach of Contract Case and Gains Millions in Expenses

A small school district in California loses yearlong breach of contract case. The jury issued a $12 million judgment against the school district. The school district entered into a contract with a solar contractor to build and install solar panels on its campuses. Then, the solar contractor sued the district for $18 million in damages. […]
Lawyer Keeps Billing Client-Even Charges for His Own Sanctions

An Illinois lawyer was recently cited for billing a client for his own sanctions. The Iowa Supreme Court disciplinary board reprimanded Cameron Davidson, an attorney, in connection with his work representing Deer Co. The lawyer kept billing the client and even charged the client for his own sanctions. According to the disciplinary board, Davidson failed to […]
Chicagoland Attorney on Short Leash After Fabricating $69,000 in Receipts

A former Sidley Austin partner, Lee Smolen, admitted to submitting $69,000 in fake taxi cab receipts. He claims that he did so in order to circumvent the firm’s tight reimbursement policy. He alleges that he made legitimate expenses in the same amount but it was too burdensome to file reimbursement claims for those expenses. Instead, he […]
Judge Admonishes Attorney in Legal Fees Dispute

A Pennsylvania judge admonished a local attorney regarding legal fees. Another law firm earned the fees in a successful settlement with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) following a tragic shooting. The Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic Shooting On March 8, 2012, John Shick went on a shooting rampage in the Pittsburgh Western Psychiatric Institute and […]
Betting on Lawsuits

While many law firms bill clients by the hour, some, including The Patterson Law Firm, offer rates that are contingent on the outcome of the case. In certain cases, if we think that there is a good chance of a positive outcome in a large lawsuit, we will withhold from billing by the hour in […]
Ethics in Business Litigation

The recent disclosure of one law firm’s emails seem to reveal over-billing or churning of cases, which should be of concern to every business lawyer. An individual’s reputation is an integral component of a career. Firms can develop reputations based on the actions of only a few of their lawyers. Additionally, the profession as a […]