Personal Injury Law

Contingent Fee Attorneys Worth Over $1,000 Per Hour in Some Markets

By Michael Myers

The National Law Journal recently came out with information about the billing rates charged by attorneys. Firms accross the country averaged $350 an hour.

But the most expensive firms charged substantially more. Most of these firms were based in cities like New York. But some, like Dorsey & Whitney which has a huge footprint in Seatte, charge substantially more.

Top partners at Dorsey & Whitney LLP charge about $1,180 per hour, while one associate charges $820 an hour. On average, the firm's partners and associates demand hourly rates of $505 and $301, respectively, according to the survey.

The top partners at firms like Dorsey have comparable educational backgrounds and professional experience to the top plaintiffs personal injury attorneys. That means that by entering into contingent fee agreements, injured people are able to retain $1,000 an hour talent with no money up front and unlike the clients at Dorsey they only have to pay if there is a recovery.

Some jurisdictions are considering limitations on contingent fee agreements. Others don't allow them. Limiting contingent fee agreements only serves one purpose: to give corporations and insurance companies an even greater advantage in litigation by limiting injured persons' access to top legal talent.

Full post as published by Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer on December 09, 2008 (boomark / email).