office, whether in person or by phone, and not at the home of a member of Attorney’s staff, or a cell
phone, etc., except where strictly necessary and where advance arrangements for such contacts have
been made at the office. It is understood that any meetings outside of normal office hours (i.e., 8:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) or phone calls to a member of Attorney’s staff at home or by cell phone are
extraordinary events, and are discouraged. Where Client’s schedule or other requirements
necessitate phone calls or meetings outside of regular office hours, or at the home or cell phone of
any member of Attorney’s staff, a premium rate of 2 times the normal billing rate for that staff
member applies to all time taken for such meeting or phone call.
Client understands that Attorney’s office works by appointment and scheduling, such that all client
meetings must be by appointment. In the absence of other arrangement made in advance by an
attorney in Attorney’s office, appointments for office visits should be made through the paralegal
case manager assigned to the case.
As a general proposition, everything you tell us, or we tell you, is and will be treated as confidential
information, protected by the “attorney-client privilege” against disclosure. There are certain rare
exceptions. For example, we might be required to reveal information necessary to prevent death or
substantial bodily harm. However, if the client shares privileged information with third parties it
loses that protection – the third party (even relatives or financial backers) can be deposed or
examined at trial as to what they know and why they know it. Additionally, the applicable ethics
rules prohibit us from taking direction from, or giving confidential information to, a third party who
happens to be supporting the client, or paying the client’s legal costs.
In certain extremely rare circumstances, we permit contact by, and either taking information from,
or giving information to, such third parties, at our sole discretion. The normal rule, however, and
what you should expect to apply, is that we will not respond to inquiries from any third party, no
matter how trusted they might be by the client, and third parties may not be the conduit for the
passing of confidential information to, or from, the client.
5. LEGAL FEES.
Client agrees to pay for legal services at the following rates: $550 per hour for Marshal S. Willick,
Esq., $325 to $450 per hour for Senior associates, $200 to $300 per hour for Junior associates, and
$110 to $200 per hour for paralegals/legal assistants. All personnel billing for their time will do so
in 1/10 of an hour (i.e., six minute) increments, and will round to the nearest such increment.
Client agrees that these fees are reasonable on the basis of Attorney’s ability, training, education,
experience, professional standing and skill, and the difficulty, intricacy, importance, and time and
skill required to perform the work to be done.
It is understood by Client that ALL time expended by personnel in Attorney’s office on Client’s case
should be expected to be billed at the rate for those personnel. It is not possible to list all the work
that may be required in working on Client’s case, but it is understood that such work (by attorneys,
or legal assistants/paralegals) includes time spent on phone calls to or from Client, or on Client’s
behalf, reviewing or handling incoming documents from Client, the opposing party, the Court, or
any third party, and drafting, preparing, editing, reviewing, etc., pleadings, letters, documents, or