lawrocket 3 #1 April 10, 2007 So LArry Birkhead - the guy who says he's the baby daddy in the Anna Nicole SMith deal - canned his attorney Debra Opri. So she submitted her bill - $620,000 http://www.hollywood.com/news/Birkheads_Former_Lawyer_Hits_Him_with_Her_Bill/3676807 SHe responded, "One can only imagine from whom and for what purposes these stories were started. I cannot comment on unauthenticated documents which were disseminated to the media under suspicious circumstances, and which are covered by client-attorney privilege. I can assure you, however, that all of the fees and expenses incurred on behalf of Mr. Birkhead were reasonable, necessary, and appropriate." This is unconscionable - $620k? Is she high? Even at $475 per hour, that's 1300 hours! I hope he takes her to fee arbitration, My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drdive 0 #2 April 10, 2007 Wow, a lawyer complaining about legal fees!! Will wonders never cease? "We saved your gear. Now you can sell it when you get out of the hospital and upsize!!" "K-Dub" " Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
77r 0 #3 April 10, 2007 He might want to pay that one in installments Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jenfly00 0 #4 April 10, 2007 Quote Wow, a lawyer complaining about legal fees!! Will wonders never cease? Uh, he's complaining about other lawyer's legal fees.----------------------- "O brave new world that has such people in it". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grue 1 #5 April 10, 2007 There is not much on this planet worth $475 per hour, insofar as I can figure. On that short list, you sure as hell won't find paying some asshole to do some paperwork. The fact that you can't do anything without a lawyer these days makes me sick. Not to mention half of 'em can't write something without leaving loopholes easier to get through than the US-Mexico border.cavete terrae. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yarpos 4 #6 April 10, 2007 thats funny coming from a jumper......do the sums on some of those wonderful jump ships that haul our arses/asses to altitude we happily fork out this and more ..... regards, Steve the older I get...the better I was Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BGill 0 #7 April 10, 2007 Quote There is nothing on this planet worth $475 per hour, insofar as I can figure. tunnel time Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sartre 0 #8 April 10, 2007 That works out to $8/hour--hell, that's a BARGAIN!! I'd be all over that! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gawain 0 #9 April 10, 2007 I have a weird feeling that the lawyer's fee was more than $475/hour...that's just me though. Also, might she be billing in the hours used by her staff? I agree, the bill is insane, but for some reason, it doesn't surprise me.... So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright 'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life Make light! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grue 1 #10 April 10, 2007 QuoteQuote There is nothing on this planet worth $475 per hour, insofar as I can figure. tunnel time Shit. you win.cavete terrae. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BGill 0 #11 April 10, 2007 Quote Shit. you win. I always do. Surprised it took you this long to realize it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grue 1 #12 April 10, 2007 Quote Quote Shit. you win. I always do. Surprised it took you this long to realize it. I'll get you next time, Gadget!cavete terrae. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BGill 0 #13 April 10, 2007 QuoteI'll get you next time, Gadget! go go gadget grue? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jewels 0 #14 April 10, 2007 Quote Also, might she be billing in the hours used by her staff? I'm pretty sure you figured out a good part of it. It may be "her" bill, but I'm sure there were several lawyers on it, including other staff (paralegals, etc.). And I'd also be willing to bet that she spent virtually every bit of her day and a lot of evenings, nights, and wee morning hours on his case, to the exclusion of other clients. I agree that $650,000 is one steep tab. On the other hand, the clients in this case have created much of the circus and I'll bet a lot of that circus would have disappeared entirely if there wasn't a huge inheritance sitting in the background. We're not even approaching the price that some professional athletes earn for one season, and at least there's something more at stake here than a game. I don't bring in those kinds of fees and I don't think it's okay for lawyers to milk every dime they can from one case or one client. On the other hand, when it's earned, they're entitled to it. Was it earned here? I have no idea. But I'll bet it took more than one attorney to get there.TPM Sister #102 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
misskriss 0 #15 April 10, 2007 From TMZ.com Opri billed her services out at $475 an hour. Here are some of the charges: - A total of three $1,500 monthly charges for Luck Media & Marketing, Opri's personal publicist. - On March 1, 2007, the day before Anna's funeral, there is a charge of 10 hours for "preparation for and attendance in Bahamas re services and var. meetings re same." On the day of Anna's funeral, there is another 10 hour charge with the exact same language. Ironically, TMZ knows Birkhead asked Opri not to even attend the funeral, but she did anyway. On March 3, Opri charged yet another 10 hours for travel from Nassau back to L.A. - On February 24, 2007, while Opri and Birkhead stayed at a private residence in Ft. Lauderdale during the Florida hearing, Opri billed $600 for Seafood World. We're told she brought four trays of lobster to the house. The bill says, "Dinner gift/Ft. Lauderdale house stay." But it was no gift to Larry. That same day, she billed $211 for items at Publix grocery store. - March 8, 2007, Opri billed $161.65 for an Outback Steakhouse dinner. And get this -- the bill was for $111.65. Opri left a $50 tip and billed Birkhead, who wasn't even there! - Opri billed Birkhead $4,265 for Cingular roaming service while she was in the Bahamas. - Opri billed Birkhead 18 times for Diva Limos that took them to and from the Ft. Lauderdale courthouse to the private residence. - October 22, 2006, Opri billed Birkhead $1,116.16 for a dinner at Graycliff, a restaurant in Nassau. The note next to the charge is "Alexiou atty mtg." Alexiou is Birkhead's lawyer in the Bahamas. Birkhead was not present. - The next day, October 23, Opri billed $2,467.75 at Graycliff restaurant for another meal. The charge again was for "Alexiou atty mtg." Again, Birkhead was not present. - Also on October 23, Birkhead was billed $25.75. The item -- "laundry service Zawacki." Zawacki is Opri's husband, who was present on the trip. Ouch! - Opri's bill reveals that "20/20" is more than a TV show -- it's the number of hours she bills for a "20/20" interview with Larry Birkhead. Opri and Birkhead went from L.A. to New York City on December 9, 2006, did the interview and returned the next day. Opri billed 10 hours travel time each way. In all, the packet of bills Birkhead received today totaled 112 pages. Opri offered Birkhead a bargain: Instead of the $620,492.84 bill, she offered him a discount at $511,365.09, but only if he accepts immediately. Opri wrote, "I'm still willing to accept the discounted billing at this time, but only without further discussion." TMZ contacted James Levesque, Opri's publicist with Luck Media & Marketing. He said, "Debra Opri always gets paid. That's what she does for a living." Beyond that, he wouldn't comment on the bill. Opri could not be immediately reached for comment. UPDATE: TMZ has just obtained a statement from David Owen, Opri's lawyer. He said, "We're pretty confident that her bills are fair and reasonable and he has not paid them. She is entitled to be paid and he stiffed her and her bills are fair and reasonable." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skysmurf2 0 #16 April 10, 2007 I think the problem isn't so much $475 an hour (as thats fairly reasonable for senior lawyers in large practices). As a first year intern the law firm I worked at billed my hours as GBP 110 an hour (roughly USD 200 an hour at today's conversation rate) Thats as a first year law student The problem from that particular bill is that she charged him for incredibly expensive dinners and other rather ridiculous claims. Perfectly within a client's right to refuse to pay for a $1000 meal (especially if the client is not present!) However, have left law world post LLB and LLM to join finance so not sure about present practices! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #17 April 10, 2007 I'm sending her a bill for pain and suffering for being exposed to this kind of crap from her...again. Does $500,000 sound about right?My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 221 #18 April 10, 2007 Quote Wow, a lawyer complaining about legal fees!! Will wonders never cease? Well - one that cries out that the fees were excessive - now - wait - Has he been drinking?I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jewels 0 #19 April 10, 2007 It's tough to know how to interpret all of that. I agree that the expensive dinners are, in normal circles and by normal standards, way over the top. I don't advocate eating excessively well and being entertained at the client's expense and I certainly don't mean by my comments to justify it when attorneys go beyond reason--in this situation, or in any other. In MOST cases, though, the client is looking for straight legal representation and not additional marketing and posturing to present the client in a certain light with respect to public perception. There's a *reason* Birkhead wanted an attorney who has her own publicist. We don't have enough information about how many people were at these dinners, who they were, or what the purpose of the meal was, to know whether this was just living it up in the Bahamas or whether there was a strategic goal behind it, whether misguided or not. I guess the gist of what I'm saying is that these are not your average clients. The high profile nature of the case and the people involved likely means that the approach to litigation is not standard, either. It's a combined job of salesmanship in and out of the courtroom and if Birkhard had wanted a different kind of attorney, there are plenty of them out there. NOW, if the question is whether it's appropriate to "work" the public perception of a litigant and where the appropriate boundaries are in the first place, I think that's an entirely different discussion (not to mention a legitimate one). I'm really not bucking to move this over to SC. I just think that, given the parties involved and the media circus that has developed, there are more considerations here than there would be in a "normal" court case with a "normal" client. Oh, and btw, I think the whole situation with ANS, her own battle regarding her husband's estate, the question of paternity of her daughter, etc., etc., etc., is ridiculous. Please don't anyone think I'm defending it. In the end, my point is really just that there are a lot of client-driven aspects of legal representation. Attorneys can and do get out of line when it comes to fees and/or expenses, but then, much of how a case is handled is also molded by the client's goals and expectations.TPM Sister #102 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #20 April 10, 2007 QuoteIt may be "her" bill, but I'm sure there were several lawyers on it, including other staff (paralegals, etc.). This is my problem - even cutting out $100k for costs, reimbursements, consultants, etc., you're looking at almost 1,100 hours at $475.00 per hour. If she's got staff and other attorneys responsible, then there would be far more than 1,100 hours involved. For less than two months of work, that's pretty fishy (Smith died only two months ago). QuoteAnd I'd also be willing to bet that she spent virtually every bit of her day and a lot of evenings, nights, and wee morning hours on his case Which I believe is a big, big, big problem. The case ain't that complicated, and if this huge amount of time was spent researching laws in Florida and the Bahamas, he shouldn't be paying for her to do that when he could spend WAY less on an attorney in the jurisdiction who already knows what he or she is doing - who here would feel good about paying an attorney $475 an hour for 100 hours to learn the laws, when you could pay a local attorney less hourly who may need to spend 10 hours tops researching the law? There is no good reason to spend that amount of time on a case - her duty is to represent her client's best interests. It seems that she was representing her own best interests. Quote to the exclusion of other clients. Which is as fucked up as you can get. It's unethical, too. So while she's traveling to a funeral (which I can think of no valid professional reason to do) her other clients, who may need emergency orders themselves, will just have to watch television to see why they won't get the assistance they need. Quote On the other hand, the clients in this case have created much of the circus and I'll bet a lot of that circus would have disappeared entirely if there wasn't a huge inheritance sitting in the background She created some circus of her own. Make no mistake about it. Why else would she have her own publicist? The bill would likely be a tenth of the preseent bill if she had spent less time going to the court of public opinion and all of her time readying for the court of law. Again, she's a fucking attorney - not a chaperone. QuoteWe're not even approaching the price that some professional athletes earn for one season, and at least there's something more at stake here than a game. Perhaps she shouldn't have treated it like a game and instead, treated it with the proper solemnity and respect that it deserves, i.e., no publicists, limo rides to the airport, charging $475/hr to fly out and attend a funeral. QuoteI don't think it's okay for lawyers to milk every dime they can from one case or one client. And yet, you mentioned previously that she probably did this to the exclusion of other clients. What she did was wrong. Quotewhen it's earned, they're entitled to it. Unless it's unconscionable. She's a Cali attorney, and Rule 4-200 governs her fee. Here's a link to the Rule. http://www.calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?sImagePath=Current_Rules.gif&sCategoryPath=/Home/Attorney%20Resources/Rules%20%26%20Regulations/Rules%20of%20Professional%20Conduct&sFileType=HTML&sCatHtmlPath=html/RPC_Current-Rules-4-200.html Think this guy knew this would run him in excess of a half a million dollars? What about the difficulty or skill involved - this ain't a novel thing, especially considering that the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act and Uniform Parentage Act are the same nationwide. They don't have it in the Bahamas, but then she really should have no business practicing in the Bahamas. QuoteI'll bet it took more than one attorney to get there. Yep. No doubt. But assuming $475 per hour, that's over 8 weeks of two attorneys working 80 hours per week. And I just don't see that as being at all reasonable. I'll say what I think - she charged Birkhead for an international advertising campaign. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jewels 0 #21 April 10, 2007 I said I'm not bucking to send this to Speaker's Corner, and I'm not. I have agreed that the numbers are impressive. I just maintain that Birkhead is buying more than plain legal representation and that this attorney has positioned herself as something more than being solid in the black-letter law. He knew that when he hired her. That's my last on the subject. TPM Sister #102 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #22 April 10, 2007 Oh, I agree with that. I think that my issue is with attorneys who do that. She shouldn't be billing as an attorney for legal services unless she's performing "legal services." Perhaps he knew that, but I cannot see him as having the level of sophistication to have it understood that she'd be charging money for whatever she found to be appropriate. This is the kind of thing that makes lawyers look bad and is a disservice to the profession. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #23 April 10, 2007 Quote This is unconscionable - $620k? Is she high? Even at $475 per hour, that's 1300 hours! I think you should charge that much. You're worth it, right? In Tacoma, WA attorneys are running $150-$175 an hour, at least the average ones I use. What are some of you out there paying? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
raftman 12 #24 April 10, 2007 Wait a minute. Isn't Larry Birkhead a lawyer himself? If thats the case, its just one lawyer screwing another. I don't see a problem. There are some good lawyers out there, but the other 99 per cent give them a bad name. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildfan75 1 #25 April 10, 2007 No, Birkhead is a photographer. He's the blonde. You're thinking of Howard K. Stern. He's the lawyer, and most decidingly not the father. I guess the $620,000 is lawyers fees has paid off, seeing that Larry now stands to inherit millions as the father. Hopefully he'll provide a more stable environment for her to grow up in than the path that she was on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
