re: Are Top Lawyers Really Billing At $800/hr?

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My opinion is based on if you think it will go to an actual courtroom/arbitration, or not. If this is something that will likely be settled, I would think $800/hr would be too high.

My experience is with my divorce attorney in Houston. He is very well known and because I know him personally, he cut me a "break," at $800/hr and had paperwork/filings done by a lower level attorney at his firm for $400/hr. He was worth every penny once we went to court and I would have been sorely disappointed in the lower level guy, if he was all I had in the courtroom.

Oh, and be prepared to put down a large amount up front to begin covering that hourly rate . . . an it will run out quick

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Ya they're not suing me for anything and Im not suing them, yet, I had him look over my lease and basically the letter they sent me was a courtesy from the attorneys representing my landlord, that when my lease is up in 8 months they will not be renewing it. The attorney told me this is happening to lots of dealers now and basically there is a petroleum marketing practices act in place where you can't just be terminated, they have to make you a legitimate offer to buy the place first. I've been trying to buy it before but have been declined for year, so I just need an attorney to handle whatever is going to happen, I have no idea how many billable hours are required or what will come of it. I just wanted someone to let me know what will come of the letter I received. My tax attorney is the only attorney I pay on a regular basis and he's reaching out trying to find me someone else but this petroleum marketing act is such a small niche of business law that he suggests I just go forward with this guy.

Realistically I dont think you can just kick a franchisee out compensation free in any business unless they're breaking laws or something bc many times people sell businesses without owning the land. I just think here, as the attorney told me, its happening alot bc they're trying to eliminate the middle man today.