WH / Fees
No surprises on the invoice. Every engagement begins with a written fee model and a budget for the first phase, and you approve each phase before we begin it.
WH / 01 · Fee models
Most matters use one or two of these. A small team is what makes the last three possible: there is no pyramid of timekeepers to pay for.
Senior rates on a small team. Fewer hours billed by fewer people, so the total is often lower than a larger firm's blended bill.
Best for Defending claims, board investigations, and disputes whose shape is still unclear.
One agreed price for a defined stretch of work, such as an injunction hearing through decision. You can put the number in front of your board.
Best for Expedited deal cases, earn-out arbitrations, Wells submissions, and appeals.
A reduced hourly rate or a fixed monthly fee, plus an agreed share of any recovery. Our own capital sits at risk beside yours.
Best for Plaintiff trade-secret and licensing claims, avoidance and trust litigation, and opt-out actions.
A ceiling on fees for a defined scope, sometimes paired with a discount or a bonus tied to milestones you choose.
Best for Clients who need cost certainty for a budget cycle or a board approval.
WH / 02 · By practice
Usual model
Partner-led hourly when defending; success fee or partial contingency when bringing the claim.
Also available
A cap for a budget cycle or a board approval.
Usual model
Fixed price per phase, from filing through the hearing and decision.
Also available
A success fee on earn-out or purchase-price recoveries.
Usual model
Phase pricing for investigations: the inquiry, the Wells response, the resolution.
Also available
Hourly with a cap for class-action defense.
Usual model
Success fee or contingency for avoidance and litigation-trust claims.
Also available
Partner-led hourly for committee and ad hoc group work.
WH / 03 · The budget
A litigation budget is written phase by phase. You approve each one before it starts, and you hear from us before any phase runs over, not on the invoice.
An illustration, not a quote. Your budget is written for your matter after we have read the documents.
Conflict check, reading the key documents, the complaint or the motion to dismiss.
How it is priced Fixed fee, quoted once we have read the core record.
Document review, depositions, and retaining experts.
How it is priced Monthly budget with a cap, and a written alert at 80% of it.
Summary judgment, expert challenges, and the hearings on them.
How it is priced Fixed fee per motion.
Pretrial order, jury selection, trial, and post-trial motions.
How it is priced Fixed fee per trial week, or hourly with a cap, agreed before jury selection.
Briefs, the record, and oral argument.
How it is priced Fixed fee per brief and argument.
WH / 04 · Billing
Fee arrangements on this sample site are illustrative. On a real firm's site, terms depend on the matter, the court, and the professional rules that apply, and every arrangement is set out in a signed engagement letter. More answers on the FAQ page.
WH / Consultation
Tell us the matter and the deadline. The partner who would lead it will suggest a fee model and the budget for the first phase, in writing, before any work begins.
Or call (555) 014-7700. Conflicts checked within one business day.