“I knew what the March invoice would be in January. That let me keep paying my own people while the case went on.”
Renata K.Owner, a restaurant supply company
Business and property litigation in Cincinnati
Your lawsuit, with the fee in writing before the first filing
We sue and defend in contract, partnership, construction and insurance disputes, for companies and the owners behind them. One flat monthly fee covers every hour our lawyers put in.
- Court and filing costs
- Expert witness fees
- Trial days
90 min
First look: the papers read, a meeting, a written budgetMonthly
One fee for every lawyer and paralegal hour
Crossed out above: what the fees leave out. Costs are billed at what they cost us, and trial days are quoted once a date is set.
Fees
Three ways we bill, each with its fine print
Pick the one that fits where you are. Each card says what is in it and what isn't, so the first invoice is the one you expected.
A first look
A partner reads the papers and meets you for 90 minutes, then writes a note on options, risks and a budget. The first look has a set fee, quoted when you book, and it is credited in full if you start the case within 30 days.
Book a first lookA case in court or arbitration
One monthly fee, set in writing before we start, for every lawyer and paralegal hour from the first filing to the last day of mediation. The size of the case sets it. Stop at the end of any month, on 30 days' notice.
Ask about a caseTrial days
Quoted in writing once the court sets a date, with two lawyers at the table. How long the trial runs moves the fee.
Ask about trial
Court filing and service fees, deposition transcripts, and expert and mediator fees are costs. We bill them at what they cost us, without a markup, and ask before spending any large amount.
Practice areas
The four kinds of dispute we take on
Plaintiff or defendant, company or owner. Each page says what the monthly fee covers in that kind of case.
Partner and shareholder disputes
Deadlocked owners, buyouts and a minority owner shut out of the books.
Partner disputes
Construction disputes
Unpaid subcontractors, liens, delay claims and change orders nobody signed.
Construction cases
Insurance coverage disputes
Denied property and business-interruption claims, and insurers that won't defend.
Coverage disputes
What clients told us after their cases closed
“Otis read the drawings before he read the contract, and found the change order the general contractor never signed.”
Wade P.Electrical subcontractor
“The first look told me the lawsuit wasn't worth filing. I paid for one meeting instead of a year of fees.”
Ferris M.Partner in a two-office veterinary practice
Sample comments. Each client's case is different, and none of these promises a result in yours.
Before you ask about the fee
What does the monthly fee pay for?
Our time, all of it: calls, emails, drafting, depositions, hearings and the mediation day. You won't see an hourly line on any invoice.
What isn't in it?
Money we pay to others for your case: court fees, process servers, transcripts, experts and the mediator. We pass those on at cost and ask before any one of them becomes a large expense.
What happens if the case goes to trial?
Once the court sets a trial date, we quote the trial days in writing. You decide then whether to go ahead with us.
Can I stop paying if the case settles?
Yes. The monthly fee ends the month the case ends, and you can also stop it at the end of any month with 30 days' notice.
Do you represent the people suing or the people being sued?
Both. About half our cases start with a client who has been served, and half with a client who wants to bring a claim.
Send us what you've received
Tell us who the other side is first, so we can check for a conflict. A lawyer answers, not a call center.
Phone(513) 555-0162
HoursMonday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm