The Minnesota Supreme Court established an eight-factor test to determine a lawyer’s contingency fee after a client fired the lawyer shortly before settling case. The Court held that, under quantum meruit, the “fee arrangement existing between counsel and the client” is one of the factors. Minnesota’s Contingency Fee Factors for Attorneys The eight factors are time…
Yes. Rule 1.5(e) of the Rules of Professional Conduct provides as follows: A division of a fee between lawyers who are not in the same firm may be made only if (1) the division is in proportion to the services performed by each lawyer or each lawyer assumes joint responsibility for the representation; (2) the client…
As the hourly rate for attorneys continues to rise, people may wonder whether excessive rates are illegal. Throughout the United States, many jurisdictions use the Lodestar factors as a standard to determine whether attorney’s fees are “reasonable,” which is usually a legal requirement. The Lodestar standard has been part of the common law, refined by…
Litigation can be an overwhelming prospect. It involves a variety of different stages and terms that are unfamiliar to people who do not work in litigation often. Basic Litigation Terms Here is a brief guide to some of the most basic litigation terms used in Minnesota: Parties: The parties to litigation are just the different…
Increasingly, businesses are putting language into their contracts requiring disputes to be handled by a third-party arbitration firm. And it makes good business sense. Use Arbitration to Save Money Courts have also gotten into the action. More judges are ordering parties to try to settle their conflicts through alternate dispute resolutions such as arbitration or…
Under a new Minnesota state court rule, most cases not filed in court within one year of their commencement (cases start by service of process on the parties) will be dismissed with prejudice unless the parties agree in writing to extend this deadline. “Dismissed with prejudice” means the case cannot be started again, and is…
Preparation for Business Litigation The first step of the business litigation process actually exists outside of the process—it involves speaking with an experienced business litigation attorney. The business owner certainly knows the facts of the situation, and has an opinion as to whether her actions were “right or wrong”. Yet these facts may or may…