Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Money Changes Everything

By Janet Ellen Raasch
October 31, 2006

Very few attorneys really understand what their hourly rates mean to a client. It is not a number, according to Peter Darling, a former litigator and current CA-based business-development consultant (http://www.peterdarling.com/). Few clients select their lawyers based on fees. Rather, the decision is usually driven by emotion.

'How can two attorneys with identical resumes and records command dramatically different hourly rates?' Darling asked when he spoke on the subject of lawyers and legal fees at the monthly program of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association, held Jan. 10, 2006, at the Denver Press Club. 'It happens all the time, although there is no rational or scientific reason for it. But there is a human one.

'The $300-per-hour attorney appeals to the client's logical wants ' the client wants an attorney to solve a problem ' at the lowest cost. The $600-per-hour attorney appeals to the client's emotional needs ' the client needs to feel defended, protected and in control. Cost becomes irrelevant. The emotional need for safety overrides the rational need to minimize fees.'

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws Image

This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Removing Restrictive Covenants In New York Image

In Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?

Fresh Filings Image

Notable recent court filings in entertainment law.