How it works

From the first letter to the last ruling

Most business disputes end before trial. These are the stages they pass through, and where each one usually stops.

01
Step 1: A first call
You tell us who the other side is and what the dispute is about. We check for conflicts before you share details.
02
Step 2: The papers
You send the contract, the correspondence and anything you were served. A lawyer reads it all and calls with a first view and the deadlines.
03
Step 3: A written plan
Within a few weeks you receive a short memo: the claims and defenses, what each stage costs, and the outcome we'd aim for.
04
Step 4: Letters, then pleadings
Many cases settle on a well-made demand letter. If not, we file or answer, and the court sets a schedule.
05
Step 5: Discovery and depositions
Each side exchanges documents and questions witnesses under oath. This is where most of the cost, and most settlements, happen.
06
Step 6: Mediation, trial or arbitration
A mediator, a judge, a jury or an arbitrator. We prepare for the last of these from the start.

Fees

How the firm charges

Hourly, with a budget
Most cases are billed by the hour. You get a budget for each stage before it starts, and a detailed invoice every month.
A retainer up front
Hourly matters begin with a retainer held in the firm's trust account and drawn on as the work is done.
A share of the recovery, sometimes
For some claims to recover money, we can work for a percentage instead. You'd still owe case costs such as filing fees, depositions and experts, as the written agreement says.

Tell us about the dispute. We'll call with a first view and a number.