ALM Legal Intelligence

Bankruptcy Billing Rates Report

The Bankruptcy Billing Rates project contains over 13,000 bankruptcy entries for the period August 2008 through August 2009, encompassing the Southern District of NY and Delaware courts.

These rates were culled exclusively from court documents submitted to the nation's two busiest bankruptcy courts - the Southern District of NY and Delaware - by firms seeking compensation for legal work done in Chapter 11 cases filed between Aug. 1 2008, and Aug. 31, 2009.  Excluding General Motors, NY - Case No. 09-50026 - for which firms did not file for compensation with the court until after our research was completed.

The rates are merely a snapshot of what lawyers were charging in 2008 and 2009.  Because the U.S. bankruptcy code requires that lawyers attest to their usual and customary hourly billing rates, we view the rates as reliable.

The spelling of names, use of initials, attorney title and home office location were entered in accordance with biographical information available on firm Web sites, Martindale-Hubbell's list of attorneys and other professional websites.

Sometimes firms offer reduced rates and we account for the differences wherever identifiable.  NB: Lawyers often have left the firms where they are listed or have since made partner or retired.

Because firms adjust their rates at different times throughout the year, the listed hourly rate may not be current with the rates being charged by the date of publication.  Some of the rates indicated may be a blended rate, although every effort has been made to avoid using blended rates.  If court papers indicated a range of hourly rates for an attorney, the highest rate available was used.

Practice length - sometimes firms reported only how long he individual practiced at that firm or in that court.  However, the attorneys may actually have more experience, which is why we included law school year.

Style -- In keeping with the Daily Report's style, fact-checkers removed LLCs, LLPs, etc. from the names of most of the firms (one exception is that of Steptoe and Johnson because there are two firms in the US with that name:  an LLC and a PLLC).

Odd looking rates: Sometimes, the firm only lists the discounted rate (usually any listed rate not ending in a 5 or zero).

Highlights: Anywhere you see highlights (notes column) means the fact-checker wanted to call your attention to something.  Some indicate that a rate expressed in a currency other than US dollars.

In the case of Hawaii: You will see a few rates from Hawaiian court.  The case started in NY and was moved to Hawaii.