Michael Rynowecer writes as “The Mad Clientist” and his latest post, Outtakes for the Client Service Laboratory makes you wonder just what kind of drug-induced haze so many seem to live in. Take these two examples:
- A partner in an AmLaw 50 law firm conducted a client feedback interview with a large client. This same partner sent a single, separate invoice for the time for the interview—$1,042—clearly labeled as such.
- “I received a call from someone (one of my attorneys) who asked me if I wanted them to do something for me. I said, ‘No’ and they billed me $400 for the phone call.”
–General Counsel, Fortune 1000 Retailer
Is it possible for lawyer to be so desperate for billable hours that he or she would do something quite as stupid as done either of these examples? Or is it just good old-fashioned dumber-than-a-box-of-rocks stuff?