Stop Loss

A contested hearing has resulted in a public admonition by a Three-Judge Virginia Circuit Court for the City of Richmond

The problem was a bill to the client who had issued a stop-work directive

On August 16,2016, Respondent emailed Ms. Tzannakos with a bill for his law firm’s time through the end of Februáry 2016. VSB Ex. 10. The bill for the month of February 2016 alone was $14,680. All of the S 14,680 was billed after Ms. Tzannakos had asked Respondent to put everything on hold ….” VSB Ex. 6. More than $9,000 of the $14,680 was billed after Respondent had sent Ms. Tzannakos a letter terminating her. Time entries for the month of February 2016 included several hours for legal research.

The court found the fee unreasonable

In support of its ruling, the Court found that Respondent’s billing of Ms. Tzannakos was unreasonable because he had continued billing her after she had told him to stop work and after he had terminated her as a client.

In Virginia, an accused attorney can elect to have the matter heard by circuit court judges rather than a subcommittee of the State Bar Disciplinary Board. (Mike Frisch)