Overbilling Alleged

A complaint has been filed by the Illinois Administrator alleging that a Reed Smith associate had inflated hours in two matters

Between August 9, 2019 and August 21, 2019, Respondent recorded billing entries on eight separate days totaling 29.2 hours of purported time. At Respondent’s billing rate of $435, the Firm billed the client a total of $12,702 for the time she claimed to have spent reviewing and coding documents for the 2019 Project. However, Respondent only worked 23.5 hours…

Between March 10, 2020 and June 24, 2020, Respondent recorded billing entries on 49 separate days totaling 197.7 hours of purported time that she claimed to have spent reviewing and coding documents. At her 2020 billing rate of $465 per hour, the Firm would bill the client $91,930.50 for the time Respondent claimed to have spent reviewing and coding documents. However, Respondent only worked 33 separate days totaling 113.1 hours…

The Firm, in reliance on Respondent’s representation on the billing records she created and submitted to the Firm, billed the Firm’s clients for the services Respondent claimed to have provided through June 1, 2020. Upon receipt of the bills, the clients paid the Firm approximately $83,467.50 based on the entries described in paragraph nine, above.

In June 2020, the Firm conducted an inquiry into Respondent’s billing practices. At the conclusion of its inquiry, the Firm determined Respondent had billed more time than she had actually spent reviewing documents. The Firm decided to offer a refund or credit to the client who was charged for legal services that were not provided by Respondent.

(Mike Frisch)