Adobe Stock (2) Logo text The going rate for top legal talent in Hollywood now runs anywhere from about $500 to $2,500 an hour, depending on the firm, the specialty and the stakes.
At the elite end — think major corporate work or bet-the-company litigation at giant firms — rates can hit $1,800 to $1,900 an hour. Even a strong boutique firm is unlikely to come in much below $700 an hour.
For litigation, the meter usually starts running before anyone gets near a courtroom. High-stakes cases often begin with an evergreen retainer — say, $50,000 — that has to be replenished as soon as it’s burned through. And it can go fast: On a heavily staffed case, with multiple attorneys billing at once, that jumbo retainer could disappear in roughly 10 hours.
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For talent, the traditional arrangement is still 5 percent of earnings, though some clients opt for hourly billing, which can in some circumstances end up costing less. Corporate work is generally billed hourly, often in the broader $700 to $2,500 range, with hybrid deals sometimes in the mix. Lawsuits can also work that way, with lawyers charging by the hour while also taking a cut of any settlement.
Then come the extras. Expert witnesses can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000. Research can add several thousand dollars more, and travel expenses may also be billed back to the client. In a major case, those costs can pile up: The clash between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has generated millions of dollars in fees for their attorneys, and Harvey Weinstein has spent an estimated $10 million on his defense.
This story appeared in the April 8 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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