Entrance to the 708 Mental Health Board building.
Nine law firms applied to provide legal services for the 708 Mental Health Board.
Zukowski, Rogers, Flood and McArdle was the one selected.
It charges $175 per hour and bills in quarters of an hour. The proposal says the firm bills “no charge” on many phone calls.
Others desiring the work follow:
- Ancel Glink
- Campion, Curran, Lamb & Cunabaugh
- Hinshaw & Culbertson
- Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins
- Prime Law Group
- Elizabeth Ragan
- Robbins Schwartz
- SmithAmundsen
The cost quoted in their proposals follow:
Ancel Glink – Per hour charges: $205 for partners and senior associates, $190 per hour for associates and $125 an hour for associates. Copies cost 23 cents a page. I could not find a minimum billing unit.
Campion, Curran, Lamb & Cunabaugh – $1,500 per month retainer (11 hours included), $150 per hour beyond that (“well below their Standard rates ranging from $250.00 to $365.00 per hour”). Copies over 50 a month would be charged at cost. I could not find a minimum billing unit.
Hinshaw & Culbertson – Per hour charges: senior partner $330-$450, partner $250-$325, associate $185-$260. I could not find a minimum billing unit.
Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins – Per hour charges: $200 for partner, $195 senior associate, $190 associate, $135 paralegal, $105 law clerk. Copies 20 cents a page. I could not find a minimum billing unit.
Prime Law Group – Per hour charges: Attorneys $125-200 per hour paralegal $60-100. Estimated billing range: $123.75 to $128.25. I could not find a minimum billing unit.
Elizabeth Reagan – $200 an hour. Retainer “open for discussion.” Billing in 15 minute increments. Copies 23 cents a page. I could not find a minimum billing unit.
Robbins Schwartz – $175-200 per hour or monthly retainer of $5,000 for non-litigation matters. Non-color photocopies 10 cents a page. I could not find a minimum billing unit.
SmithAmundsen – Hourly costs: partners-$225, paralegal-$110. No charge for “routine telephone calls, or faxes, photocopies, administrative overtime, administrative file review procedures or administrative filing services.” I could not find a minimum billing unit.
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Information was extracted from replies to Request of Proposals for legal services submitted to the McHenry County Mental Health Board.
If I have misinterpreted any of the charges, please drop me an email (address on the left) with any corrections.
I was looking for the minimum billing unit because attorneys I have hired have billed in tenths of an hour, in other words for every six minutes. If phone calls are billed, it seems to me that few would take more than six minutes.
I don’t know these firms well enough to comment, but I DO know that you don’t hire law firms — or other professionals — solely (key word: solely) on the basis of price.
There is nothing more expensive than a bad lawyer.
Figure out which firms are competent, make sure they will represent the board (the taxpayers) and NOT the current administration (as at MCC), and then, if you can’t tell them apart on any objective basis, from the list of qualified firms choose the cheapest.
There is nothing as useless as a saying that has no meaning.
There is nothing more expensive than a crooked attorney who knows you will pay the bill.
Did I accidently prove your useless saying wrong?
One might argue that a bad lawyer would be much cheaper if he erred on the side of not suggesting the board take action.
And after the board took a several hundred thousand dollar bath, you are worried about a fictional hypothetical bad lawyer?
Amazing, just amazing.
Excellent choice! T
his firm has represented dozens of public clients for decades.
Those public clients had hundreds of elected board members that retained Zukowski, year after year.
They will do an excellent job at a reasonable rate.
Dear Watching On:
I am confused by your comment (as well as your vitriol). I suggested a method for choosing an attorney or other professional: first, eliminate the incompetents; second, pick the cheapest from among those who are competent.
So please explain where I have erred.
P.S. I would also suggest making clear to the attorney that he or she represents the taxpayers, not the current administration. The attorneys for MCC clearly think Vicky Smith is their client, and MCC has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to squash FOIA requests.
Steve, I have to agree with you.
The Firm that was chosen has some real history in McHenry County.
Start with being the Firm that represented Lake In the Hills, and Lakewood, when they wanted to site a landfill on Rt. 47, and then the Lakewood Golf Course.
The boards were protected, not the taxpayers.