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The Ethics of Billing by the Hour for 'Recycled' Work

One of the most difficult attorney billing issues is how a lawyer may receive fair compensation for the "intellectual property" value of work products reused for a later client. An attorney who has spent substantial time developing interrogatories, jury charges, legal memoranda or other such documents for one client naturally will want to "recycle" the same materials when they are relevant to later clients. But on what, if any, basis can the lawyer legitimately bill for this recycled work?

18 minute read August 01, 2003 at 02:09 PM
By
William G. Ross
The Ethics of Billing by the Hour for 'Recycled' Work

One of the most difficult attorney billing issues is how a lawyer may receive fair compensation for the “intellectual property” value of work products reused for a later client.

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