News and Events

July 23, 2012

Jonathan Stepanian writes Litigation News article on attorney flat fees

McQuaide Blasko attorney Jonathan B. Stepanian has published an article in the American Bar Association's Litigation News concerning the complexities of attorney flat-fee agreements.

The June 2012 Litigation News article reports on a case in which an Iowa criminal defense attorney entered into a fee agreement under which the client agreed to pay $225 per hour with a $2,500 retainer and $2,500 minimum fee, which the attorney kept after the state dropped the charges. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the minimum-fee agreement "was clearly unethical" under Iowa precedent. However, the article notes, different states have reached different decisions regarding "reasonable" fees. Read the entire article.

Mr. Stepanian is a shareholder in McQuaide Blasko's Hershey office. His practice focuses on litigation, complex medical professional liability defense, health care law, and numerous issues associated with day-to-day hospital operations.

He is an associate editor of Litigation News, one of two American Bar Association national publications directed specifically to litigators and members of the association's Section of Litigation. Published quarterly in print and available online, Litigation News presents articles on the latest developments in law, litigation trends, and other topics of interest to litigators.