Lauren Gregory Published in American Bar Association's Litigation News, "'Astronomically High' Expert Fees Stricken"

A contentious dispute over an expert witness’s bills serves as a cautionary tale for litigators seeking to avoid a last-minute avalanche of fees as trial nears. In Rothstein v. Harstad, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey held that a lack of communication between counsel and their damages expert resulted in hugely inflated invoices, including $600 per hour charges for menial tasks such as burning CDs.

The court rejected the expert’s attempt to collect the fees, chastising him because he “remained silent on the astronomically high amounts of billings he was accruing.” However, the dispute might have been avoided altogether with better foresight and planning, says Darren M. VanPuymbrouck, Chicago, IL, cochair of the ABA Section of Litigation’s Expert Witnesses Committee. For full content, click here.