Patton Boggs is suing a former client in Virginia state court to recoup more than $200,000 in legal fees.
The complaint, filed Oct. 28 in Accomack County Circuit Court, accuses BaySys International LLC of failing to pay $228,919 for legal services provided during a 14-month period starting April 2011.
BaySys specialized in the production of luxury airplane interiors. Steve Walton, former founder and CEO of BaySys, told Legal Times via telephone that the company ceased operations in June. He did not respond to an additional request for comment. Court records do not indicate whether BaySys has hired counsel to defend against the suit. No hearing dates are set.
Benjamin Chew, the Patton commercial litigation partner who filed the suit against BaySys, declined to comment. Patton Boggs’ complaint alleges BaySys failed to pay any of its bills—save for a partial payment of $4,504.72.
In April 2011, BaySys hired Kenneth Reisenfeld, chairman of Patton's international arbitration and dispute resolution practice, to provide general legal services. That year, in October, Reisenfeld modified his representation of BaySys to include defending the company against a lawsuit, according to Patton’s complaint.
The complaint does not name the case. Court records in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia show that Reisenfeld was on the Patton team that represented BaySys in a breach of contract suit brought by Goodrich Corporation in September 2011. Goodrich accused BaySys of failing to make payments for renovations to a Saudi Royal Flight Airbus. In July 2012, a jury awarded Goodrich $1.1 million.
Patton’s lawsuit against BaySys provides a glimpse of the firm’s billing practices. The complaint said Patton partners bill between $410 to $990. Associates, according to the complaint, charge between $240 and $570 an hour.
A contractual letter signed by Reisenfeld and included in the lawsuit against BaySys said that Patton’s fee range varies depending on location and that "certain lawyers with special expertise or experience may be outside these ranges.” Reisenfeld, for instance, said he billed at $715 per hour.
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