Legal Billing Requirements that Demand Legal Project Management

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BUDGETS

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Outside counsel must provide ABAG PLAN with a written budget setting forth the scope of work for every legal project, as well as the estimated fees and disbursements. This budget shall be a part of the Legal Project Management Plan to be submitted within 45 days of your retention for any ABAG PLAN matter.

The budget should explain all of the assumptions on which it is based and specify the following: (i) a detailed description of each separate task, such as motions, pleadings, depositions, reports. etc.; (ii) the name and billing rate for each lawyer and legal assistant to be involved; (iii) the amount of time each task is expected to take; and (iv) the budgeted charges for each task, broken down by month.

The budget is to be updated every six months, without exception. You should notify us promptly in the event unanticipated issues cause the estimated legal fees or disbursements to vary significantly from those projected in the current budget.

Budgeting should be based upon prior experience with similar cases, particularly cases your firm has handled on behalf of ABAG PLAN. Knowledge of the practices and expertise of the opponent's counsel should also be a consideration.

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LEGAL MANAGEMENT PROJECT\n\n

For any matter, outside counsel, in consultation with the ABAG PLAN Representative. must prepare a Legal Project Management Plan for the matter within 45 days of retention. as the initial report to ABAG PLAN. The Plan should include a written statement regarding: (1) the scope of the work: (2) the strategy to be pursued; (3) the staffing required; (4) estimated legal fees and significant expenditures, as outlined in the Budget section of these requirements; (5) the estimated settlement value; and (6) the advisability of alternative dispute resolution. If it appears that a case will go to trial. a separate estimate of trial costs should be prepared no later than the close of discovery (usually thirty days before trial). Any significant changes to the Plan must be approved by the ABAG PLAN Representative prior to implementation of such changes. The Plan, including the budget, must be updated every six months.^[2]