It’s not uncommon these days to see law firms suing former clients over unpaid legal bills (see, for instance, McDermott Will & Emery’s recent $606,000 case). Still, this latest bit of legal fee litigation seems remarkable: Williams & Connolly is taking a former client to court over $2 million after the company practically invited the firm to sue.
Or so says Williams & Connolly’s complaint, filed Friday at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to the filing, the firm billed telecommunications company IDT $3 million for representing one of its subsidiaries in a patent case. Afterwards, in September 2008, IDT’s CEO allegedly traveled to Washington to meet with Williams & Connolly heavy hitter Brendan Sullivan Jr. in order to work out a payment plan. They agreed to a deal where IDT would pay three installments of $1 million dollars over two years.
