For over a decade, ordinary people have been awed by Greenwich, Conn., divorce lawyer Gary I. Cohen‘s $600-an-hour rates. But that’s only the half of it. He often asks for, and receives, a “success bonus” that can push his hourly intake to $1,200 an hour.
Now that added cash has become the focus of a legal dispute involving Cohen, several clients and state grievance officials. Cohen recently won a battle in the form of a decision by a judge trial referee. But the battle goes on, made even more interesting because it comes at a time when an increasing number of law firms and lawyers are moving away from the billable hour as the be-all in setting fees.
