Grant D Stiefel
Office: 424-223-8252
Grant Stiefel, Esq. is an attorney, testifying fee expert and legal fee auditor who has reviewed and audited more than $1 billion in law firm billings over the past decade. Many of the world's leading law firms turn to Mr. Stiefel for his clear, concise and effective trial testimony and expert analysis in the field of attorneys’ fees
Mr. Stiefel provides cost-effective expert assistance to law firms and their clients in connection with attorney-client fee disputes, fee motions, and litigation involving attorney fees as a component of damages. He has testified as a fee expert in more than 130 trials and arbitrations, including litigation in federal courts, California state courts, JAMS/AAA arbitrations, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, State Bar courts, and mandatory attorney-client fee arbitrations
Because he uses a consistent methodology and data sources, Mr. Stiefel routinely testifies on behalf of both fee-seeking and fee-opposing parties, and his conclusions and recommendations regarding reasonable hourly rates and lodestar analysis have been cited in numerous court orders and opinions
Moreover, Mr. Stiefel is uniquely qualified among legal fee experts in that he was a successful trial lawyer for more than a decade at two of the world's largest law firms, has obtained favorable verdicts at jury trials, and managed complex, multi-jurisdictional and high-stakes litigation worth billions of dollars
- Legal Ethics
- Legal Fees
- Legal Malpractice
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: Mr. Stiefel's professional qualifications, degrees and bar admissions include:
* State Bar of California
* United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
* United States District Court for the Central District of California
* United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
* United States District Court for the Southern District of California
* United States District Court for the Southern District of California
* California State Bar Certified Continuing Legal Education Provider
* Juris Doctor, University of Southern California School of Law
* Bachelor of Arts, University of Southern California - Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: Mr. Stiefel is a member of the following organizations:
* National Association of Legal Fee Analysis (NALFA)
* A.M. Best Certified Attorney Fee Practice Group
* Thompson Reuters Round Table Group
* The Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
* Los Angeles County Bar Association Attorney-Client Mediation and Arbitration Services
* USC Gould School of Law Alumni Association
* Century City Bar Association - Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: Mr. Stiefel has lectured and published extensively (see c.v. for complete list):
* “Block Billing by Law Firms Costs Clients Millions in Just Three Lawsuits” Smart WebParts
* “Recent Developments in Block Billing” JD Supra
* “Ten Things You Need to Know About Law Firm Billing”
* “The Client’s Guide to Law Firm Billing” HG Experts
* California State Bar MCLE Presentations on Law Firm Billing Practices - Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Mr. Stiefel has testified as a qualified attorney fee expert in more than 45 disputes in state and federal courts, arbitrations and state bar hearings
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: 50% fee-seeking party.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: 50% fee-opposing party.
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: This year.
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: Mr. Stiefel has qualified to provide expert testimony regarding attorneys' fee issues on dozens of occasions.
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: Mr. Stiefel has testified in California state court trials, federal courts in numerous jurisdictions, JAMS/AAA arbitrations, mandatory attorney-client fee arbitrations and State Bar courts.
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: Mr. Stiefel has reviewed hundreds of millions of dollars in law firm billings since 2008, and has been a full-time fee expert and consultant since 2012.
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Mr. Stiefel serves as a testifying and consulting expert for both plaintiffs and defendants in the following areas:
* Overall reasonableness of legal fees and costs
* Evaluation of legal fees and costs, including "desktop audits" of invoices and in-depth review of underlying representation
* Evaluation of law firm and lawyer billing rates
* Evaluate law firm retention/selection processes and role of coordinating counsel
* Preparation of expert reports and supporting declarations in support or opposition to attorneys' fee motions and petitions and attorney-client disputes
* Expert trial and deposition testimony in support or opposition to attorneys' fee motions and petitions and attorney-client disputes
Grant Stiefel has been retained by many of the world's largest law firms, top-tier plaintiff and class action firms, and a number of regional and solo firms to provide compelling, cost-effective analysis and testimony regarding legal fee issues. Sample law firm clients include:
* Jones Day
* Sidley Austin
* Morrison Foerster
* Littler Mendelson
* Buchalter Nemer
* Dykema Gossett
* Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
* Stroock Stroock & Lavan
* Reed Smith