Attorney Billing 101 (2024 Edition)

John D. O’Connor | O’Connor and Associates

John O’Connor has tried over 70 cases in federal and state venues throughout the country, with highly enviable success in complex, contentious disputes. Retained by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company as trial counsel in key cases, he achieved a pretrial dismissal in each concluded action. A former Federal Prosecutor, Mr. O’Connor was appointed lead outside counsel in certain S&L crisis litigation, defended a California Attorney General in campaign-related litigation, and successfully represented Golden State Warriors basketball Coach Don Nelson in significant contract claims. His greatest successes have been in the satisfactory resolution of closely-held business disputes.

Mr. O’Connor has held the highest Martindale-Hubbell “AV” rating for over 25 years, and has consistently been named a “SuperLawyer” by his Northern California peers. He has tried cases at the highest levels of practice since 1972.

Mr. O’Connor currently serves on the Board of Directors of Graduate Theological Union, The Lincoln Club of Northern California, and Alliance for Smiles, Inc.

Benjamin J. Pekarek | O’Connor and Associates

Mr. Pekarek graduated from both University of San Diego School of Law and School of Business in 2014, where he concurrently pursued his Juris Doctorate and Master of Business Administration. During law school, he worked as a summer law clerk for the employment law department at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP’s San Francisco office.

Mr. Pekarek was a Legal Intern at University of San Diego’s Entrepreneurship Clinic, where he provided legal services for low income entrepreneurs in the San Diego area. He also worked as Research Assistant for Professor Mark Lee, conducting research for the annual update to his textbook, Organizing Corporate & Other Business Enterprises. As a master’s candidate, Mr. Pekarek traveled to Shanghai, China, where he consulted for a startup telecommunications company seeking to enter the United States market and presented his findings directly to the Board of Directors.

Mr. Pekarek earned his BA in Business Administration from the University of San Diego, graduating summa cum laude from the Honors Program.

I. Proving and opposing the hourly rates sought to be awarded to petitioning counsel | 11:00am – 11:30am

II. Proving and opposing the number of reasonable hours that should be included in the fee “lodestar” | 11:30am – 12:00pm

Break | 12:00pm – 12:10pm

III. Litigating issues of right to fees and/or apportionment of fees to certain claims | 12:10pm – 12:40pm

IV. Litigating fee enhancement or “multiplier” issues | 12:40pm – 1:10pm