Attorney Billing 101 (2025 Edition)

Michael S. LeBoff | Klein & Wilson LLP

Michael S. LeBoff brings nearly 25 years of business trial practice to Klein & Wilson, handling and winning high-stakes trials and arbitrations.

Michael represents clients of all sizes in a wide variety of business cases, including shareholder, partnership and joint venture disputes, trade secret claims, fraud, breach of contract, business torts, real estate, attorney fee disputes and legal malpractice actions.

Michael attended Loyola Law School on a full academic scholarship, graduating second in his class of nearly 400 students. At Loyola, Michael received countless academic awards and served as an editor for the Loyola Law Review.

After graduating from law school, Michael clerked for the former Chief Judge of the Central District of California, Manuel L. Real, where he saw firsthand the importance of always being prepared before entering the courtroom. Following his clerkship, Michael developed his trial skills working at some of the finest law firms in Orange County where he had the opportunity to go up against Klein & Wilson in a complex joint venture litigation. Having developed mutual respect for each other’s skills and civility, Michael joined Klein & Wilson in 2016. Less than two years later, he was named the first new partner in the firm’s 25-year history.

Michael also served as in-house litigation counsel for ACC Capital Holdings, the parent company of large, nationwide financial services companies. As in house counsel, he managed nationwide litigation and worked daily with outside counsel to develop and implement cost-effective litigation strategies. Michael also reviewed and approved outside counsel bills and reported to senior management on significant litigation activities. In this role, Michael learned the importance of billing efficiencies and litigation results.

He currently serves on Council for the American Bar Association Litigation Section. Michael previously served as a co-chair of the Professional Liability Litigation Committee of the ABA’s Litigation Section from 2019 to 2022 and as co-chair of the Section’s Young Lawyers Leadership Program from 2022 2023. Michael also served as co-chair of the section’s largest committee, the Commercial and Business Litigation Committee, and co-chaired its Ethics Subcommittee.

In 2019, Michael was elected to the Orange County Bar Association’s (“OCBA”) Board of Directors and reelected to a second term in 2022. Mike was recently appointed to OCBA’s Future of the Profession Task Force and the Professionalism and Ethics Committee. He has also served on the OCBA’s Audit Committee since 2019. Michael previously served as the Chair of the OCBA’s Business Litigation Section and Banking and Lending Section.

Michael frequently speaks and writes on topics relating to legal malpractice and legal ethics.

Jeanne Huey | Hunt Huey, PLLC

Jeanne has been fighting for businesses and individuals for more than twenty years in both state and federal courts. After a career with a major regional law firm representing businesses ranging from multi-nationals to small local companies, Jeanne turned her attention for a number of years to serving those going through divorce and living with its aftermath. Chosen to serve as a member, then panel chair and finally district chair of the District 6 Grievance Committee of the State Bar of Texas in addition to business litigation Jeanne’s practice now focuses on legal ethics and professional responsibility. She helps lawyers navigate the disciplinary process and counsels law firms and individual attorneys on matters of professional responsibility and malpractice. She brings to this practice the same commitment to excellence and the needs of her clients that she has always brought to business and other cases.

Jeanne is the author of the “Legal Ethics Today” blog found at legalethicstoday.com. She is also a frequent speaker on ethics and professionalism issues to local and national bar associations. She is the web content editor for the Ethics and Professionalism Committee of the American Bar Association Litigation Section and the program coordinator and immediate past chair of the Dallas Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Section.

Session I – Billing Tips for Young Lawyers | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

• Best practices for recording and describing time
• Rules relating to billing clients
• Strategies to maximize collection and avoid fee disputes

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

Session II – Efficiency Meets Ethics: Billing for the Modern Practice | 2:10pm – 3:10pm

• ABA Model Rule 1.1
• ABA Model Rule 1.2
• ABA Model Rule 1.5
• ABA Model Rule 1.6
• ABA Model Rule 1.15
• ABA Model Rule 5.1, 5.2
• ABA Formal Ethics Opinions
  • Opinion 505
  • Opinion 512