Celebrity Justice
Britney to Birkhead: I Feel Your Pain

So you thought Larry Birkhead's legal bill was sky high? The lawyer who repped Britney Spears for a grand total of four months wants more than $481,000 in attorney's fees -- and she didn't even go out for lobster.
Attorney Stacy Phillips filed a declaration, claiming her $481,627.37 bill is a bargain, since she graciously discounted her fees by more than $126,000.00.

In court docs obtained by TMZ, Phillips whines she was completely put out by repping Brit, moaning that she was called back from her "pre-honeymoon" to attend a hearing in "non-Court attire." We're wondering if that was the day we saw her appear before the judge, wearing a sleeveless cocktail number.

Phillips says in her declaration that her rate is $700 an hour, similar to what Richard Gere paid Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman."

Now compare Phillips' bill to that of disso-queen Laura Wasser, who settled the whole case after Phillips was fired. Wasser's two-month bill is $59,700.

Sources say Phillips is ready to sue Britney, because her peeps are refusing to pay the bloated bill.

Who'd you rather? Click to vote!

Reader Comments

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46. As long as celebrities earn exorbitant salaries attorneys will continue charging them exorbitant fees. Exactly what is Britney contributing to show business that makes her so valuable an entertainer? How has Phillips been such a great credit to the legal profession that she is justifiable in charging fees so out of proportion to the value of her actual legal work? It will cost her more to sue Britney than to settle for a rationally-sized fee.
This is news not because of the significance of te actual issue involved but because like the old quiz shiows, all the oubklic is interested in watching is the money.

Posted at 12:17AM on Aug 19th 2008 by FRED PHILLIPS

47. 72 hr/wk is about a 10hr day work for a week. if a lawyer has to work that amount of time to resolve a client's case she must have been devolting most of her time imagining how to fool a client. Thid is an outrage!!!! Sue the lawyer for extortion!!!!! (unless you find out she never had a class in arithmetic when she went to school). In that case ask the judge to make her go to school before submitting a bill?!?!?!?!? Good luck Brit. Give the bum a run for her money......

Posted at 1:35AM on Aug 19th 2008 by Sensible individual

48. Ha ha ha ha ha. All you folks doing the math and concluding that Stacy Phillips worked (gasp!!!) 688 hours are assuming that Ms. Phillips worked all by herself. Get a reality check. Stacy Phillips is a partner in the firm Phillips, Lerner, Lauzon & Jamra, LLP , which has 16 lawyers. The work was performed by several attorneys and a paralegal, some of whom are capable of working SIMULTANEOUSLY. You know, like, when two or three people are working on the case at the same time, one is doing research, one's drafting, one is preparing exhibits for the hearing, another is interviewing potential witnesses. At least two lawyers attended each hearing for Britney. Phillips, Lerner took and defended a number of depositions (including the four or five that Britney no-showed on) over the course of their representation, and that would include attendance by at least one lawyer and a paralegal. Plus there are costs -- court reporter fees, transcripts, filing fees, etc.

And no, there is nothing illegal about charging $700 for Stacy Phillips' time. California Bar wouldn't take any disciplicary action, so y'all should just chill too. Britney signed an engagement agreement (that's a contract in professional-speak) agreeing to this fee. If Brit wasn't willing to pay $700 per hour for the partner's time (probably $250 to 400 for associate time and $150 for paralegal time), then she could have just said "no" and found another firm.

Posted at 12:35AM on Aug 19th 2008 by Don't Jump to Hasty Conclusions

49. She should have gotten prepaid legal.

Posted at 1:15AM on Aug 19th 2008 by Dmitri Davelle

50. Hopefully, Brits overpriced lawyer will lose her license end up as a towel dryer for Mariah Carey. That is: drying off
Mariah Carey after she takes a swim.

Posted at 1:21AM on Aug 19th 2008 by noiseslug

51. Am I figuring this wrong? That works out to 868 hours? Right? $700 an hour / regular bill $607,627.00 .

868 hours?

She (the atty) should be put in jail along with Harvey!!

Posted at 1:40AM on Aug 19th 2008 by Star

52.
Posted at 12:35AM on Aug 19th 2008 by Don't Jump to Hasty Conclusions,

You are correct when it comes to billable hours. It's just not the named attorney's time that is being charged for - it also includes all the support staff, and the little stuff, like faxes, copies, postage and such.

If Ms. Phillips has to take this court, I'm sure she knows that she will get her money, but it will be slightly reduced by the judge. Mark Kaplan was SO SMART to get his $250K fee as part of the settlement agreement. There was no judge to make sure that neither side was completely happy.

It is ALWAYS BEST to work things out between the parties, before going to court.

Posted at 2:03AM on Aug 19th 2008 by DIANE T

53. This is a little of topic but has to do with #4 using the absorbitant in the wrong way. I used to have a boss and I
would walk by his office when he was talking to his boss from out of town. I would hear him use words in the
wrong way. Part of me wanted to correct him in private, but I kept my mouth shut.

Posted at 2:05AM on Aug 19th 2008 by fishfrog99

54. Don't Jump to Hasty Conclusions...

We are all talking billable hours knuclehead. The attorney quoted $700 per hour but your argument makes our case stonger. If you have paralegals as low as $150 and associates and jr partners at $250 to $450 and Senior partners from $500 to $700, then the hours or work would prove to be as high as three times or over 2,500 bilable hours.

This is where good or reputable fims will control the billing and not have every one on the room billing the case for shuffinling paperwork. That is why Wasser billing was reasonable. Whether it was one attoney at 858 hours, or a team at 2,500, for the work produced, it was highway robbery.

Nice try knuclehead

Posted at 2:16AM on Aug 19th 2008 by Typical lawyer

55. Let's see... a half million to legally abandon your kids... seems fair to me! Especially since she can afford it.

Posted at 2:17AM on Aug 19th 2008 by captain obvious

56.
Yes, captain obvious,

She had two MALE children - totally unacceptable to her. Males don't count in her little world. I hope Casey and Jamie will not buy into the pimping-out of their little girl. I hope that they just let her be a normal little girl who doesn't have to make money for her family. It would be great if she gets her masters in college.

Posted at 2:34AM on Aug 19th 2008 by DIANE T

57. I hate Stacy. She is such a loser trying to scam money out of people.. "Pre HoneyMoon" WTF.. Btw I heard she is a b***h in bed.. Thats why she gets cheated on all the time...ha

Chirp Chirp

Posted at 3:17AM on Aug 19th 2008 by a hater

58. TMZ............WHERE IS ALL THE GOOD NEWS??????????????

CELEBRITIES ARE ALL LIKE "DRAMA KINGS / QUEENS"...........

US NORMAL "PEOPLE " RATHER READ SOMETHING GOOD

DRAMA EVERYDAY IS OVERKILL ........."LIKE EATING THE

SAME FOOD DAILY " , VERY OLD FAST...............

Posted at 4:26AM on Aug 19th 2008 by CELEBS ARE DRAMA KINGS AND QUEENS , UNSTABLE

59. #62................WHAT'S YOUR POINT ?????????? MEANS NOTHING ( S.H.I.T. )

Posted at 4:29AM on Aug 19th 2008 by #62 ...WHAT'S YOUR POINT ???? MEANS NOTHING ( S.H.I.T. )

60. what we all could do with $740 , 000 a month .............


This is exactly what I'll do with my $740,000 a momth ......

$ 350,000 in Roth IRA
$ 200,000 savings ( 2 accts @$100,000 each )
$100,000 long term investments
$ 90,000 living expensive ( monthly ) health insurance , monthly bills .

Just because you've this amount doesn't mean you've to overspend
on needless things . Live within your means . House , and anything else
is Paid off in Full . No need for mortgage payment or car , and you don't
need to live in a Mansion , then your expensive are more . You can live
in a comfortable home . Be realistic .

Posted at 4:51AM on Aug 19th 2008 by Exactly what I could do with $740,000 a month !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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