NALFA recently released the results from our 2020 Litigation Hourly Rate Survey.  The results, published in The 2020 Litigation Hourly Rate Survey & Report, contains billing rate data on the very factors that correlate to hourly rates in litigation: geography, years of litigation experience, complexity of case, and litigation practice size.

This empirical survey and report provides macro and micro data of current hourly rate ranges for both defense and plaintiffs’ litigators, at various litigation experience levels, from large law firms to solo shops, in routine and complex litigation, and in the nation’s largest legal markets and beyond.  This is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive survey or study on hourly billing rates in litigation.

3,285 litigators from across the U.S. participated in this hourly rate survey.  They included both plaintiff and defense counsel from solo shops to large law firms and at all experience levels.  The hourly rate survey shows more and more senior litigators (over 20 years of continuous litigation experience) starting to enter tier 3 rates ($651-$900).  Our survey shows that 28% of litigators with 21-24 years of litigation experience have tier 3 rates and 36% of litigators with 25-29 years of litigation experience also have tier 3 rates.  The percentages go up for litigators with over 30 years of litigation experience.

The 2020 Litigation Hourly Rate Survey & Report is now available for purchase.  For more information on this survey, email NALFA Executive Director, Terry Jesse at terry@thenalfa.org or call us at (312) 907-7275.