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The NALFA

Podcasts

NALFA sponsors a podcast series, "L.A.W. - Litigators At Work".  We talk to thought leaders and newsmakers about the practice of litigation.  We interview our members, faculty, fellows, and others to discuss their work in litigation.  Click on the audio link below to listen to the podcast:

NALFA Podcast No. 8: Interview with Glenn Newberry

NALFA continued its podcast series with an interview with Glenn Newberry.  Glenn Newberry is the Head of Costs Unit and Legal Director at Eversheds Sutherland International LLP in London.   He is a UK qualified Costs Lawyer where he is head of his firms’ litigation Costs team.  Glenn has earned a Certificate in Reasonable Attorneys and qualified for NALFA fellowship.  He is the first UK based lawyer to gain this recognition.  In the podcast interview, Glenn talked about his early career as a cost draftsman and his work as a qualified Costs Lawyers.  As the past editor of Costs Lawyer magazine, the podcast also included a discussion of the role of the UK Costs Lawyer and the work of the UK-based organization Association of Costs Lawyers (ACL).  The ACL and NALFA share many parallels.

NALFA Podcast No. 7: Interview with Dr. Silvia Hodges Silverstein

NALFA continued its podcast series with an interview with Dr. Silvia Hodges Silverstein.  Dr. Silverstein is the Executive Director of Buying Legal Council, based in New York.  Buying Legal Council is an international trade organization for professionals tasked with sourcing of legal services and supplier management.  Their members work on the client side, hold procurement, operations or other in-house positions at their organizations.  They host conferences and programs throughout the world. In the podcast interview, Dr. Silverstein talked about her background in academics, legal procurement, and law firm management in Europe and the U.S.  She has authored several articles and conducted numerous studies on a range of law firm management and legal procurement issues.  The podcast also included a discussion of her billing rate survey showing gender inequality in law firms.

NALFA Podcast No. 6: NALFA Honors Bruce R. Meckler

In a special podcast, NALFA honors the work and legacy of founding member Bruce R. Meckler.  Bruce Meckler was one of the pioneers of legal fee analysis and one of the nation’s top attorney fee experts.  He was widely respected by his peers and colleagues from across the legal fee analysis field.  Hosted by Terry Jesse, NALFA Executive Director, the podcast shares thoughts and memories from his peers and fellow NALFA members.  The podcast also reflects on how Bruce helped shape the legal fee analysis profession.

NALFA Podcast No. 5: Interview with Andy Jardini


NALFA’s fifth podcast featured an interview with NALFA member Andy Jardini.  Andy Jardini is managing partner of KPC Legal Audit in Glendale, CA.  Andy has developed a particularized practice regarding the review and analysis of legal billings.  Since 1986, he has performed services on behalf of a wide variety of clients concerning all aspects of the issues of reasonableness and compensability of legal fees.  Under the auspices of KPC Legal Audit Services, Andy has performed more than 1,000 audits, involving more than $1 billion in legal fees.  His services have been rendered as a consultant, an expert witness in litigation, and as an attorney in fee litigation.  The NALFA podcast with Andy Jardini focused on his work as a litigator and as an attorney fee expert.  Jardini discussed several issues in the attorney fee arena including fee-shifting litigation, attorney fee agreements and proper billing practices.  Jardini also discussed the use of technology and human interface in reviewing legal fees for reasonableness.


NALFA Podcast No. 4: Interview with CalAttorneysFees.com Blog's Marc & Mike

NALFA's fourth podcast features CalAttorneysFees.com Blog founders and contributors Marc Alexander and Mike Hensley of AlvardoSmith APC in Santa Ana.  Marc and Mike discuss the origins of their popular blog, big picture trends, and important attorney fee cases from the past two years.

NALFA Podcast No. 3: Interview with Bankruptcy Fee Examiner Robert M. Fishman

NALFA’s third podcast features an interview with NALFA member and bankruptcy fee examiner Robert M. Fishman.  Robert Fishman is a partner at Shaw Fishman in Chicago.  The NALFA podcast with Robert Fishman focuses on his background and his work in bankruptcy cases.  Robert Fishman has represented a range of clients and stakeholders in bankruptcy proceedings. Fishman discusses the role of the bankruptcy fee examiner, the stakeholders in bankruptcy cases, and his work as a fee examiner in the large City of Detroit Chapter 9 bankruptcy case.  Fishman also discusses the effectiveness of bankruptcy mediation and shares his thoughts on the U.S. Trustee Program and their billing guidelines.


NALFA Podcast No. 2: Interview with Law Professor Charles M. Silver

NALFA’s second podcast featured an interview with Charles M. Silver, Professor of Law at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.  The NALFA podcast with Professor Silver focused on his empirical research on the setting of attorney fees in securities class actions and economic principles at play in civil litigation.  The podcast discussion centered on fee calculation methods, judicial procedure for awarding fees, and private contingency fee agreements.  Professor Silver also discussed the politics of class actions and the dynamics of the tort reform lobby.  In addition, Professor Silver also offered several recommendations for the class action world, including employing a more real world, market based approach to awarding fees in class actions.


NALFA Podcast No. 1: Interview with Law Professor Brian T. Fitzpatrick

Brian T. Fitzpatrick, Professor of Law, at Vanderbilt Law School has researched and written seminal work on attorney fee awards in class action litigation.  This podcast focuses on his empirical research on class action attorney fee awards and his study of professional fee objectors in the class action model.  The NALFA podcast talks about his background, explores his research, and considers what his work means for the plaintiffs’ bar and the future of class actions.  We discuss the economics of fee awards in class actions, the current politics at work in the class action world, and Professor Fitzpatrick even offers a new proposed fee calculation method for class action fee awards.