Attorney Fee Petitions: Tips From the Bench & Bar

OWLS Membership Committee invites you to attend this helpful CLE.

So you think you’re entitled to fees? This CLE will explore how to improve your chances of recovering in an attorney fee dispute.  On the opposing side? Experienced litigator Sonia Montalbano from Elliott, Ostrander & Preston will address how to successfully analyze and respond to a request for fees.  Marion County Circuit Court Judge Mary Mertens James will provide tips from the bench.  Samples of successful (and unsuccessful) petitions will be available upon request.

HON MARY MERTENS JAMES:
Judge Mary Mertens James has served as a Marion County Circuit Court judge since her appointment by Governor Kulongoski in 2003. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School and the Portland State University’s School of Business. Before becoming a judge, Judge James practiced law for 21 years as a law firm partner and as Assistant Attorney General and AIC at the Oregon Department of Justice.  Judge James presides over criminal and civil bench and jury trials and pretrial hearings. Her caseload includes complex commercial, construction defect, civil enforcement, constitutional challenges to Oregon laws, family law and probate, as well as criminal cases from misdemeanor to death penalty charges. With community partners, Judge James started Marion County’s mental health treatment court, and served as the presiding judge for a decade. She is also a mediation/settlement judge.

SONIA MONTALBANO:
Sonia Montalbano is a partner at Elliott, Ostrander & Preston.  For over 20 years she has assisted businesses and individuals with their legal needs.  She focuses on litigation in State and Federal court, including representing employers and employees in the area of employment law.  These include wage claims, discrimination, retaliation, and sexual harassment.  At her firm she is the attorney primarily responsible for both submitting and responding to attorney fee petitions.  She has testified as an expert witness on the matter of attorney fees, including on behalf of the Oregon State Bar.

RSVP to OWLS to receive reminder emails and be sent the accompanying materials. To participate, call 712.775.7000, participant code 990709#. 

Note that if you don’t have free minutes on your phone plan, it will be a toll call. Even though you will be asked to announce yourself, please don’t. Make sure you mute your phone by entering *6. Towards the end of the hour, there will be a brief question and answer period. After you have listened to the entire program, please email Cassondra with your name and OSB number so that we may submit a record of your attendance to the Oregon State Bar MCLE Department.