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Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: .... ()
Date: March 22, 2008 09:32AM

I have never been treated so poorly after giving someone $1000.00 to represent me. I can see if I was a rapist but for a speeding ticket this is bad. James Pinkowski himself represented me, I was referred to him which is the worst part about it. No energy, bad at calling clients back, and just plain rude!!!! I wish I never used Pinkowski. One of the worst experiences working with a lawyer in years!!
TO get paid $1000.00 for 2 hours of work and be unprofessional about it is not AMERICAN!!
I had to share this bad experience since I am so upset about James Pinkowski and the way he does practice.

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: POM ()
Date: March 22, 2008 09:51AM

Why don't you make a complaint to the Fairfax Bar Association?

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: Radiophile ()
Date: March 22, 2008 10:15AM

The problem with Attorneys is they believe they are worth the $300/hour they charge. And the spend half their time, or more, trying to find the clients that will pay them that rate..

Sorry you were treated that way, but welcome to the real world. Two things you should NEVER put all of your trust in - God and Lawyers.

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: t.9 ()
Date: March 22, 2008 12:00PM

I have used many lawyers in the past. They at least act like they are happy to have you as a client and would like to meet in person to talk about the situation. He just collected money and said meet me outside the court room, Not very friendly.

Lawyers are def over paid but I think since they are so over paid the should be over the top professional and courteous

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: Joe Citizen ()
Date: March 22, 2008 12:13PM

$1,000 is cheap if he went to court on your case. Lawyers in this area usually run around $2,000 to actually show up in court since it can be a long process. What kind of speeding charge did you have that you needed a lawyer. 70 in a school zone?

If it was a routine speeding charge like 15 over why get a lawyer?

If it was me and I had some free time before I went to court I would go in a few days ahead of the case and see what a routine penalty is for your charge. Then just represent yourself unless you are looking at a serious fine or jail time.

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: Jester ()
Date: March 22, 2008 05:58PM

I wonder if this is one of the posters that is screaming "my lawyer told me the arrest search was illegal."

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: ..... ()
Date: March 25, 2008 07:15PM

I KNOW HOW MUCH LAWYERS COST AND NO I AM NOT THE ONE THAT SAID an arrest search was illegal..
One of the most respected lawyers for DUI cases charge 1500-2000 for a DUI!!
I have been to court for speeding more times than most and I know how it works! I was doing over 90 but under 100 in a 55 on 66.
Joe citizen actually these lawyers sometimes juggle between clients at court so 1000 for half a day times 2 or 3 more clients make for a very good day!!!
Lawyers and Cops and taking advantage of the hard working americans these days with more loops holes and steeper fines !!!

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: why me ()
Date: March 25, 2008 07:21PM

..... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>> Lawyers and Cops and taking advantage of the hard
> working americans these days with more loops holes
> and steeper fines !!!

You were doing between 90 and 100 in a 55 zone and you think the cop was taking advantage of you???

Besides, cops just write the ticket, they don't set the fine.

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: § ()
Date: March 26, 2008 09:34AM

$300/hr. at a good law firm will barely buy you a 25-year old, first-year associate right out of law school. $1,000 for representation by some strip mall attorney = you got what you paid for. If you really wanted to fight the charge, you'll have to pony up more coin than that for better counsel. -§

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: ITRADE ()
Date: March 26, 2008 09:49AM

$300 for a first year is a reach. I'd wager more likely in the range of $200 - $250.

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: Radiophile ()
Date: March 26, 2008 02:28PM

These fees are negotiable. I reluntantly pay $300 per hour and my attorney is a partner in a local law firm with ties to thwe community and he is by no means "fresh out of law school".

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: § ()
Date: March 26, 2008 06:11PM

Note that I said "good" law firm. Local law firms are farm league compared to the heavy hitters. These are your Williams & Connolly, Akin Gump, Latham & Watkins, Hogan & Hartson, Susman Godfrey, Dickstein Shapiro, Shaw Pittman, Debevoise, Skadden Arps, etc. caliber firms.

Believe it or not, your 1st year "cream of the crop" (meaning top 10% of class at tier-1 schools will command $300/hr. while most partners command north of $750. Even a non-attorney case manager bills out at $250/hr. these days.

The fees are only negotiable if there is little to no risk involved - i.e.: if a firm must give an opinion on an acquisition or securities matter where their reputation and exposure to lawsuits is high, then expect to pay standard rate. If a firm is handling a landlord / tenant matter, and there is little to no risk exposure to the firm by its representation, then fees can be adjusted accordingly.

With a DUI matter, these heavy hitters will certainly represent you, but expect to pay a $25k retainer from the start. That said, you'd better be facing serious jail time to pay that kind of coin.

Which brings me to a question of "value vs. time" for everyone............

How much would you pay out of pocket to give you best possible shot to avoid 1-year of jail time? (note: time for good-behavior is already being considered) -§

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: Opinions ()
Date: April 15, 2008 10:56PM

You are going to pay one way or another a little now to an attorney or a lot over the next 11 years to your insurance company who is the lesser evil? However you need to be educated and watch out for yourself ultimately you are the one who will go to jail not that attorney why should they care they already have your money but you don't have to take the deal it's your decision

Radiophile Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> These fees are negotiable. I reluntantly pay $300
> per hour and my attorney is a partner in a local
> law firm with ties to thwe community and he is by
> no means "fresh out of law school".

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: ITRADE ()
Date: April 16, 2008 10:03AM

§ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Note that I said "good" law firm. Local law firms
> are farm league compared to the heavy hitters.
> These are your Williams & Connolly, Akin Gump,
> Latham & Watkins, Hogan & Hartson, Susman Godfrey,
> Dickstein Shapiro, Shaw Pittman, Debevoise,
> Skadden Arps, etc. caliber firms.
>
> Believe it or not, your 1st year "cream of the
> crop" (meaning top 10% of class at tier-1 schools
> will command $300/hr. while most partners command
> north of $750. Even a non-attorney case manager
> bills out at $250/hr. these days.
>


Williams and Connolly, yes. Some of the DC firms like Shaw Pittman and Dickstein will put you in the $250 range. Clearly, the New York firms like Debevoise and Skadden will be close to $300 owing to the top heavy partnership basis.

I just looked at my clients bills for the past month, and the rates are more or less what I argued. Of course, with salary bumps, I would expect them to go up. Friggin' crime to pay a first year $160,000 a year.....

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: formerhick76 ()
Date: April 16, 2008 12:21PM

I find it pretty funny that CEO types are screaming "We need more engineers and we need those H1-Bs" -- yet 1st year engineers make maybe 50-60k a year and 1st year lawyers make several thousand more.

Still, I find it hard to generate sympathy for someone who routinely does 90+ in a 55 mph part of 66. Odds are, you or someone like you cut me off or tailgated me when I was daring to go 60-65 in the middle lane.

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Re: Pinkowski and associates lawyer
Posted by: § ()
Date: April 16, 2008 07:31PM

ITRADE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> § Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Note that I said "good" law firm. Local law
> firms
> > are farm league compared to the heavy hitters.
> > These are your Williams & Connolly, Akin Gump,
> > Latham & Watkins, Hogan & Hartson, Susman
> Godfrey,
> > Dickstein Shapiro, Shaw Pittman, Debevoise,
> > Skadden Arps, etc. caliber firms.
> >
> > Believe it or not, your 1st year "cream of the
> > crop" (meaning top 10% of class at tier-1
> schools
> > will command $300/hr. while most partners
> command
> > north of $750. Even a non-attorney case
> manager
> > bills out at $250/hr. these days.
> >
>
>
> Williams and Connolly, yes. Some of the DC firms
> like Shaw Pittman and Dickstein will put you in
> the $250 range. Clearly, the New York firms like
> Debevoise and Skadden will be close to $300 owing
> to the top heavy partnership basis.
>
> I just looked at my clients bills for the past
> month, and the rates are more or less what I
> argued. Of course, with salary bumps, I would
> expect them to go up. Friggin' crime to pay a
> first year $160,000 a year.....

Agreed. These first years are at $160k / yr. and climbing. The annual step-up is a minimum of $10k/yr. so a 7th year is firmly planted @ $230k, and that doesn't include the industry standard 25-40% target bonus. I've just encountered a first year Ivy league at a large LA-based firm who commanded $325/hr. to review e-discovery for privilege. Ridiculous. -§

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