Of Course, We Are High-Minded And Therefore Only Interested In The Potential Legal Issues . . .
On January 13, 2021, journalists Philip Rucker, Josh Dawsey and Ashley Parker of the Washington Post, reported that outgoing President Donald Trump has instructed his aides not to pay Rudy Giuliani's legal fees. Specifically, they write:
"Trump has instructed aides not to pay Giuliani’s legal fees, two officials said, and has demanded that he personally approve reimbursements for the expenses Giuliani incurred while traveling on the president’s behalf to challenge election results in key states. They said Trump has privately expressed concern with some of Giuliani’s moves and did not appreciate a demand from Giuliani for $20,000 a day in fees for his work attempting to overturn the election."
Our beat is attorney's fees, and we do not enter into the political fray. Instead, we suggest a few serious questions:
1) When Giuliani undertook the assignment, did he and Trump enter into a written agreement?
2) If Giuliani and Trump entered into a written agreement, do disputes require arbitration?
3) Were both parties to the contract mentally competent?
4) What was the scope of Giuliani's legal assignment -- to undo the election?
5) Did Giuliani make promises about what he would accomplish, to wit, overturn the popular election results?
6) Was Giuliani's reported fee of $20,000/day reasonable? (For a New York attorney, former Mayor of Gotham, former US Attorney for the SDNY, with 50 years experience.)
7) Did Giuliani make proper time entries? Did he block bill?
8) Were Giuliani's fees reasonably and necessarily incurred?
9) Did Giuliani commit malpractice?
10) Does New York state law or other law govern the attorney-client contract?
11) Did Giuliani represent Trump pro bono, and if so, for what period of time?
13) Has Giuliani violated any New York Rules of Professional Conduct during his representation of his client?
14) Did Giuliani provide poor legal advice in connection with the rally on January 6, 2021 in Washington D.C., at which Giuliani and Trump spoke, following which a violent mob stormed the Capitol, resulting in Trump's impeachment?
15) Did Giuliani display absolute fidelity to Trump?
16) Did Giuliani unnecessarily incur legal costs when he booked Four Seasons Landscaping?
17) Did Giuliani display bad hair on camera?
18) Did Trump violate the law by failing to mention Mr. Giuliani or his unpaid labor for 20 months on the annual financial disclosure he filed in May, "which requires that the value and source of gifts — including free legal work — be publicly listed," as reported by the NYT?
19) Has Trump engaged in unfair business practices by following a modus operandi of stiffing business creditors?
20) Are the journalists' reports of a falling out between Trump and his loyal friend and personal attorney Giuliani simply Fake News?
lol. don't quit your day job for the jokes! :-)
Posted by: noah | January 14, 2021 at 05:47 PM