‘Too much money’: court revives $150K handshake pay deal claim

The first two clients came across within a week. Their cases resolved, and the firm split the fees as promised. No issue there. 

The third client took longer. She initially stayed with the attorney’s old firm but months later texted him to express her displeasure with her current representation. He arranged a meeting, the client switched to Casino Law Group, and nine months later the case resolved at mediation, generating a $300,000 fee. 

When the attorney asked about his half, the co-owner’s response, as recited in the court record, was blunt: “I’m not going to pay you 50 percent. That’s too much money. … [I]f I pay you that much, you’re going to be making more money than me.” 

Casino Law Group paid him $30,000 – 10 percent, not 50. 

The attorney left the firm and sued for breach of contract, among other claims. The trial court dismissed the case without a trial, finding the oral promise too vague and the payment a discretionary bonus.