Attorney Engagement Letter and Fee Agreement
(Hourly Fee Arrangement) (NY)

Summary

This template is an engagement letter that can be used to enter into and formalize an attorney-client relationship for a civil litigation matter in New York on an hourly fee basis. This template includes practical guidance, drafting notes, and an optional clause. An engagement letter must contain certain essential information, such as the: • Client's identity • Intended scope of the contemplated legal work –and– • Fee arrangement (including billing frequency) This template provides for an hourly fee arrangement, which is a typical arrangement in litigation matters, particularly for defense counsel. For an annotated template of a contingent fee agreement, which is often used by plaintiff's attorneys, especially in personal injury litigation, see Attorney Engagement Letter and Fee Agreement (Contingency Fee Arrangement) (NY). If you will be jointly representing multiple parties, you should include provisions: • Disclosing the potential for conflicts of interest and provisions • Covering potential termination of interest should a conflict arise • Explaining the possible impact on attorney-client privilege of such an arrangement and its termination See 22 NYCRR § 1200.0 (Rule 1.7). For a joint defense and confidentiality agreement template, see Joint Defense and Confidentiality Agreement (NY). For templates of other types of fee agreements see: • Attorney Engagement Letter and Fee Agreement (Alternative Fee Arrangement) (NY) • Attorney Engagement Letter and Fee Agreement (Flat Fee Arrangement) (NY) • Attorney Engagement Letter and Fee Agreement (Contingency Fee Arrangement) (NY)