Whittington Law Associates, PLLC

Thank you for selecting Whittington Law Associates, PLLC as your law firm. We would like to discuss some of our firm's operating procedures so that we will be better able to respond to your needs. If at any time you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us.

Office hours. Our office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. If the office is closed, we do have voice mail. As a practical matter, there is frequently someone in the office at other times. Feel free to call at any of these times to reach us. It is our policy that all phone calls be returned within one business day.

Engagement letters and retainers. Why do we have engagement letters? The short answer is, our insurance company requires it. However, it is also an opportunity to clarify what we expect from each other in terms of a business relationship. If you ever have any questions about the engagement letter, please call us so that we can discuss them.

In most litigation cases and other major engagements we will request a retainer based on the scope of your project. Once we accept your engagement we become ethically obligated to render appropriate service, and that frequently means we will spend significant amounts of resources for you. A retainer demonstrates the client's commitment to pay for what you ask us to do, and may help you realize that legal assistance is not appropriate for a matter. All retainers are placed in a segregated client trust fund until earned and are returned to the client to the extent not used.

Invoices. We generally invoice for fees and expenses on a monthly basis, except in certain matters where we are awaiting completion of the project, or where we have agreed to a contingency fee. We generally provide three kinds of fee invoices, which also itemize reimbursable expenses.

For most services, our fee is based on time spent and our hourly rates, and our invoice will describe the services rendered, the date, the time incurred, the person(s) rendering the services, and the cost of those services. It is our intention that you be provided as much information as you deem appropriate with respect to the charges for our services.

For specific standardized projects where we have estimated a flat fee, our invoice will describe the product rendered and state the fee.

For contingency matters, we are required by the professional ethics rules to enter into a written fee agreement with our client, and the invoice will be in accordance with the particular agreement entered. We do not charge for our time in evaluating potential contingency cases.

We generally adjust our billing rates each January 1. When we quote a rate to you, that rate is valid through the calendar year. As with any billing, it is our expectation that the invoices will be paid promptly.

Personnel. Our principal is W.E. "Ned" Whittington. Mark E. Melendy serves as “Of Counsel” to the firm. Both attorneys are licensed in New Hampshire and Vermont. More information on our attorneys is set forth in our firm resume. Please feel free to contact Ned Whittington or our office manager/paralegal, Michelle Schwoerke, at any time.

Other Firm Materials. Please contact our office manager, Michelle Schwoerke, or visit our website at www.whittington-law.com, if you would like any of the following information relating to the firm:

Firm resume, with attorney profiles
Business Health Check
Press reports concerning Mr. Whittington’s cases
Reported cases
Excerpt from Mr. Whittington's U.S. Supreme Court argument
Mr. Whittington's articles comparing U.S. and German litigation, business, and tax (in German or English)