Incisive Legal Intelligence Releases 2009 Billing Rates and Practices Survey

NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
Incisive Legal Intelligence, a leading source of business intelligence for the
legal profession, today announced the release of its 2009 Billing Rates and
Practices Survey Report, focused primarily on small and mid-sized legal
practices. The report includes analyses of 2008 hourly billing rates and
alternative billing practices based on factors including firm size, geography,
practice area and years in practice. For further information, or to purchase a
copy of the survey, visit www.incisivelegalintel.com.

The average hourly billing rate reported was $284. Nationally, plaintiffs`
contingency litigation is the practice area with the highest average hourly
billing rate ($413), followed by labor/employment ($302), general law ($295) and
real estate/land use ($294). The billing rate survey data represents a sample of
more than 14,000 lawyers throughout the 50 United States, drawn from responses
from 255 law firms.

In addition to hourly billing, 88 percent of respondents reported offering
alternatives to the billable hour. Larger firms are more likely to offer
alternatives and variations to the billable hour than smaller firms. Nearly
two-thirds of respondents offer contingency fees or fixed or flat fees. Other
top alternatives include discounted hourly billing, blended hourly rates, hybrid
fees and retainer arrangements.

Many firms also reported having annual billable hour requirements. The average
reported billable hour requirements were 1,728 hours for partners, and 1,835
hours for associates. Partners and associates in the South and West reported the
highest annual billable hour requirements, with firms in the Midwest reporting
the lowest billable hour requirements in the Midwest.

Incisive Legal Intelligence (formerly ALM Research and Altman Weil Publications)
offers the legal industry`s most extensive online database of legal market
intelligence, as well as syndicated survey reports, including the annual Survey
of Law Firm Economics and Law Firm Business Development Survey. Incisive Legal
Intelligence is a division of Incisive Media.

Incisive Media is a leading global provider of specialized business news and
information, in print, in person and online. The company's principal markets
include financial services, legal services, commercial real estate, marketing
services and risk management. Incisive Media's market-leading brands include
Accountancy Age, Computing, Investment Week, Legal Week, LegalTech, Post, Real
Estate Forum, Risk, Search Engine Strategies and The American Lawyer. For more
information, visit www.incisivemedia.com.

Accountancy Age, The American Lawyer, Computing, Incisive Legal Intelligence,
Investment Week, Legal Week, LegalTech, Post, Risk, Real Estate Forum andSearch
Engine Strategies are trademarks or registered trademarks of Incisive Media, LLC
or affiliated entities.

Peters & Feldman for Incisive Media
Lee Feldman, 203-341-8922
lee.feldman@incisivemedia.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009