C Edward McGee Jr.

If you are looking for a legal partner who values transparency, communication, and standard client protections, I strongly advise you to look elsewhere. My experience with C. Edward McGee, Jr. and J. David Huskey, Jr. revealed a firm that relies on "AV Preeminent" status to justify highly predatory e...ngagement terms. 1. The "Non-Refundable" Financial Trap: The firm presented a retainer agreement demanding a $35,000 initial deposit. Most concerningly, the contract explicitly stated this sum was "non-refundable and deemed fees earned as of the date of receipt." When I requested that the unearned portion of this advance be refundable—a standard protection in the event of attorney illness or a breakdown in the relationship—Mr. McGee flatly refused. He admitted in writing that this clause is intended to "commit the client to the project," essentially trapping your capital so you cannot fire them without losing your entire deposit. 2. Absolute Refusal to Guarantee Communication: Despite the high stakes of my $1M+ litigation, the firm refused to agree to a basic 48-hour communication Service Level Agreement (SLA). Mr. McGee’s written response was shockingly arrogant, stating he would not be "tethered" by client timeframes. He explicitly declared, "when I am in a trial, I am not their lawyer," signaling that once they have your $35,000, they reserve the right to ignore you indefinitely. 3. High Risk of Double-Billing: The partners outlined a process where they "brainstorm" and "go over" work together throughout the entire representation. At their respective rates of $750 and $700 per hour, this creates a scenario where you are billed nearly $1,450 an hour just for the two partners to talk to one another. Compounding this, they refused to grant a standard 30-day window to review or object to invoices, insisting that because the retainer is "non-refundable," they can pay themselves immediately without oversight. 4. Arrogant Ultimatum: When presented with professional feedback regarding these risks, the firm’s response was a dismissive ultimatum: "Hire us or hire someone else." I took their advice and hired someone else. A firm that views basic financial accountability as a burden is not a firm you want handling complex litigation.

Just finished putting the Bar complaints in the mail. Ed dropped the ball BIG TIME by failing to turn in documents on time. He covered this up with lies until we called him out on it, at which point his communication became evasive or he'd flat out ignore us. We hired another attorney who reac...hed out to Ed for our files, ledger, and remaining retainer and Ed is refusing to comply after 5 weeks of requests.