Emahn Counts

We retained Attorney Emahn Counts to draft a response to a demand letter. For that service alone, we were billed in excess of $6,000. We filed a complaint with the Bar over billing practices; due to contractual fine print, no discipline was found, but the Bar did determine we were not responsible for... the final invoice — which we interpret as acknowledgment that the billing structure was problematic. Counts missed multiple deadlines he set, yet we were billed for the extra communications that resulted from his delays. We were also billed for phone calls to clarify why he missed deadlines. Counts drafted a letter that reflected a negotiation strategy we never authorized. When we requested revision, he made only superficial edits and billed additional hours. The initial “free consultation” quickly became billable without notice, and mundane administrative tasks were billed in 15‑minute increments at $480/hr. After terminating the engagement, we retained new counsel, who litigated and won the underlying matter for a total fee less than what Counts charged for his single draft. While the Bar did not find the billing itself improper under the terms of the agreement, in our experience the fee structure was opaque and unreasonable, and we would not recommend his services.

Contacted attorney and worked with him and his assistant, Aminah, both of whom were very professional and helpful throughout the entire process. Aminah was sure to collect all documents prior to my consultation with Emahn so that he can be aware of everything going into the consultation. When it ...came to the consultation, Emahn was great! Answered all my questions, of which I had many, listened to all my concerns, and most importantly, provided me with some tips and a gameplan for how to best handle the situation I’m in even if it wasn’t beneficial to him. Emahn was personal, friendly, and really helped out sharing his knowledge, and I appreciate that. I was looking to be well informed of the laws and standards in regards to my situation, and I definitely achieved that in my consultation with Emahn which is why I would recommend him to anyone