Brian David Alexander

We hire a lawyer to represent our best interest in legal matters which we're not experts in. Trust, and fiduciary duty is paramount. A professional can retain their own business interests at the same time as not taking advantage of their client's trust. In Brian's engagement agreement I was as...ked to sign, I was asked to agree to these 2 terms which would put me at UNLIMITED RISK. 1. “The hourly rates set forth above are subject to change at any time without notice. Client agrees to pay such changed rates for all work performed after the effective date of such change.” (this means he can change his rate to any amount and run up a bill at these new rates without telling me until I see the bill). 2. “Administrative or secretarial services of an extraordinary nature, including but not limited to the preparation of voluminous documents, large-scale photocopying, assembling or collating of documents, or other extraordinary administrative services required in connection with the representation, shall be charged at a rate of one (1) to twelve (12) times the prevailing hourly rate.” (this means if he quotes me $100/hr for admin work, he alone can define what he feels is 'extraordinary' and charge me $1,200/hr for someone to make photocopies, or anything else.) I fear many clients may sign this without understanding. I feel taken advantage of, even if he later changes his engagement agreement, this still tells me he may not even understand what contract terms would put me at unnecessarily high risk in the case I need him to represent me in.