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| About
our lawyers I'm Steve
Brodsky. I'm a businessman, entrepreneur, and, some say, a
visionary. Above all, I'm a rule-breaker. I'm forever looking to
improve broken businesses that have "always been done that way."
Sometimes, in order to make changes, unwritten rules must be broken
and long-held traditions must be undone. But it takes guts. My
credits include founding several game-changing businesses, including
one that revolutionized the way internet yellow pages are organized
and presented,
A graduate of a top 25 law school
(Fordham Law), I have many years of experience as a business owner.
Unlike most lawyers, who earn degrees and then purport to counsel
business owners, I have lived the life of the entrepreneur, with its
euphoric highs and devastating lows, including times when it made me
flat broke. I know that money can be tight for individuals and small
business owners. I also know that the legal industry is badly flawed
when most people can't afford a lawyer.
So I broke the rules yet again by
providing legal services at 70% lower fees. The legal industry
doesn't really like what I do for obvious reasons.
But I'm not a pig. I'm just trying to
make a living, not a killing.
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| New York
Lawyer Slashes Fees and Shakes Up the Status Quo
Lawyer for the Little Guy Riles Legal Establishment
NEW YORK, NY, October 27, 2006 - Studies show that access to competent
legal counsel is beyond the reach of most Americans.
Enter New York attorney Steve Brodsky, who is out to change that, and in
the process is turning the legal industry on its ear.
Brodsky, a former entrepreneur, provides legal representation at fees
about 70 percent below the average.
"Most lawyers think they are entitled to hourly rates that are 10 to 20
times higher than that of the average working person," explained
Brodsky. "I think that's excessive."
Brodsky’s fees? An unheard of $97 per hour, low even by small town
standards.
Brodsky first got the idea to provide reasonably priced legal services
after his own experiences as a client of law firms with what he calls
“unjustified high prices.” As the founder of a fast-growing internet
business in the late 1990s, Brodsky thought that the retention of a
renowned New York City law firm at $300 per hour would get his business
some measure of prestige. However, it didn’t turn out that way.
“All I got was lousy service and a huge bill to pay,” said Brodsky.
So, in 2004, Brodsky opened the doors of his own law firm after working
for several years as an associate at some larger firms. Since that time,
his methods have been the subject of considerable debate within the
legal community.
However, Brodsky remains adamant in his belief that affordable legal
services can and should be made available to the general public.
“I know there are many people who need legal help, but just can’t afford
it,” explained Brodsky. “So instead, they go it alone and it ends up
costing them way more to clean up the damage. I hate that these people
weren’t able to talk to a lawyer without coming up with a $2500 or $5000
retainer. How many people have that kind of money?”
Brodsky likes to cite incorporation and business startup services, which
comprise a major portion of his law practice, as one area which is way
overpriced by most lawyers.
"Most lawyers hate what I do because they are getting away with charging
thousands of dollars more than me for the exact same services," remarked
Brodsky. "In fact,” he continued, “I charge just a $97 flat fee to
incorporate new businesses. I've heard this service quoted by lawyers
for as much as $1,500. That's just insane.”
The same goes for many other services, according to Brodsky, such as LLC
operating agreements and employment agreements, for which he charges
only a few hundred dollars, not thousands like most other lawyers.
According to Brodsky, his low overhead translates into big savings for
his clients and allows the average person access to quality legal
services.
"Most attorneys pay for plush offices, fancy suits, and armies of
secretaries, receptionists and paralegals," Brodsky explained. “Instead,
I answer my own phone and my own emails. And I don't wear suits or cut
my hair too often. My clients pay only for quality legal work, not the
fancy trappings of a typical law office.”
According to Brodsky, his lean operation allows him to provide better,
more personal, and more responsive service than the larger firms, at
about 70 percent less.
Brodsky has plenty of detractors, though, who say that you get what you
pay for.
“Almost one hundred percent of those types of comments come from other
lawyers who feel threatened by what I’m doing,” replies Brodsky. “They
can’t justify their exorbitant fees any other way. My education and
experience are the same, or even better, than theirs."
Brodsky’s clientele seems to agree, as evidenced by his web site, which
contains numerous glowing testimonials from clients in a wide range of
industries.
With average legal fees in New York more than three times Brodsky’s, his
main competition comes from non-lawyer document preparation services
such as We The People, which bills itself as a cheaper alternative to
lawyers.
“I understand what they’re trying to do, and I applaud that,” said
Brodsky. “But they charge more than I do, and they’re run by clerical
people who are prohibited from providing legal advice. When people
understand what we do, they don’t consider the others real competition.”
Brodsky’s aggressive pricing seems to be having an affect, at least
locally.
“I’ve noticed that since I started my practice, other lawyers are
lowering their fees,” said Brodsky. “That’s a good thing. Except for
greedy lawyers, of course.” |
