Experience
Gerald Knapton is a partner in the Firm's Los Angeles office. As one of the few litigation management and fee dispute experts in California and nationally, he has reviewed over two billion dollars in legal fees and work product in class actions and a vast array of individual matters. He has written extensively on the subject of attorney's fees, has lectured on "cost control" and has trained others to perform this task "in-house". His experience includes qualifying and testifying in more than 30 matters as an expert witness and by declaration in numerous cases. Mr. Knapton has represented both opponents of fees and (in separate matters) proponents of fees. Considered one of the industry's preeminent experts in fee dispute matters for over 15 years, he has not only served as an expert on the reasonableness and necessity of legal fees, ethics and prevailing market rates, but has been designated to prepare a binding report on fees in disputes by opponents. Mr. Knapton has also served as a chief outside auditor of legal fees for several government agencies and has been retained by insurance companies, law firms, corporations and private individuals as a fee expert, in support of, and opposing requests for fees in matters where the fees have ranged from a few hundred thousand to hundreds of millions of dollars.
Mr. Knapton received his J.D. from the UCLA School of Law in 1976 and earned his B.A. with highest honors from the University of California, Berkeley in 1973 after attending Brown University. He is admitted to practice in all California state courts and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern districts of California as well as the Third and Ninth Circuit courts of appeals. He is a Registered Foreign Lawyer in Hong Kong. As a result of an extensive and confidential peer review by members of the bar, he has been awarded the highest possible rating by Martindale-Hubbell, a prominent national attorney rating service. Mr. Knapton has lectured on his specialty to law firms and professional associations. As a member and chair of the California State Bar's Committee on Mandatory Fee Arbitration he prepared MCLE program materials and spoke at the Annual Meeting of the State Bar of California for several years and will do so again in 2008. He was one of the principal drafters of the State Bar's sample retainer agreements.
Publications
· State Justices to Rule on Labor Code Fee-Shifting Provisions
Los Angeles Daily Journal - February 17, 2012
Kim Karelis, Gerald G. Knapton
Partners Gerald Knapton and Kim Karelis co-authored an article, "State Justices to Rule on Labor Code Fee-Shifting Provisions," discussing the policy reasons behind differing statutory fee-shifting provisions set forth under Labor Code Section 1194.
· Recoveries in Self-Representation
The Recorder - November 7, 2011
Kim Karelis, Gerald G. Knapton
Partners Kim Karelis and Gerald Knapton contributed an article to The Recorder's "In Practice" section. Titled "Fee Recoveries in Self-Representation," the authors examined the key questions and criteria to be taken into consideration before seeking attorneys' fees when representing oneself, a loved one, or one's law firm.
· U.S. Supreme Court Clarifies Recoverable Attorney Fees for Public Entities in Successful Litigation
Public CEO - July 22, 2011
Kim Karelis, Gerald G. Knapton
Partners Kim Karelis and Gerald Knapton's article, "U.S. Supreme Court Clarifies Recoverable Attorney Fees for Public Entities in Successful Litigation," examines the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding which fees public entities may recover in civil rights cases where the losing plaintiff has joined both frivolous and non-frivolous claims in the same lawsuit.
· The Fine Art of Collecting Legal Fees
National Law Journal - June 15, 2009
Gerald G. Knapton
Legal fees dispute expert and Partner Gerald Knapton published an article, "The Fine Art of Actually Collecting Legal Fees.
· Watch Your Language
The Recorder - April 2, 2009
Gerald G. Knapton
In its "Arbitration & Mediation" special supplement, Partner Gerald Knapton's article, "Watch Your Language," was published.
· Billing Guidelines Offer Base Against Which to Measure Results
San Francisco Daily Journal - November 12, 2004
Gerald G. Knapton
· Vroom, Vroom
The Recorder - August 18, 2004
Gerald G. Knapton
· Ethics of Attorneys Fees
California Lawyer - July 1, 2004
Gerald G. Knapton
· Attorney Liens Must Comply With 'Fletcher" Requirements
San Francisco Daily Journal - June 19, 2004
Gerald G. Knapton
· Catch All
San Francisco Daily Journal - June 4, 2004
Gerald G. Knapton
· Attorney-Client Fee Conflicts Seem Likely to Rise in July
Daily Journal Extra - Copyright 2004 Daily Journal Corp. - January 26, 2004
Gerald G. Knapton
Over the last few years, state appellate courts have indicated that attorney fees can be reduced or eliminated for serious or per se ethical violations.
News
· "Ropers In" Two Lateral Partners" July 1, 2002
Gerald G. Knapton
LITIGATION MANAGEMENT AND FEE DISPUTE EXPERT GERALD G. KNAPTON JOINS THE LOS ANGELES OFFICE; LITIGATOR PHILIP L. GREGORY
JOINS IN SAN JOSE
LOS ANGELES/SAN JOSE - July XX, 2002 - Gerald G.