No Attorney Fees For Self-Representation

A lawyer sued a former client for unpaid fees and prevailed from arbitration through appeal. May the lawyer recover attorney fees for representing himself in the proceedings? No, under the circumstances, according to the Oregon Court of Appeals. The statute that the attorney relied on for the fee request allows reimbursement for fees incurred. Because the attorney had not incurred any fees in representing himself, he may not recover for the time he put into collecting the unpaid fees. (Mike Frisch)