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| Frequently Asked Questions |
Q. Do you have time to take on additional work?
A. Availability depends on what other matters we are dealing with at the moment, of course, but we will
tell you if we do not expect to have sufficient time to handle a matter. One of the benefits of
The Virtual EHS Law Firm ™ is that we have a little more control over what work we take on, and we
have flexibility in staffing that work.
Q. Will I be charged for senior lawyer time when a large firm would use a paralegal or a junior
associates at a much lower billing rate?
A. FryeLaw PLLC will not charge at all for ministerial tasks that a secretary would do. We have access to
experienced paralegals, law clerks with environmental training, and associates with experience in EHS
law, if those resources are needed or warranted. Oftentimes, however, it will be more cost-effective
for Russell Frye or another senior lawyer to do the work himself.
Q. Will my files and data be safe with FryeLaw PLLC?
A. All client data will be secured in password-protected electronic files. Frequent images of our entire
computer, stored in a secure off-site location, provide long-term backup, while daily backups conducted
on an external hard drive assure that our work product and our clients’ records will be maintained.
Q. I have an environmental problem at a facility in Wisconsin. Can FryeLaw PLLC help me with that
problem?
A. Russell Frye and lawyers collaborating with him are admitted to the bar in numerous states, but not
most. Whether assisting a client with an environmental problem arising at a facility in a particular state
requires a lawyer to be licensed to practice law in that state depends on the particulars of the situation.
Often, it will be possible for FryeLaw PLLC to assist a client in managing and solving its EHS problems,
regardless of where that client is headquartered and where the problems are arising. We often represent
clients in litigation in other jurisdictions; in that case, usually it is necessary to associate with a local
counsel, after which we often can be admitted to the bar of that court for that particular case.
Q. What do you charge? Do you give discounts for public authorities/interest groups / little old
ladies?
A. We generally perform work on an hourly fee basis, and our hourly fees are substantially lower than
other lawyers with comparable amounts of expertise and experience charge, especially in major
metropolitan areas. In addition, we believe that our extensive experience and approach to staffing means
that fewer hours will be recorded, as well. We are willing to consider various alternative forms of billing,
including retainers, fee caps, contingent fee arrangements, success bonuses, and the like.
Q. Do you charge for an initial consultation?
A. Depending on the issue and the potential client, we may be willing to learn about the potential client
and its issues free of charge in order to determine whether we can be of assistance. Even for existing
clients, Russ Frye generally will not charge for an initial call to chat about an issue and determine if
FryeLaw PLLC can be of assistance.
Q. I already have a local lawyer I have been using for EHS questions (or I already have an in-house
environmental lawyer.) Why would I want to retain FryeLaw PLLC?
A. We may have some more specific experience that will help us provide more effective and less costly
solutions to particular EHS problems, but in addition we can provide perspective on how those problems
have been dealt with by other companies and by other regulatory authorities. Often this results in the
local regulatory authority rethinking the position it has taken, if that position is inconsistent with positions
taken by other agencies on similar questions. We often work cooperatively with in-house counsel or with
the local counsel to provide the best, most cost-effective service. Also, we sometimes assist other law
firms that do not have sufficient environmental expertise of their own; for example, to deal with
environmental issues that come up in particular business transactions.
Q. Do you have a newsletter?
A. We do not prepare and distribute a regular newsletter. Rather, we try to identify new developments
that may be particularly important to or of particular utility for our clients and friends, and brief
descriptions of those developments are posted on the News You Can You Use page on this web site.
Additionally, from time to time we will send out e-mails to clients when we believe there is a particularly
important development, deadline, or the like.
Q. Do you have a brochure?
A. We do not have a printed brochure, but obviously there is an abundance of information about FryeLaw
PLLC this web site. We have chosen deliberately to make this web site comprehensive (rather than artful
or flashy), because our clients tend to value substance over form and to want a lot of information before
they make decisions. If you need any additional information, please write to info@FryeLaw.com or call
Russell Frye at 202 572-8267.
A. Availability depends on what other matters we are dealing with at the moment, of course, but we will
tell you if we do not expect to have sufficient time to handle a matter. One of the benefits of
The Virtual EHS Law Firm ™ is that we have a little more control over what work we take on, and we
have flexibility in staffing that work.
Q. Will I be charged for senior lawyer time when a large firm would use a paralegal or a junior
associates at a much lower billing rate?
A. FryeLaw PLLC will not charge at all for ministerial tasks that a secretary would do. We have access to
experienced paralegals, law clerks with environmental training, and associates with experience in EHS
law, if those resources are needed or warranted. Oftentimes, however, it will be more cost-effective
for Russell Frye or another senior lawyer to do the work himself.
Q. Will my files and data be safe with FryeLaw PLLC?
A. All client data will be secured in password-protected electronic files. Frequent images of our entire
computer, stored in a secure off-site location, provide long-term backup, while daily backups conducted
on an external hard drive assure that our work product and our clients’ records will be maintained.
Q. I have an environmental problem at a facility in Wisconsin. Can FryeLaw PLLC help me with that
problem?
A. Russell Frye and lawyers collaborating with him are admitted to the bar in numerous states, but not
most. Whether assisting a client with an environmental problem arising at a facility in a particular state
requires a lawyer to be licensed to practice law in that state depends on the particulars of the situation.
Often, it will be possible for FryeLaw PLLC to assist a client in managing and solving its EHS problems,
regardless of where that client is headquartered and where the problems are arising. We often represent
clients in litigation in other jurisdictions; in that case, usually it is necessary to associate with a local
counsel, after which we often can be admitted to the bar of that court for that particular case.
Q. What do you charge? Do you give discounts for public authorities/interest groups / little old
ladies?
A. We generally perform work on an hourly fee basis, and our hourly fees are substantially lower than
other lawyers with comparable amounts of expertise and experience charge, especially in major
metropolitan areas. In addition, we believe that our extensive experience and approach to staffing means
that fewer hours will be recorded, as well. We are willing to consider various alternative forms of billing,
including retainers, fee caps, contingent fee arrangements, success bonuses, and the like.
Q. Do you charge for an initial consultation?
A. Depending on the issue and the potential client, we may be willing to learn about the potential client
and its issues free of charge in order to determine whether we can be of assistance. Even for existing
clients, Russ Frye generally will not charge for an initial call to chat about an issue and determine if
FryeLaw PLLC can be of assistance.
Q. I already have a local lawyer I have been using for EHS questions (or I already have an in-house
environmental lawyer.) Why would I want to retain FryeLaw PLLC?
A. We may have some more specific experience that will help us provide more effective and less costly
solutions to particular EHS problems, but in addition we can provide perspective on how those problems
have been dealt with by other companies and by other regulatory authorities. Often this results in the
local regulatory authority rethinking the position it has taken, if that position is inconsistent with positions
taken by other agencies on similar questions. We often work cooperatively with in-house counsel or with
the local counsel to provide the best, most cost-effective service. Also, we sometimes assist other law
firms that do not have sufficient environmental expertise of their own; for example, to deal with
environmental issues that come up in particular business transactions.
Q. Do you have a newsletter?
A. We do not prepare and distribute a regular newsletter. Rather, we try to identify new developments
that may be particularly important to or of particular utility for our clients and friends, and brief
descriptions of those developments are posted on the News You Can You Use page on this web site.
Additionally, from time to time we will send out e-mails to clients when we believe there is a particularly
important development, deadline, or the like.
Q. Do you have a brochure?
A. We do not have a printed brochure, but obviously there is an abundance of information about FryeLaw
PLLC this web site. We have chosen deliberately to make this web site comprehensive (rather than artful
or flashy), because our clients tend to value substance over form and to want a lot of information before
they make decisions. If you need any additional information, please write to info@FryeLaw.com or call
Russell Frye at 202 572-8267.
Copyright FryeLaw PLLC 2005. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THIS SITE IS INTENDED TO EDUCATE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC GENERALLY AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO INDIVIDUAL LEGAL PROBLEMS, NOR TO CREATE AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP. PLEASE READ OUR DISCLAIMER PAGE. |
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