UK Judge Orders Review of WilmerHale’s $35M Estate Arbitration Fees

A UK court ordered review of WilmerHale’s $35M invoice to client Alberto Safra for transparency failings.

WilmerHale’s handling of legal fees in a dispute over the Safra banking family estate is under formal review, after London’s Senior Courts Costs Office raised major concerns about transparency and billing practices.

• Alberto Safra, who hired WilmerHale for complex UK arbitration work in 2021, was quoted initial hourly rates up to $1,830 (Law Gazette).
• WilmerHale increased rates twice, ultimately reaching $2,095 per hour by 2024, but failed to notify Safra in advance, according to a May 2024 ruling from Costs Judge Andrew Leonard (Global Arbitration Review).
• In January 2024, a single WilmerHale partner billed 370.7 hours—more than 12 hours per day—plus $11,367.54 for New York-to-London travel and even $41.76 for laundry expenses.

Judge Leonard wrote the fees “accrued with such limited information being provided to the client” constituted “an unprecedented lapse of transparency at these financial levels.” While the rates and expenses were found consistent with the matter’s complexity, the firm was found to have breached its duty to update the client as required by UK rules.

WilmerHale said in a statement it “takes its obligations to clients seriously and will assess the court’s findings,” while Safra’s representatives welcomed the review as an opportunity for greater accountability (Law Gazette).

The dispute underscores the importance for legal departments to implement robust outside counsel guidelines, regular budget updates, and clear communication channels to avoid reputational and financial risk.

Yes, but: The court accepted that high rates and expenses reflected the matter’s complexity, not overcharging per se.

What's next: A costs assessment is set to determine how much WilmerHale can ultimately recover from the estate.