Opinion ID: 2604253
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: authority to reduce fees

Text: Before discussing whether petitioner's conduct in this case violated disciplinary rules or otherwise breached the professional duty of a lawyer to a client, we shall clarify the authority under which a court may reduce or deny a lawyer's fee and distinguish that authority from the authority to enforce disciplinary rules. Rules regulating professional conduct of lawyers (disciplinary rules) are formulated by the Board of Governors of the Oregon State Bar, approved by members of the Bar, and adopted by this court; they have the status of law. ORS 9.490. Enforcement of the rules is reserved to this court and the Disciplinary Board appointed by the court. [10] ORS 9.534. No other court has jurisdiction to investigate, review, or sanction disciplinary rule violations, as such. In some circumstances, courts other than the Supreme Court do have jurisdiction to review and allow, reduce, or deny a lawyer's request for fees. Although the conduct reviewed in a disciplinary context may be similar to the conduct reviewed in a request for attorney fees, in the latter context, the focus of the court is on the nature and quality of service a lawyer has rendered to the client.