Billing Guidelines

The following guidelines are adapted from the DRI Guidelines. All fees and expenses are considered on the basis of reasonableness and necessity relative to the scope of defense assigned to the law firm. The reasonableness, necessity and time charged for each task is assessed on the basis of the description provided by Counsel. 

Invoice Form

• Actual time should be entered in tenths of an hour.
• The time for each type of activity/task code should be separate.
• Grouping different activities under a single task code (block billing) is not acceptable.
• Each billed task must be supported by sufficient detail. Vague and non-descriptive task entries cannot be honored.  (e.g., “file review,” “legal research,” “deposition preparation”).
• Duplication of effort within the firm is prohibited; attendance by multiple timekeepers is prohibited without prior written approval.

Appeals

• If an appeal is submitted for an invoice, it must have a clearly stated narrative providing a reason for appealing each adjustment.
• The narrative should directly respond to and address the initial adjustment rationale, as found in both the original Adjustment Reason and Comments;
• Requested documentation to support the appeal should be attached to and submitted with the appeal invoice.
• Appeals must be submitted timely (within 60 days of initial processing), if additional time is needed, a request must be submitted to Claim Central Bill Review  at Legal.Ebilling@thehartford.com. 

We do not expect firms to follow any billing or litigation management guidelines that conflict with applicable federal or state laws, court rules, ethical directives or insurance commission memoranda.

 

Approval of Legal Fees and Charges

Fee agreements are made in advance of representation and are established with respect to existing and prospective legal assignments. Claim handlers do not have the responsibility or authority to change the existing agreements with Hartford’s Panel Counsel law firms.  Unilateral rate changes and rate changes negotiated with Hartford Claim Handlers will not be honored. Requests for rate and/or agreement changes shall be submitted for consideration directly to a Director of Litigation Services by the firm’s established relationship contact. Rate changes should not be requested at the time of a new case referral. Firms should anticipate that the hourly rates in place at the time a new matter is accepted by the firm will apply to each matter through its conclusion unless the Agreement of Engagement is modified and approved by a Hartford Director of Litigation Services. 

Use of Paralegals

Paralegals must meet jurisdictional requirements for certification, if any.

Notwithstanding other guidelines or direction, the following items are considered by this firm to be overhead and will not be separately charged:

• Secretarial/clerical functions including scheduling (regardless of who performs them) including routine diary or schedule reviews
• Routine scheduling of depositions and meetings
• In-House Photocopies
• Scanning
• Postage
• Telephone and fax
• Mobile devices and data charges
• File opening and closing activities
• Completion of conflicts checks
• Storage and retrieval of files (on-site or off-site)
• Data entry & storage- data entry also includes any data entered for metric reporting (e.g. PCMC)
• Electronic document management or processing. Unless court ordered in the ordinary course, The Hartford will not pay fees or expenses associated with the processing of electronically stored information, which includes without limitation:

– Downloading electronically transmitted information, including Electronic File Transfer (EFT), email, CD, or hard drive.

– Converting or reformatting of images (e.g., tif or pdf).

– Loading of documents onto computerized systems, including document review platforms, databases, or document management systems.

– Processing of electronic images into searchable text (e.g., Optical Character Recognition (OCR)).

– Creating load files for use with any document review platform, such as Concordance, Summation, Autonomy, or Relativity.

– Storing or hosting electronically stored information.

– Exporting or electronic production of information, including the transfer of information onto disc or other medium.

With regard to any matter that is expected to involve a high volume of electronically stored information (as a rule of thumb, this would include any matter involving 1 GB of data or more), the firm must discuss the management of electronically stored information, as well as anticipated document review, with The Hartford at the outset.

• File organization and maintenance, including filing, tabs, creating of notebooks and Binders
• Indexing pleadings, discovery, medical records and correspondence
• Bates numbering
• Proofreading documents
• Billing activities
• Budget creation
• Any markups or surcharges added by the law firm including interest
• Personal local transportation or parking
• Books, Subscriptions, Educational expenses
• Library expenses including online services and
• Docket systems (such as PACER) including copies downloaded from docket systems.
• Professional associations
• Bar dues
• Local transportation (travel time and mileage within 50 miles of the firm’s closest office)
• Commuting expenses including parking, overtime and after-hours transportation
• Local meals (no meal charges when travel is completed in a single day)
• Entertainment
• Rent
• Furniture
• Employee salaries including overtime
• Typing and word processing
• Office supplies
• Law student/ law clerk time
• Interoffice conferences

Travel Expenses

Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed with the following guidance. The Hartford expects counsel to travel by the most cost-effective means, taking into account both out-of-pocket expenses and billable time, and to incur only reasonable and necessary expenses. The Hartford also expects that counsel will use available discounts to find the lowest possible rate. In these regards, The Hartford will pay for the following items:

• Travel time at 50% of the total (except for Local Travel) unless reasonable and necessary legal work is properly documented and performed during travel. If any travel time is spent working on another matter, for another client, or on firm business, that time must be billed exclusively to the other matter or client or absorbed by the firm;
• Mileage, excluding Local Travel, will be reimbursed at the standard rate established annually by the Internal Revenue Service, up to a maximum of 200 miles a day unless state law provides otherwise. 
• Parking at actual cost;
• Coach or economy non-refundable airfare;
• Standard hotel room not exceeding $275/night (excluding tax) unless prior approval is documented;
• Rental car charges not exceeding $65/day (Insurance coverage, GPS and other optional charges will not be reimbursed);
• Meal charges during out-of-town travel not exceeding $75/day including tax and tips (No meal charges are appropriate where travel is completed in a single day.).

Additional Guidelines

• External copy charges, whether black & white or color, will be honored at actual cost.
• Court reporters/third-party vendors. All such expenses must be advanced by the law firm unless prior written approval is obtained, or the vendor is a participant in Legal Exchange.
• Express mail service and hand delivery charges will be honored at actual cost, but only if the charges are reasonable, necessary and properly documented.
• Documentation is required on all expense reimbursement requests.