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Show CHAPLIN ACTION SHOWS LAWYER FEESJII HIGH Attorneys as Witnesses Talk Freely of Remuneration From $20,000 to $100,000 for Simple Legal Advice Attorneys' fees amounting to $20,-000, $20,-000, $40,000. $60,000 and even $100,000 were bandied about with nonchalance In the United State district court todsy when prominent attorney testified tes-tified In the suit brought by Attorneys Attor-neys Samuel A. King and Russel G. Schulder to recover $35,000 alleged to be due from Charles Chaplin, mo- Hon picture comedian. Attorney Chsrles " C. RicSards of Salt Lake, former assistant United States attorney general, teetlfled rhet he regarded anything from $2V0OO to $40,000 as a fair fee for the services serv-ices rendered the movl sar by Mr. King and Mr. Brhulder. He declared that It was not a matter 0$ the minutes min-utes spent by an attorney on a rase, but the results accomplished, and that the uetlons Involved In the rendering of the advtc of th comedian come-dian by the local attorneys were evidently evi-dently delicate ones to be considered carefully. MANY POINTS INVOLVED. Attorney Richards held many turea to enter Into the question or the fee to be chsrged for rendering legal services and advice. Some f these, he said. Included the subject mstter, knowledge of Sle law Involved, In-volved, the Intricate queetlons propounded, pro-pounded, the result accomplished If the advice given was correct, the dangers eneounier ed through Improper sdvice. the responsibility aa attorneys attor-neys and the financial responsibility Involved. Th former assistant United States sltorney general declared that from his knowledge and study of ths case the questions Involved In the giving of sdvice by Attorneys King and Srhuhler In reference to Mr. 4hap- lln's contract with the First National Na-tional Exhibitor and th latter' ability abil-ity to hold the movl star to Ha terms of $140,000 per pictur mad by him were delicate and Important one to be considered carefully. - Hi testimony testi-mony In general waa favorable to the plaintiffs contention that by following follow-ing their advice th defendant waa enabled to sell "The KM," the picture pic-ture entering Into the controversy, for H00.COO Instead of $140 000. and that aa a result the fee of 121.000 charged was fair and reasonable. ATTORENYS CHORTLE. Lengthy hypothetical questions and fine points of law entered Into today's session of court. As before, the courtroom court-room was crowded with local attorneys. These apparently Inwardly chortled with glee as big fee were discussed and held to be' fair and reasonsble. Attorney William Ray In cross examining exam-ining for the defense brought grins when he spoke of Iswyers getting it all In certain hypothetical Instances. A. B. Irvine, another well known local lo-cal attorney, declared that a fee of from $25,000 upwards wss fstr and ressonsble In the case under consider' tlon. lie was called to the atsnd as sn expert witness for the plslntiff after Ray Van Colt, the first expert witness, had completed his? testimony. Mr. Irvine Ir-vine declared it wss common know- ledge that attorneys had received as much as t5o.ooo to Interpret wills snd f&OOu In rendering an opinion on simple sim-ple wills Involving but ten days work. He held Inst Mr. King and Mr. Brhulder Brhul-der were entitled to a fee of from f:t.000 to 130.009 If Mr. Chaplin had acted on their advlr and sold "The Kid" for 1100,000 Instead of 1115.000 or 1140.000. Attorney Ray In cross examination brought out the fact that the cueto-mary cueto-mary attorney's fee In court cases waa from 150 to 1100 a day and 1-5 a day for oftic work on cases. |