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Legal Fees Soar for Bankruptcy Cases

The Wall Street Journal

December 31, 2025

Hourly rates for bankruptcy lawyers are topping $3,000, contributing to soaring chapter 11 costs that have prompted more companies to turn to faster out-of-court restructurings.

- BY BECKY YERAK

Major law firms have been raising prices at double-digit rates. Latham & Watkins has said its top billing rate will exceed $3,000 an hour in 2026. In recent court filings, Latham lawyers involved in the Imerys Talc America, Barretts Minerals and I

This story is from the December 31, 2025 edition of The Wall Street Journal.

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