Special Master Eying Cohen Raid Materials Hands in $47K Invoice for April
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A 17-year veteran of the Southern District of New York, Bracewell partner Barbara Jones was tapped to handle the review of privilege claims by President Donald Trump, the Trump Organization and Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen.[/caption] Bracewell partner and former Manhattan federal Judge Barbara Jones submitted a $47,390 invoice, her first, to U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood of the Southern District of New York Tuesday for the work Jones did in April as special master reviewing material seized from Michael Cohen's home and offices by federal authorities in April. The invoice, which covers work done in April, notes an hourly rate of between $670 and $700 per hour—well below the $1,000-plus rates often charged by many Big Law partners. The first date bill in the invoice is April 24, two days before Wood named Jones during a hearing as special master to review material seized by the government for potential privilege issues. The initial days of the review, according to the descriptions attached, involved preparing background materials, review of filings and conferences with Jones' team members—members who don't appear in the invoice is directly billing. The invoice ends on April 30, the same day as a scheduled meeting with the parties involved in the suit, including Cohen and the government, but also attorneys for President Donald Trump, for whom Cohen worked as a personal lawyer, and the Trump Organization, both of which Wood has allowed into the case as intervenors. As stated in a May 4 letter from Jones to the court, the government agreed to cover half of the special master's compensation, while the other parties collectively will cover the remainder. The invoice comes a day before the parties are scheduled to be back in court before Wood. On May 25, the government filed a proposed schedule outlining what those involved expect to address. These include an update on the production of materials, both from the government to Jones and from Cohen to the two previously approved intervenors, and the status of non-privileged material returned to the government by Jones. Also taken up will be a number of matters regarding the request to intervene by Stephanie Clifford, the adult film actress who goes by Stormy Daniels, and her attorney Michael Avenatti, who's pro hac vice application before Wood is currently being challenged by Cohen's counsel, McDermott Will & Emery partner Stephen Ryan.
