How Success-Based Legal Fees Help Business Owners Win Without Hourly Billing
Business litigation for Pennsylvania & West Virginia companies—flat fee to start, success fee only when you collect.
- How do success-based lawyer fees work for business litigation?
- Can a business lawyer take a case on contingency in Pennsylvania?
- What is a flat-fee plus success-fee law firm?
The problem with traditional legal billing
If you own or manage a business in Pennsylvania or West Virginia, you’ve likely faced a dispute—an unpaid invoice, a broken partnership, or a contract gone wrong. The first question is usually the same: “How much will this cost me to fight?”
Traditional hourly billing rarely provides a clear answer. You may pay thousands before seeing any result, and monthly invoices often grow faster than your confidence. That’s why The Skeen Firm offers a modern alternative: a success-based business litigation fee.
Our hybrid fee model, explained
- Flat fee to start: A single upfront fee between $5,000 and $15,000 begins your case.
- Discovery flat fee: If the matter reaches discovery, a fixed $10,000 covers that phase.
- No trial fee: You never pay separately for trial.
- Tiered success fee at resolution:
- 25% of the first $250,000 recovered
- 20% of the next $750,000 (up to $1,000,000 total)
- 15% of any amount above $1,000,000
- Credit for flat fees: Any flat fees you’ve paid are credited against the success fee.
- Protection clause: If your recovery is less than or equal to your initial flat fee, the success fee is $0.
Why business owners prefer success-fee litigation
Predictable costs
You know your initial investment up front, so you can budget and preserve cash flow.
Shared incentives
Our firm only benefits when we achieve a recovery for you, keeping everyone focused on outcomes.
Strategic efficiency
Because compensation depends on results, we litigate with precision and prioritize what moves the needle.
Peace of mind
Clients tell us this model replaces billing anxiety with clarity and trust.
Who benefits most
- Contractors & construction firms in payment or performance disputes
- Shareholders & partners in ownership conflicts or dissolution
- Professional practices managing non-compete or departure issues
- Manufacturers & distributors enforcing agreements or protecting trade secrets
- Start-ups & entrepreneurs facing breach-of-contract or unfair competition claims
We serve companies across Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Morgantown, and Charleston.
Transparent results—calculated in real time
Use our interactive calculator to estimate total fees and your potential net recovery under this model:
FAQs
Can a business lawyer work on contingency?
Pure contingency is rare in commercial cases. Our hybrid model blends predictable flat fees with a performance-based success fee.
What if we don’t win or collect anything?
If there’s no recovery, you owe no success fee—only the agreed flat fees and any reimbursable costs outlined in your engagement.
Do I pay anything for trial?
No. Under this structure, you do not pay a separate trial fee.
Get started
If your company is facing a dispute, don’t wait. See how our success-based approach works and contact us for a free initial consultation.
*Disclaimer: The advice provided is for informational purposes and is not intended as legal advice. It should not be relied on, nor construed as creating an attorney-client relationship.