9 Aug 2008
MARINER INTERNATIONAL HOTELS LTD AND ANOTHER v. ATLAS LTD AND ANOTHER
- Citation
- MARINER INTERNATIONAL HOTELS LTD AND ANOTHER v. ATLAS LTD AND ANOTHER
- Court
- Court of Final Appeal
- Case number
- FACV3/2006
The taxing authority must assess counsel fees by reference to the fee a hypothetical local eminent counsel would accept; foreign 'star' rates are not the benchmark and lost opportunity is a solicitor-client element not recoverable on party-and-party taxation; applying that principle the claimed London silk brief was excessive and reduced to the fee suggested by the paying party, while attendance by the senior solicitor at taxation was properly allowed but at a party-and-party rate of HK$4,000 per hour.