So a birdie who also happens to possess superb legal skills has advised that it's time for Leyza to finally leave the boardroom and face the music -- the "extremely Floridian" GrayRobinson was officially canned as receiver in connection with the Sun Capital brouhaha.

Order forthcoming, I understand.

In unrelated news, did you see this suit over law firms allegedly marking up legal research "costs":

A California plaintiffs attorney has filed a lawsuit against a New York-based law firm on behalf of a former client of the firm for what she claims is a hidden but widespread practice within the legal profession: law firms secretly profiting off legal research fees by overcharging clients.

Consumer protection attorney Patricia Meyer filed a suit against New York's Chadbourne & Parke on March 2 for allegedly overcharging J. Virgil Waggoner, a Texas businessman, by several thousands of dollars for computerized legal research. His bill was roughly $20,000 for the research, she said, but it should have been closer to $5,000. Waggoner v. Chadbourne & Parke, No. BC408693 (Los Angeles Co., Calif., Super. Ct.).

Hmm, never heard of such a thing.

That does remind me, though, I need to speak with Catherine about some billing issues.

When I first read this story about a potential conflict of interest involving the "extremely Floridian" GrayRobinson that is being asserted by Proskauer Rose, my first reaction was:

These firms still have South Florida offices?

Wow, pretty neat!

But can anyone make heads or tails out of it:

GrayRobinson partner Leyza Blanco in Miami should not be appointed receiver of a Boca Raton health care company linked to an alleged $550 million hedge fund fraud because her firm has represented an affiliated company, one of the principals said in a court filing.
Blanco is the receiver for Naples-based Founding Partners Capital Management and asked to be named receiver of Sun Capital, which along with related companies received the bulk of Founding Partners’ money.

An affidavit filed by Howard Koslow, a principal with Sun Capital, Sun Capital Healthcare and Promise Healthcare attached a copy of a 2007 GrayRobinson contract with Promise for legal and lobbying services on Florida health licensing. Koslow said GrayRobinson has been paid $150,000 for its representation and also helped with licensing in Louisiana.

Koslow opposes the appointment of a receiver for the Sun Capital companies. But if one is ordered, he said it shouldn’t be the same one handling Founding Partners.

Blanco was in a meeting when contacted Wednesday and had no comment by deadline.

Leyza, listen to me -- stay in that meeting.

If your best defense is that the work for Promise was only lobbying services and not legal in nature, you better order in some food and hunker down until you come up with something slightly more creative (and a lot more credible).

Remember that old joke about chutzpah?

Something along those lines may or may not come to mind when reading this motion for fees filed by GrayRobinson in the Middle District.

Even after a contested battle in which Leyza F. Blanco (I like the new picture!) was removed as receiver over an alleged undisclosed conflict of interest, it appears that the firm still seeks to be compensated for the work done on behalf of the receivership.

The firm has, however, taken out all the time related to fighting the conflict of interest issue and has even offered a 20% reduction in fees sought, bringing their request to $122,594.75.

(This one-time only offer will expire if not accepted by 5 p.m Friday; please see terms and conditions for further details.)

BTW -- hope you don't mind, but I have billed .4 for "receipt and review of motion for fees."

Don't worry, I'm willing to take 20 percent off too!

What do you all think -- should the receivership benefit from the legal work done on its behalf before the alleged conflict issue was resolved, or should GrayRobinson suck this one up and move on?