True...most attorneys aren’t paid retail.
“Like medical bills with insurance companies, most attorneys don’t get paid retail.”
Apples and oranges...
You’re speaking of privately employed attorneys.
When the federal govenment contracts an attorney, you can bet your life they will be overpaid.
$200/hour in the DC lawyers market is really on the low end. I think the govt is paying wholesale, not overpaying.
See the matrix for attorneys’ fees per the US Attorney’s Office as of 2003 at the link below. $200/hour falls between 1-3 and 4-7 years experience. If I’m Donald Rumsfeld or Paul Wolfowitz, I might want a lawyer with a bit more experience.
I can’t find updated information, but would be willing to bet their rates haven’t gone down in the past 8 years. Some of the big name firms in DC are now charging over $1000/hour.
http://www.justice.gov/usao/dc/Divisions/Civil_Division/Laffey_Matrix_3.html