Well, who doesn't like to see the lawyers being the winners in all this as usual?
The key players:
Musk is represented by Skadden on the deal side and by Skadden and Quinn Emanuel in litigation. Top partners at the firms bill about $2,000 an hour. Lawyers estimated to DealBook that the firms could be charging about $30,000 to $40,000 an hour, or $5 million to $8 million a month. That means Musk could have paid about $50 million, plus perhaps another $50 million in the run-up to litigation.
Twitter relied on Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher, where top partners also most likely bill about $2,000 an hour, for deal work. And for litigation it’s primarily relying on Wachtell, the blue-chip firm known in legal circles for its bespoke (and opaque) pricing, including hourly billing, flat fees and contingency deals. Depending on its arrangements, Wachtell could bring in $100 million to $200 million, lawyers estimate.
Between those firms alone, the Twitter case has probably already generated about $150 million to $300 million in fees. But then add in all of the other lawyers involved in litigation, depositions, the deal and more. And that figure could grow if this actually goes to trial, or otherwise goes awry.