Quinn Emanuel’s $185 Million Fee Is Either a Bargain or Rip-Off

A major law firm’s recent request for a payment that would equate to more than $18,000 per hour in legal fees highlights a vexing question for lawyers, their clients, and courts: Should attorneys be paid based on the amount of time they work, or on the result they achieve?

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan is seeking a nearly $185 million fee for representing a group of health insurers who will be paid about $3.7 billion from the U.S. government, reimbursing them for never-made payments promised under Obamacare. The Supreme Court ruled the insurers were owed the money in April.

The ...