ARBITERS INC LAW CORPORATION v DE BEAUTE (SSC) PTE LTD

A law firm applied for review of the taxation of its solicitor-and-client bill of costs, which had been reduced from $108,225 to $46,000 by the Deputy Registrar, for work done representing a spa business in an employment dispute. The law firm argued the professional fees were reasonable given the complexity and volume of work during the invoiced period. The District Court dismissed the review application and further reduced section 1 costs to $34,000, using the trial judge's costs award and the firm's own fee estimate as reference points.