A Sydney lawyer who billed a local council for more than 30 hours in a 24-hour period has been found liable for extensive overcharging by the NSW Supreme Court.
The extraordinary billing was attributed to Redenbach Legal and its principal, Keith Redenbach, a former partner at Norton Rose Fulbright and Maddocks.
The Broken Hill City Council launched the court action against Redenbach and his firm after his fees to litigate against the architecture firm Allen, Jack + Cottier over botched renovations to the Broken Hill Civic Centre topped $10million.
As the dispute dragged on, the council became alarmed as legal fees spiralled, ultimately far exceeding the $1.5million settlement it had secured from the architects.
The court found on at least six days in 2018 and 2019, Redenbach billed more than 24 hours of work, including days on which he claimed 31.12, 34.5, and even 36 hours.
In one three‑day period, he billed the council for 103 hours of work, which Justice Elisabeth Peden bluntly described as ‘impossible’.
Redenbach denied any dishonesty, insisting he had not intentionally submitted false invoices or acted with reckless indifference to accuracy.
Under cross-examination, the veteran lawyer of 30 years claimed his handwritten time sheets were muddled due to an ‘operator error’ and time zone issues.
On at least six days in 2018 and 2019, veteran lawyer Keith Redenbach (pictured) billed more than 24 hours of work, including one for 36 hours
The architects of the Broken Hill City Council Civic Centre settled in 2022, and agreed to pay $4.5million of the council’s legal costs, less than half of what Redenbach ended up charging
Justice Peden said Redenbach’s ‘incredible’ explanations such as attributing the errors to a glitch were ‘unsatisfactory’.
Redenbach remained adamant he had worked all the hours he billed the council, including while he was home sick after a hospital stay.
He said he had been ‘nothing but transparent’ with the council.
‘I was on my sick bed doing it with boxes being delivered to my home,’ he said. ‘[M]y dog died, and I couldn’t even – I couldn’t even lift her up to have her euthanised. So, I do remember it very, very well, that work…
‘That’s why it’s very upsetting for me as my business crumbles around me, as I sit here the only unpaid person in this courtroom, to be accused in the way you are [doing],’ he said to the council’s barrister, Simon Fitzpatrick, SC.
It appears the overcharging was identified after litigation against the architects of the civic centre was settled and Redenbach prepared the bill of costs.
During nearly eight years of litigation, Redenbach’s hourly rate climbed steeply: from $390 to $480, and eventually to $750 an hour.
In September 2022, when council staff queried Redenbach’s charges for travel time between Sydney and Broken Hill, where he had opened a practice, they received ‘defensive and petulant’ responses.
Justice Elisabeth Peden (pictured) said Redenbach personally owed the council $1.5million in compensation, on top of more than $750,000 his law firm will have to pay in restitution
‘We do not appreciate the constant attempts to haggle with our costs when we are actually already giving massive discounts,’ he wrote in one email.
‘We also note we are entitled to charge uplifts and increase our costs, and to date have not done so for several years. And yes, I am completely and utterly sick and tired of the constant emails on our costs.’
The architects, Allen, Jack + Cottier, settled in 2022, and agreed to pay $4.5million of the council’s legal costs, less than half of what Redenbach ultimately charged.
His firm had loaded its bill with a 25 per cent ‘success’ fee of roughly $2.1million and almost $1million in rate ‘adjustments’.
Justice Peden last week disallowed both add‑ons and ruled that about $2.4million in trust funds had been ‘misapplied’.
‘I do not accept Mr Redenbach’s version of most events,’ she wrote in her decision.
‘Mr Redenbach was a thoroughly unimpressive witness who despite claiming he had no interest in prolonging the hearing, appeared to intentionally refuse to respond to simple questions. Mr Redenbach gave self-serving evidence and even evidence which I consider was false.’
Justice Peden said the lawyer personally owed the council $1.5million compensation, on top of more than $750,000 his firm was ordered to pay in restitution.
Justice Peden said she did not accept Redenbach’s version of most events and found he was a ‘thoroughly unimpressive’ witness (stock image)
She also declared the firm misled the council over its fee estimates, holding it liable for $504,698 in damages.
The Daily Mail has contacted Redenbach for comment.
The council said since the start of the litigation, Redenbach had lodged complaints with the ACT Law Society about the council’s solicitors, and had initiated eight separate NCAT proceedings alleging they gave improper instructions to continue the litigation against him.
