Didn't mean to be flippant as I'm not an expert either, but through the course of my career I've spoken to a ton of attorneys including a few who routinely represent companies all of us know well. The top corporate litigators I've met charge in the $1000/hr range, but not much more than that. Their rates tend to be somewhat negotiable as well depending on the task.

You're right: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870407130457616...

I know of lawyers who charge $20,000 for a 15 minute court appearance. They represent billionaires.

They aren't charging $20,000 for 15 minutes of work. That number includes 20-40 hours of trial prep, with maybe some other expenses thrown in.