The problem with contingency is that it creates an incentive for the lawyer to optimize work/reward for himself and not for the client, which has also been documented with real estate agents. Thus the lawyer may have an incentive to "resolve" the case within the first month by accepting a 20% bitcoin refund as a deal and never having to do any work for it...
I have asked him about this, and here are the most important points of the answer:
* The lawyer will not have the authority to accept any settlement the client does not want.
* The contingent fee only attaches to profits over the current settlement offer. (So accepting the USD value would earn him NOTHING.)
* For customers not wanting to go on a contingent base, we can also do this hourly, and maybe it will resolve quickly and easily. (But don't hold your breath.)
* * *
As for me, I am fine with the basic terms offered. (I have not yet signed anything specific. It's gonna happen in the next 12 hours, I guess.)