In a full-throated defense of his work relating to a client with whom he's now embroiled in litigation over $5.5 million, high-profile personal injury lawyer Benedict Morelli called the dispute a "shame," said his actions in the case have been "stellar," and maintained he did not need his client's return signature once he put in writing that he would be charging an additional 10% contingency fee for appellate work in the client's record-setting case.