Last time I got Rule 11 penalties, we went through 2 depositions, exchange of interrogatories, and a summary judgment motion (with hearing) for a little over eleven grand. That would have been in 1992 or thereabouts.
My client got his money back, and we embarrassed the &^*^$(&* out of a plaintiff's PI lawyer. What fun!
Prices add up quickly when you’re paying $250/hr for an associate and $500/hr for a partner. And those are low numbers.