Cases: Allocation

Allocation/Appealability/Prevailing Party:  Litigant Winning Demurrer Without Leave Entitled To Contractual Fee Recovery For Unqualified Win

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Appealability, Cases: Prevailing Party

    Apportionment Would Have To Be Made, Because Litigant Shared Counsel With Remaining Party In Litigation.               Hyatt v. Aurora Western Pacific Advisors, Inc., Case No. G052981 (4th Dist., Div. 3 April 20, 2017) (unpublished) illustrates that difficulties in apportioning fees does not allow a trial judge to deny a fee request by […]

Allocation/Costs/Section 1717: Plaintiff Attempting To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Lenders Without Prejudice Subjected To Substantial 1717 Fee Exposure To The Tune Of $526,393 In Fees

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Costs, Cases: Section 1717

  Plaintiff Also Hit With Some Costs, But Some Non-Statutory And Discretionary Costs Were Stricken.      Plaintiff borrowers brought a multi-count contractual/tort/statutory claim-based suit against construction loan participants, ultimately attempting to dismiss the action without prejudice during trial. The trial judge determined the dismissal was not authorized and set it aside as void, further granting

Fee Clause Interpretation, Prevailing Party, Section 1717, Allocation: Trial Court Erred In Awarding All Defense Fees Against Voluntarily Dismissing Plaintiff Under Santisas, Requiring Remand And Allocation

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation, Cases: Prevailing Party, Cases: Section 1717

However, Prevailing Defense Was Entitled To Fees For Tort Claim Work Given Breadth Of Contractual Fees Clause.     A trial judge in Khan v. Shim, Case No. H041608 (6th Dist. Dec. 29, 2016) (published) granted the prevailing defense all fees for defensive work incurred in defending against a complaint containing both contractual and tort claims following

Allocation/Section 1717: Lower Court Erred In Denying Fees To Prevailing Defendant Under Section 1717 Based On “Unity Of Interest” Principle Applicable To Other Unsuccessful Defendants

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Section 1717

  However, Apportionment Was Required On Remand—Consideration Of Many Factors.     In Bank of Southern California, N.A. v. D&D Goryoka, Inc., Case No. D069767 (4th Dist., Div. 1 Nov. 29, 2016) (unpublished), defendant/cross-complainant was denied a prevailing party fee request as against plaintiff/cross-defendant Bank to the tune of a $908,171.25 request (later reduced to $795,753). 

Allocation/Consumer Statutes: Prevailing Dealer In BMW Dispute Properly Awarded 30% Of Requested Fees Based On Dealer’s Own Allocation

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Consumer Statutes

  Dealer Did A Smart Thing Here In Apportioning Fees Between Claims.    Tun v. Wells Fargo Dealer Services, Case No. D070447 (4th Dist., Div. 1 Nov. 7, 2016) (published) is a nice illustration of a smart move that a prevailing party undertook under a fee-shifting statute in its fee petition papers.  That move was

Allocation, Civil Rights, Paralegals, Reasonableness Of Fees: Substantial Fee Recovery Remanded Based On Merits Reversal

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Civil Rights, Cases: Paralegal Time, Cases: Reasonableness of Fees

  However, Appellate Court Provides Remand Guidance On Allocation, Paralegal Compensation, And Reasonableness Issues.      In Samuelson v. Dept. of State Hospitals, Case No. A143149 (1st Dist., Div. 2 Oct. 28, 2016) (unpublished), plaintiff was awarded $1 million in damages against defendants Dept. of State Hospitals and three psychologists hired by Napa State Hospital based

Allocation, Family Law, Substantiation Of Fees: Ex-Husband Failing To Allocate Between Recoverable And Non-Recoverable Claims During Trial Properly Denied Any Fees

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Family Law, Cases: Substantiation of Reasonableness of Fees

  Ex-Husband’s Failure To Allocate And Use Of Block Billing Resulted In Real Problems At Trial And Ultimate Denial Of Any Fees Incurred By Husband. Adding prize winner. Washington D.C. “In a speed and accuracy contest for adding machine operators last night, William A. Offutt of the Washington Loan and Trust Company, was declared winner

Allocation/Section 1717: Broadly-Worded Fees Clause Allowed Defrauded Residential Purchasers To Garner $345,539.19 In Costs/Attorney’s Fees Against Losing Defendant/Sellers

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Section 1717

  Damages Were A Little Over $180,000.     Just to illustrate that attorney’s fees under Civil Code section 1717 do not have to be proportional to the awarded compensatory damages, we now post on Pec v. Brackenbury, Case No. A142104 (1st Dist., Div. 1 Sept. 20, 2016) (unpublished).     There, residential property purchasers/plaintiff prevailed on

Allocation/Arbitration: Party Prevailing On Arbitration Counterclaim Correctly Denied Fees Upon Review Of Arbitrator “Zilch” Award To Counterclaimant

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Arbitration

  Merits Cannot Be Reviewed, But Prevailing Counterclaimant Did Not Allocate—A Mistake!      We will say that Editions Limited West, Inc. v. Somerset Studios, Inc., Case No. A145320 (1st Dist., Div. 3 July 7, 2016) (unpublished) is another decision where an appellate court would not revisit the merits of an arbitrator’s refusal to grant fees

Deadlines/Allocation: Work On Contract/Negligence Claims Were Intertwined, Justifying Recovery Of $91,819.58 In Fees In $39,335 Compensatory Award Case To Contractor As Against Property Owner

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Deadlines

  Appeal Was Timely, Given That Judgment Appeal Swept In Later Order Fixing Fees.     In Ducoing Enterprises, Inc. v. Patriot Paving, Inc., Case No. G051582 (4th Dist., Div. 3 June 15, 2016) (unpublished), a 3-0 decision authored by Justice Fybel, contractor won a $39,335 compensatory award against property owner in a complaint and a

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