Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation

Fee Clause Interpretation: Broadly Worded Fees Clause Allowed Fee Recovery Against Unsuccessful Landlord On Tort Claims

Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation

  Clause Was Broad, No Apportionment Necessary For Jointly Represented Co-Defendant, And Awarded Fees Were Reasonable.      In Ocean View Resort Partnership v. Solanki, Case No. G048728 (4th Dist., Div. 3 April 2, 2015) (unpublished), plaintiff landlord lost a conventional lawsuit (not unlawful detainer) against defendant tenant based on certain tort claims, with the trial […]

Fee Clause Interpretation: Lower Court Properly Denied Fee Recovery Based On LLC Operating Agreement Fees Clause Only Applicable To Arbitrations

Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation

  No Arbitration, No Basis For Fees.      Plaintiff’s complaint in a court case was dismissed with prejudice based on the sustaining of a demurrer to a second amended complaint. Defendant LLC in Axten v. John Foster, LLC, Case No. G049665 (4th Dist., Div. 3 Mar. 25, 2015) (unpublished) then moved for contractual fee recovery

Fee Clause Interpretation, Prevailing Party: Partial and “Mixed” Results By Plaintiffs And Cross-Complainants In Rental Burglary Dispute Supported Trial Court’s Denial Of Contractual Fees To Either Side

Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation, Cases: Prevailing Party

  No Clear Winner Emerged In This One.      Where litigants in a case involving both a complaint and cross-complaint win only some claims (but with a broad rental agreement fees clause), the trial judge has discretion to determine whether any side “prevailed” based on a pragmatic inquiry. In Barrera v. Jensen, Case Nos. A136322/A137418

Allocation, Fee Clause Interpretation: $291,355.62 Fee Recovery Affirmed On Appeal Because Broadly Worded Fees Clause Encompassed Quiet Title Claim

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation

  No Apportionment Required Where Lower Court Could Conclude Efforts Intertwined With Covered Quiet Title Work.      In Hamilton Court, LLC v. East Olympic, L.P., Case No. B253511 (2d Dist., Div. 5 Mar. 12, 2015) (unpublished), defendants won $291,355.62 in attorney’s fees for trial and appellate work arising from a quiet title easement dispute. The

Fee Clause Interpretation: Tenants Prevailing On Two Tort Claims Did Not Present Fee Entitlement Basis Based On Agreement Which They Claimed Was Operative

Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation

  The Other Agreement Might Have Provided Fee Entitlement, But Tenants Did Not Rely On That Agreement On Appeal, Choosing Unoperative Agreement Instead.      The lesson to be learned from Rodriguez v. The Condon Group LLC, Case No. G049245 (4th Dist., Div. 3 Feb. 27, 2015) (unpublished), a 3-0 decision authored by Presiding Justice O’Leary,

Fee Clause Interpretation: Broadly Worded Provision Allowed Fee Recovery To Home Park Tenant Prevailing In Landlord Premises Liability Case

Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation, Cases: Landlord/Tenant

    Trial Court’s Denial of Fees Reversed.        Plaintiff was a tenant in a manufactured home park, falling while walking across a common area lawn. Plaintiff brought a premises liability suit against landlord, garnering a $311,899.67 damages award. However, the trial court denied plaintiff’s fee request.      That was reversed on appeal in

Fee Clause Interpretation, Section 1717: Prevailing Alter Ego Entitled To Fee Recovery Based On Fee Clause Allowing For Same In A Payment Dispute

Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation, Cases: Section 1717

  Reynolds Metal Drove the Reversal.      Cooley Constr., Inc. v. Matthews, Case No. G050422 (4th Dist., Div. 3 Feb. 24, 2015) (unpublished) was a situation where an alter ego defendant prevailed against a plaintiff in a construction payment dispute, which had two fees clauses—one specifying no fees for construction disputes and another allowing recovery

Allocation, Fee Clause Interpretation, Section 998: Defendant Prevailing Under Fees Clause Entitled To Unapportioned Fee Recovery, Another Plaintiff Not Entitled To Fees Given Failure To Show Fees Clause Was Part Of Contract, And Defendant Properly Denied

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation, Cases: Section 998

  Olio Of Fees/Costs Issues Confronted By 4/1 DCA In Unpublished Decision. About olio: Is there that o’re his French ragout Or olio that wad staw a sow, Or fricassee wad mak her spew Wi’ perfect scunner, Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view On sic a dinner?      — Robert Burns      Cosco Fire Protection,

Family Law, Fee Clause Interpretation: Narrower Fees Clause Did Not Preempt Family Code Section 2030/271 Fee Award To Wife

Cases: Family Law, Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation

  Clause Much Narrower Than Preemptive Fees Clause in Guilardi Opinion.      Ex-wife in Marriage of Dryer, Case No. H038921 (6th Dist. Feb. 20, 2015) (unpublished) garnered Family Code section 2030/271 fees totaling $60,000 against ex-husband, who principally argued that a marital settlement agreement (MSA) fees clause was broad enough to “trump” fee recovery under

Allocation, Fee Clause Interpretation, Lodestar, Reasonableness Of Fees, Section 998: Prevailing Attorneys In Collection Suit Against Ex-Client Sustain $1.532M Fee Award And $123K Expert Witness Fee Award On Appeal When Attorneys Recovered Base Collection

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation, Cases: Lodestar, Cases: Reasonableness of Fees, Cases: Section 998

  Fees Clause Was Broadly Worded, Former Attorneys Represented Client In Seven Suits, and Section 998 Rejection Gave Rise to Expert Witness Fee Award.      This next opinion, Calvo Fisher & Jacob LLP v. Lujan, Case No. A139863 (1st Dist., Div. 2 Feb. 19, 2015) (published), is must reading for both litigants and attorneys involved

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