Cases: Lodestar

Lodestar, Multiplier, Reasonableness Of Fees: Lower Court Did Not Err By Awarding $19,176 Out Of Requested $231,098 In Fees Under Private Attorney General Statute To Prevailing Plaintiff

Cases: Lodestar, Cases: Multipliers, Cases: Reasonableness of Fees

  Limited Success, Excessive Hourly Rates, and Excessive Work Led To Reductions, Although Court Disagrees With One Aspect Of Gorman Decision.      In Save Our Uniquely Rural Community Environment v. County of San Bernardino, Case No. E059524 (4th Dist., Div. 2 Mar. 18, 2015) (unpublished), a CEQA plaintiff, a non-profit opposing the development of an […]

Lodestar, Reasonableness Of Fees: Trial Court’s Award Of $780,660.80 Out Of Requested $3,639,238.31 To FEHA Prevailing Plaintiff Affirmed On Appeal, Where Plaintiff Recovered $663,983

Cases: Lodestar, Cases: Reasonableness of Fees

  Lack of Detailed Reasoning Did Not Translate Into Abuse of Discretion, With Lower Court Having Plenty of Ammunition To Lower Requested Fees.      We know that the law in many fee-shifting areas says that awarded fees do not have to be proportional to the ultimate damages awarded, especially in civil rights or consumer areas.

Lodestar, Multiplier, Private Attorney General, Reasonableness Of Fees, Substantiation Of Fees: Plaintiff’s Attorneys Garner $721,994.81 In Fee Recovery For Successfully Arguing City Of Los Angeles Could Not “Outsource” Initial Review Of

Cases: Lodestar, Cases: Multipliers, Cases: Private Attorney General (CCP 1021.5), Cases: Reasonableness of Fees, Cases: Substantiation of Reasonableness of Fees

  However, Many of the Nonstatutory Costs Were Taxed.      Although we do not often post about trial court decisions involving fees and costs, Caleb Marker of Ridout Lyon + Ottoson, LLP in Long Beach sent us copies of the fees and costs rulings in Weiss v. City of Los Angeles, Case No. BC141354 (L.A.

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

Civil Rights/Lodestar/Multiplier: $433,000 FEHA Recovery To Prevailing Plaintiff Affirmed On Appeal

Cases: Civil Rights, Cases: Lodestar, Cases: Multipliers

  Reduction In Requested Hourly Rate and Denial of Multiplier Were No Abuses of Discretion.      In Shank v. CRST Van Expedited, Inc., Case No. G049844 (4th Dist., Div. 3 Jan. 14, 2015) (unpublished), Plaintiff won a sexual harassment jury verdict against an employer and employer’s trainer, to the tune of $391,000 in compensatory damages

In The News . . . . E.D. Pa. Judge Awards Wage/Hour Attorneys 20% Of Settlement Fund, While D. Mass. Judge Awards Neurotin Class Action Counsel 28% Percentage Of Recovery In Class Action Case

Cases: Class Actions, Cases: Employment, Cases: Lodestar

  Fee Award in TD Bank Wage/Hour Class Action.      In Keller v. TD Bank, N.A., Civ. Action No. 12-5045 (E.D.Pa. Nov. 4, 2014 Order), U.S. District Judge L. Felipe Restrepo awarded class action counsel exactly what they wanted–$1.2 million in fees out of a $6 million settlement fund in the settlement of a wage/hour

Lodestar/Reasonableness Of Fees: Lower Court Did Not Err In Reducing Lodestar Request For Inexperience Of Attorney And Partial Success On Some Activities

Cases: Lodestar, Cases: Reasonableness of Fees

  Although Different Judge than “Merits” Judge Heard Fee Motion, Appellate Court Questions Whether More Scrutiny Is Required, But Affirms Even Under A More Rigorous Standard.      Coalition for Adequate Review v. City and County of San Francisco, Case Nos. A135660/A138856 (1st Dist., Div. 2 Nov. 19, 2014) (unpublished) is an interesting case primarily involving

In The News . . . . N.D. Cal. District Judge Grants Reduced Lodestar Plus 2.59 Multiplier To Class Counsel In Bank of America Automated Call Settlement

Cases: Class Actions, Cases: Lodestar, Cases: Multipliers, In The News

  $8 Million Percentage of Recovery Request Nixed; Reductions Made for Inefficient Work Efforts and High Settlement/Mediation Work Requests.      In Rose v. Bank of America Corp., Case Nos. 5:11-CV-02390 & 5:12-CV-04009-EJD (N.D. Cal. Aug. 29, 2014) (Doc. No. 180), U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila gave final approval to a settlement of a class

Lodestar/Private Attorney General/Reasonableness Of Fees: Non-Profit Entitled To CCP § 1021.5 Fee Recovery Against Developer Under Split Fee Settlement Arrangement Between Non-Profit And City

Cases: Lodestar, Cases: Private Attorney General (CCP 1021.5), Cases: Reasonableness of Fees

  However, Lodestar Had to Be Re-fixed on a Couple of Issues.      Plaintiff SONG, a non-profit, prevailed in an earlier appeal of a challenge to the environmental review of a project to amend Lancaster’s general plan to change the zoning designation so that a developer could construct a shopping center on a vacant lot

Equity/Lodestar/Multiplier/Retainer Agreement: $7.8 Million Fee Recovery For Well Known L.A. Attorney’s Work In Divorce Cases Reversed

Cases: Equity, Cases: Lodestar, Cases: Multipliers, Cases: Retainer Agreements

  No Written Retainer Agreement, With Quantum Meruit Jury Verdict Overturned And Reduced To $1.8 Million Plus Some Other Deductions.      This is a doozy of a case involving well known Los Angeles attorney Hillel Chodos, who happened to not have had a written hourly or contingency retainer agreement with an ex-client, a wife involved

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