Case Involved JAMS Neutral John Trotter’s Mediation Activities, Which Were Successfully SLAPPed. In Chodosh v. Trotter, Case Nos. D070952/D070953 (4th Dist., Div. 1 Sept. 13, 2017) (unpublished), plaintiffs sued JAMS neutral John Trotter (a retired jurist from Orange County) based on alleged misconduct during a mediation. A defense SLAPP motion was granted based on […]
$42,500 In Fees And $2,842 In Costs Was The Total Award. According to a recent Associated Press article, a California state court judge earlier this year ordered U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa to pay $42,500 in attorney’s fees and $2,842 in costs for obtaining dismissal through a SLAPP motion of Rep. Issa’s defamation action against
Defendant SLAPP Winner Awarded Full Amount Of Request, Waiving Supplemental Request Based On Actions Below. In Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC v. Kasparian, Case No. B260613 (2d Dist., Div. 3 Aug. 31, 2017) (unpublished), a defendant successfully won a SLAPP action and was awarded $4,027.50 in fees, the exact amount requested. However, even
Hourly Rates Were Reasonable, And 28% Reduction Cemented The Conclusion. In Ellis v. Mercury Ins. Co., Case No. E064749 (4th Dist., Div. 2 April 14, 2017) (unpublished), plaintiff lost a SLAPP motion and then lost an appeal of the SLAPP merits loss. The lower court then awarded the defendant insurance company $8,797.50
California Supreme Court Decides Any Other Interpretation Would Gut SLAPP Policies. The California Supreme Court, in Barry v. State Bar of California, Case No. S214058 (Cal. Supreme Court Jan. 5, 2017), confronted the issue of whether a prevailing defendant (the State Bar) was entitled to an award of attorney’s fees and costs when
Word To The Wise—Both Losing Plaintiff And Plaintiff’s Counsel Should Appeal The Sanctions Award. The Inland Oversight Comm. v. Yates, Case No. E064787 (4th Dist., Div. 2 Dec. 8, 2016) (unpublished) is a decision having a good cautionary lesson for a nonprevailing plaintiff and its counsel when plaintiff’s attorney is hit with CCP
$152,529.95 Fee Request Slashed Down To $30,752.86 Through Actual Fee Order. On May 20, 2016 and June 20, 2016, we posted on a case which was later accepted for rehearing by the same appellate panel. The opinion upon rehearing is now out in 569 East County Blvd. LLC v. Backcountry Against The Drop,
Plaintiff’s Challenges To Hourly Rates, Billing Substantiation, And Staffing Rejected By Trial and Appellate Courts. Lund v. Gifford, Case No. B259366 (2d Dist., Div. 3 Dec. 2, 2016) (unpublished) is a good example of how a successful defendant’s attorneys should draft a fee petition after winning a SLAPP motion on behalf of their
SLAPP Motion Was Not Frivolous, And Appeal Court Did Not Find Prior Appeal Frivolous In Nature. Defendant filed a SLAPP motion which was denied, appealing without success. Then, upon remand, the lower court awarded attorney’s fees on appeal in favor of plaintiff and against defendant (and possibly its attorneys) to the tune of
Probate—Corman v. Corman, Case No. B251513 (2d Dist., Div. 7 Aug. 29, 2016) (Unpublished)—Partial Beneficiary Success Did Not Justify Fee Award. In this first one, there was a nasty probate fight (I guess one could conjecture whether any are other than nasty) over trust accountings, which pitted the trustees against beneficiaries in most
