A Selection of Legal Fees Articles From the Past Week…
Dramatic FINRA Arbitrations Slam Attorneys’ Fees (Forbes) – The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority reduced what it felt were excessive attorneys’ fees in recent arbitration. Despite a default judgment being issued, the arbitrator slashed over 50% of claimed fees because the documentations failed to specify the tasks being performed with reasonable specificity. – http://www.forbes.com/sites/billsinger/2011/08/11/dramatic-finra-arbitrations-slam-attorneys-fees
Attorney Fees May Cost Seattle in Civil Suit (AP via Charleston Daily Mail) – Despite only winning $1, a fee petition for $419,000 in attorneys’ fees was filed against the city of Seattle in US District Court. In the underlying case a man sued the city for holding him at gunpoint too long. Although the judge only awarded him $1 in damages, under the prevailing party rule he can seek reasonable attorney fees.
Court Deducts More Than $48,000 from Attorney’s Fee Application for Clerical Work, Overstaffing and Excessive Hours (Sterling Analytics) – In Brown v. City of Pittsburgh, the plaintiff filed a motion with the court seeking $248,558 in attorneys’ fees. After considering the City’s objections to the plaintiff’s request, the court reduced the fee request by more than $48,000.
Children & Youth owes $112k in Attorney Fees – A US judge awarded attorneys’ fees to a woman in a case against Pennsylvania Children and Youth for denial of her foster care payments. However, the judge greatly reduced the fees requested. One attorney, whom sought $78,150 in fees had the amount reduced to $43,948 with the judge citing insufficient documentation for both the hours and rate requested.
