S.D. Florida cuts wage and hour fee award 22.3%, including for vague entries

What happened

The Brennan, Manna, and Diamond Law Firm sought $35,082 in fees for 140.3 hours in this Fair Labor Standards Act case. The court awarded $27,268, a reduction of $7,814 or 22.3%. It reduced the hourly rates for the associate, the partners, the paralegal, and the law clerk, reduced certain excessive hours by one third, and struck time entries it found vague and entries reflecting duplicative staffing.

What the court said

So, those time entries should be stricken.

The court also reduced the award for: hourly rate reduced, hourly rate reduced, excessive hours, duplicative staffing.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that a fee award can be reduced on several fronts at once: rates, excessive hours, and the time records themselves. Entries a court finds vague, or that reflect more than one timekeeper on the same task, may be struck entirely rather than trimmed, so the detail and staffing shown in the records affect the final award.

How to keep this out of your fee petition

• Name the task, the document or person involved, and the purpose.
• Avoid stock phrases that could describe any day in any matter.
• Keep privileged detail general, but specific enough to show the work.

Cite this ruling

See hourly rates the S.D. Florida approves and attorney fee motions in Florida federal courts.

Figures and quotes are taken from the opinion and checked against its text. Spot an error? Email team@legaltime.ai with the case name and we will correct it. Summaries of public court opinions. Not legal advice.