W.D. Arkansas cuts wage and hour fee award 65.9%, including for clerical work

What happened

The plaintiff's firm, Josephson Dunlap, LLP, requested $391,000 in fees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The court awarded $133,208.75, a reduction of $257,791.25 or 65.9%. The court reduced hours for unrelated claims, excessive hours, clerical work billed as legal work, duplicative staffing, block billing, vague entries, and fees on fees, and it lowered the hourly rates. The figures do not include costs.

What the court said

the Court will deduct an additional 3.20 paralegal hours related to these tasks.

the Court will reduce the award by 29.70 hours. Both Schreiber’s and Matthews’ hours will be reduced by 14.85 hours each.

the Court will reduce the award by 29.70 hours. Both Schreiber’s and Matthews’ hours will be reduced by 14.85 hours each.

The court also reduced the award for: unrelated claims, excessive hours, other, excessive hours, excessive hours, duplicative staffing, fees on fees, excessive hours, hourly rate reduced.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that courts will reduce fee awards when time records contain block billing, vague entries, and clerical tasks billed as legal work, and when staffing is duplicative. It also shows that courts may cut hours for excessive time and adjust hourly rates, so precise and detailed time records matter on a fee petition.

How to keep this out of your fee petition

• Leave purely clerical work off the fee petition.
• Describe paralegal tasks so the substantive work is clear.
• Split mixed entries into their substantive and clerical parts.

Cite this ruling

See hourly rates the W.D. Arkansas approves and attorney fee motions in Arkansas 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.