N.D. Texas cuts intellectual property fee award 21.5%, including for clerical work

What happened

SRIPLAW, counsel for the plaintiff, requested $2,435 in attorney fees. The court awarded $1,912.50, a reduction of $522.50, or 21.5%. The court deducted $395 for 2.7 hours billed for a client services liaison, finding no precedent for awarding fees for that role. It further deducted $127.50 for 0.6 hours of clerical work billed as legal work. The figures do not include costs.

What the court said

Accordingly, the Court further DEDUCTS $127.50 from Plaintiff’s requested attorneys’ fees.

The court also reduced the award for: other.

Why it matters

The ruling shows courts will examine each time entry and disallow charges for nonlegal roles and clerical tasks, even in a modest fee request. It also shows that a fee applicant must tie billed work to compensable attorney services, and that small entries can still draw deductions.

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 N.D. Texas approves and attorney fee motions in Texas 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.