S.D. Florida cuts commercial fee award 5% over block billing

What happened

Wilson Elser, counsel for Global Approach, Inc., sought $35,684 in attorney fees in this commercial case. The court awarded $33,899.80, a reduction of $1,784.20. The court applied a 5% reduction to the total fee because some time entries showed block billing. The figures do not include costs.

What the court said

Because the entries show some instances of block billing, a five-percent reduction is appropriate.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that a court will reduce a fee award when time entries combine multiple tasks, even where the reduction is modest. It confirms that block billing is treated as a recordkeeping problem that affects the amount awarded, not merely a formatting issue.

How to keep this out of your fee petition

• Record one task per entry, each with its own time.
• Write the entry when the work happens, not at the end of the week.
• If a task really is one unit of work, say what it was and what it produced.

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.