D. Minnesota cuts ERISA benefits fee award 20.6%, including for vague entries

What happened

Nolan Thompson Leighton & Tataryn PLC sought $135,700 in fees for 303.8 hours in an ERISA benefits case. The court awarded $107,710, a reduction of $27,990 or 20.6%, and allowed 271.8 hours. It cut travel time, reduced the opposition and reply brief hours by one-third for duplicative staffing and excessive hours, eliminated hours for vague entries, and reduced the hourly rates.

What the court said

Here, the Court eliminates 0.2 hours of work for two imprecise time entries.

The Court has identified 2.3 hours of fees that lack a specific description of what type of work was done for Grandson's case.

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

Why it matters

The ruling shows that a fee award can be reduced for several reasons at once, and that time entries lacking a specific description of the work are among the grounds courts will trim, even when the overall reduction is driven mainly by staffing and travel.

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 D. Minnesota approves and attorney fee motions in Minnesota 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.