S.D. Florida cuts commercial fee award 50.3%, including for vague entries

What happened

The fee applicant sought $50,326 for 107.5 hours in a commercial matter. The magistrate judge recommended awarding $25,000, a reduction of $25,326 or 50.3%. The court found that three attorneys performed overlapping and sometimes duplicative tasks, that more than twenty hours were billed for preparing for a contempt hearing without further explanation, and that a handful of hours were spent on tasks unrelated to the motion to enforce.

What the court said

Loeb also billed over twenty hours for “prepare for hearing on contempt motion,” with no further explanation as to what was done during that time.

The court also reduced the award for: duplicative staffing, unrelated claims.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that a fee petition can be cut substantially when time entries do not explain the work performed, when multiple attorneys bill for the same tasks, and when the records include work on claims outside the motion at issue.

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.