N.D. Texas cuts employment fee award 10% over block billing | LegalTime AI

N.D. Texas cuts employment fee award 10% over block billing

Huang v. University of Texas Arlington, No. 4:25-cv-00181. District Court, N.D. Texas, Judge Mark T. Pittman. Decided . Read the opinion

Requested
$218,172.50
Awarded
$196,355.25
Cut
10%$21,817.25

Employment · Title VII · Fee applicant's counsel: Hill Gilstrap, P.C.

What happened

Dr. Huang, represented by Hill Gilstrap, P.C., sought $218,172.50 in attorney fees under Title VII. The court found the lodestar calculation reasonable but applied a 10% reduction to the total fee for block billing, reducing the award by $21,817.25. Judge Mark T. Pittman awarded $196,355.25. The figures do not include costs.

What the court said

Block billing · 10% reduction
The Court finds that Dr. Huang's calculation represents a reasonable lodestar amount. It will impose a 10% reduction in fees for unreasonable block billing.

Why it matters

The order shows that a court may accept the overall lodestar math and still reduce the award when time entries group multiple tasks together, leaving the court unable to check how hours were divided among them.

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

Huang v. University of Texas Arlington, No. 4:25-cv-00181 (N.D. Tex. Oct. 16, 2026)

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.

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