N.D. California cuts fee award 30%, including for missing contemporaneous records

What happened

Innovative Sports Management sought $16,562.50 in attorney fees. Judge Noël Wise awarded $11,593.75, a reduction of $4,968.75 or 30%. The court cut the total fee by 25% because the billing records were not contemporaneous. It applied an additional 10% reduction because counsel's firm routinely files these claims, so much of the time billed for extensive research, including the fee motion, was likely unnecessary. The figures do not include costs.

What the court said

The Court finds that it is reasonable to reduce the requested fee award by twenty-five percent given the non-contemporaneous nature of Mr. Riley’s billing records.

The court also reduced the award for: excessive hours.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that a fee applicant's time records are central to the award. A court may reduce the total fee when entries were not made contemporaneously, and it may separately trim time it considers unnecessary for work the firm handles routinely, including time spent preparing the fee motion itself.

How to keep this out of your fee petition

• Record time the same day the work happens.
• Keep the original records, not only a cleaned-up summary.
• Be able to show when each entry was created.

Cite this ruling

See hourly rates the N.D. California approves and attorney fee motions in California 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.