D. Arizona cuts wage and hour fee award 13.7% over clerical work

What happened

The fee applicant in Peppin v. KQC LLC et al requested $8,267.50 for 35.7 hours under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Honorable Steven P. Logan found that 35.7 hours was not a reasonable amount of compensable time because many entries were clerical or administrative. The court awarded $7,136.50 for 29.4 hours, a reduction of $1,131.00, or 13.7%. The figures do not include costs.

What the court said

the Court finds that 35.7 hours is not a reasonable amount of compensable time, as many entries were clerical or administrative.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that courts will reduce fee awards when time records describe clerical or administrative tasks as legal work, and that the reduction is measured against the hours documented in the entries.

How to keep this out of your fee petition

• Leave purely clerical work off the fee petition.
• Describe paralegal tasks so the substantive work is clear.
• Split mixed entries into their substantive and clerical parts.

Cite this ruling

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