S.D. Florida cuts consumer protection fee award 23.3%, including for vague entries

What happened

The plaintiff sought $47,060.25 in attorney fees. The court awarded $36,075, a reduction of $10,985.25 or 23.3%. It deducted 15.3 hours for reviewing notices of electronic filing, 1.2 hours for vague entries, and 4.2 hours for clerical work billed as legal work. It also cut time for excessive and duplicative staffing, client updates, extension motions, fees litigation after June 10, 2024, unrelated claims, and early-stage work.

What the court said

the Court found that Attorney Newhart billed 1.2 hours where the billing entries are vague, and the Court recommends deducting these hours

the Court recommends deducting .6 hours from Attorney Feygin's total hours and 3.6 hours from Attorney Feller's total hours to account for time billed for clerical work

The court also reduced the award for: excessive hours, excessive hours, duplicative staffing, duplicative staffing, other, other, fees on fees, unrelated claims, excessive hours.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that courts examine each time entry and will reduce fees for vague descriptions, clerical tasks, and duplicated or excessive work, even when the overall requested amount is modest. It illustrates that a fee award depends on the specificity and reasonableness of the underlying time records.

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.