E.D. New York cuts wage and hour fee award 0.5% over clerical work

What happened

Troy Law PLLC sought $10,384.50 in attorney fees under the Fair Labor Standards Act in a wage and hour case. The magistrate judge recommended awarding $10,335, a reduction of $49.50, or 0.5%. The cut reflected two administrative entries billed as legal work, totaling 0.33 hours. The figures do not include costs.

What the court said

Consequently, Troy Law's fee application will be reduced by $49.50, reflecting the $37.50 and $12.00 billed for these two administrative entries, respectively.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that even small entries can be trimmed when time records bill administrative tasks as legal work, and that courts will match the reduction to the specific entries identified.

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 E.D. New York approves and attorney fee motions in New York federal courts.

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