Bankr. D. Maine cuts bankruptcy fee award, including for clerical work
Stored Solar Enterprises, Series LLC, No. 1:22-bk-10191. United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Maine, Judge Michael A. Fagone. Decided . Read the opinion
The court applied the reductions below but did not state requested and awarded totals we could check against the opinion, so no overall percentage is shown.
Bankruptcy · Fee applicant's counsel: Drummond Woodsum · Figures include costs
What happened
Drummond Woodsum sought compensation in the Stored Solar Enterprises bankruptcy. The court disallowed $2,835 for time spent on fee applications, noting 30.9 hours billed on two fee applications. It also disallowed $265 for docket filing tasks, $525 and $490 for hearing attendance, $115 for a certificate of no objection, $70 for a conference, and $595 for a November 16, 2023 hearing. The court cited block billing and duplication, and said shareholder rates should not apply to virtually all services. Figures include costs.
What the court said
the Court also disallows fees of $265.00 for time billed by counsel for the administrative task of filing items on the docket
several instances of impermissible block-billing by Attorney Fisher
The court also reduced the award for: fees on fees, excessive hours, excessive hours, other, excessive hours, duplicative staffing, other, duplicative staffing, other.
Why it matters
The ruling shows courts examine each time entry on a fee petition, separating clerical tasks from legal work and disallowing fees for block-billed entries. It also shows that time spent preparing fee applications can be cut when the court finds it excessive, and that duplicative staffing and hearing attendance are scrutinized line by line.
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
Stored Solar Enterprises, Series LLC, No. 1:22-bk-10191 (Bankr. D. Me. July 2, 2024) 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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