Court-approved attorney hourly rates: District Court, D. Maryland
174 approved rates from 61 fee rulings since October 20, 2024. Latest ruling Sep 2, 2026. Data as of October 20, 2026.
| Role | Median | Middle half | Range | Rates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partner | $470 | $353 to $625 | $250 to $695 | 22 |
| Associate | $225 | $225 to $317 | $75 to $598 | 13 |
| Attorney | $450 | $325 to $625 | $165 to $750 | 97 |
| Paralegal | $210 | $150 to $245 | $100 to $300 | 37 |
Approved rates by year
| Year | Partner | Associate | Paralegal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $414 (10) | $210 (13) | |
| 2025 | $475 (12) | $225 (9) | $240 (20) |
| 2024 | $425 (8) | $300 (9) | $150 (23) |
Median approved rate by the year of the ruling (number of rates in brackets). A year shows a median at 5 or more rates. Not adjusted for inflation.
Attorney rates by years of experience
| Experience | Median | Middle half | Rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 years | $230 | $203 to $342 | 10 |
| 5-9 years | $450 | $450 to $465 | 21 |
| 10-19 years | $317 | $300 to $465 | 17 |
| 20+ years | $625 | $494 to $675 | 36 |
Only rates where the opinion states the attorney's years of experience.
The court approved a lower rate than requested for 6 of 173 timekeepers (3%), by a median 26.8%.
Cite these rates
$470/hr
In D. Maryland fee rulings since October 20, 2024, the median court-approved partner rate was $470 an hour (22 rates).
$225/hr
In D. Maryland fee rulings since October 20, 2024, the median court-approved associate rate was $225 an hour (13 rates).
$450/hr
In D. Maryland fee rulings since October 20, 2024, the median court-approved attorney rate was $450 an hour (97 rates).
$210/hr
In D. Maryland fee rulings since October 20, 2024, the median court-approved paralegal rate was $210 an hour (37 rates).
Copy these rulings as citations
Recent D. Maryland rulings with the rates they approved, formatted for a fee petition. Check each ruling before citing it.
Guillen Serrano v. Maki, LLC, No. 8:25-cv-04060 (D. Md. Sept. 2, 2026) (approving hourly rates of $695 for a partner with 40 years' experience; $645 for a partner with 30 years' experience; $465 for a partner with 9 years' experience); Ramirez v. Sterling Auto Service and Body Shop, LLC, No. 8:25-cv-01143 (D. Md. Aug. 25, 2026) (approving hourly rates of $750 for an attorney with 38 years' experience; $700 for an attorney with 29 years' experience; $575 for an attorney with 9 years' experience); The Huntington National Bank v. Rotimi, No. 8:25-cv-04053 (D. Md. Aug. 7, 2026) (approving hourly rates of $295 for an attorney with 15 years' experience; $295 for an attorney with 19 years' experience); Caracillo v. XAU Ventures LLC, No. 1:25-cv-02617 (D. Md. July 24, 2026) (approving hourly rates of $363 for a partner with 6 years' experience); Trustees of the National Electrical Benefit Fund v. MVC Electrical, LLC, No. 8:24-cv-02687 (D. Md. July 20, 2026) (approving hourly rates of $225 for an associate); Epps v. AZ Battery Rescue LLC, No. 1:23-cv-01870 (D. Md. July 8, 2026) (approving hourly rates of $695 for an attorney with 44 years' experience; $645 for an attorney with 31 years' experience; $465 for an attorney with 11 years' experience); Hickman v. LVNV Funding LLC, No. 8:24-cv-00584 (D. Md. July 1, 2026) (approving hourly rates of $450 to $500 for attorneys with 5 years' experience; $425 to $500 for attorneys with 3 years' experience; $350 for an attorney with 2 years' experience); Broadcast Music, Inc. v. Disorder LLC, No. 1:25-cv-03218 (D. Md. June 23, 2026) (approving hourly rates of $300 for a partner with 16 years' experience); Maryland Electrical Industry Health Fund v. Max Electrical Construction Corp., No. 1:25-cv-00576 (D. Md. June 11, 2026) (approving hourly rates of $275 to $350 for attorneys); Okoniha v. Upscale Management Services, LLC, No. 1:25-cv-03617 (D. Md. June 3, 2026) (approving hourly rates of $598 for an associate with 13 years' experience); Edward G. Rahll & Sons, Inc. v. Everfresh Farms, LLC, No. 1:25-cv-02531 (D. Md. May 22, 2026) (approving hourly rates of $325 for an attorney with 37 years' experience; $500 for a partner with 33 years' experience); Trustees of The National Automatic Sprinkler Industry Welfare Fund v. Reliant Fire Protection, LLC, No. 8:25-cv-00926 (D. Md. May 14, 2026) (approving hourly rates of $387 for an attorney; $150 for a paralegal).
Rulings
Rates turn on experience, practice area, and the work done. Use these as a starting point and cite the rulings, not this page, in a fee petition.
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Sep 30, 2026 · Other · Statutory rate, not in medians
Role Experience Requested Approved Attorney $257 $257 The court's words
his fee request is reasonable, as it applies a "modest" hourly rate of $257.39 per hour for 129.35 attorney hours
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Sep 2, 2026 · Wage and hour · Rates from a fee matrix
Role Experience Requested Approved Partner 40 years $695 $695 Partner 30 years $645 $645 Partner 9 years $465 $465 Paralegal $245 $245 The court's words
$695.00 for Omar Vincent Melehy (Partner)
$645.00 for Suvita Melehy (Partner)
$465.00 for Andrew Balashov (Partner)
$245.00 for the Paralegals/Law Clerks
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Ramirez v. Sterling Auto Service and Body Shop, LLC et al
Aug 25, 2026 · Wage and hour · Rates from a fee matrix
Role Experience Requested Approved Attorney 38 years $750 $750 Attorney 29 years $700 $700 Attorney 9 years $575 $575 Paralegal $250 $250 The court's words
Mr. Melehy has been practicing law for more than 38 years and charges an hourly rate in the amount of $750.00 per hour.
The Court finds that Ms. Melehy has been practicing law for more than 29 years and charges an hourly rate in the amount of $700.00 per hour.
The Court finds that Mr. Balashov has been practicing law for more than 9 years and charges an hourly rate in the amount of $575.00 per hour.
As it relates to the paralegals/law clerks, the Court finds that they billed an hourly rate in the amount of $250.00 per hour.
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The Huntington National Bank v. Rotimi et al
Aug 7, 2026 · Commercial · Rates from a fee matrix
Role Experience Requested Approved Attorney 15 years $295 $295 Attorney 19 years $295 $295 The court's words
I find that Mr. Alfred D. Carry has 15 years of experience and that Mr. Stephen M. Montgomery has 19 years of experience. ... I also find that they billed $295 per hour, which is well below the hourly rate for attorneys with their respective levels of experience
I find that Mr. Alfred D. Carry has 15 years of experience and that Mr. Stephen M. Montgomery has 19 years of experience. ... I also find that they billed $295 per hour, which is well below the hourly rate for attorneys with their respective levels of experience
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Caracillo v. XAU Ventures LLC et al
Jul 24, 2026 · Commercial · Rates from a fee matrix
Role Experience Requested Approved Partner 6 years $363 $363 The court's words
Mr. Lund assumes that his hourly rate for this matter would have been $363. ECF 22-2, ¶ 11. An hourly rate of $363 is reasonable, and approaches the Fitzpatrick Matrix range for Virginia lawyers with six years of experience ($591.30).
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Trustees of the National Electrical Benefit Fund v. MVC Electrical, LLC
Jul 20, 2026 · ERISA benefits · Rates from a fee matrix
Role Experience Requested Approved Associate $225 $225 The court's words
Mr. Tkach states that his hourly rate in this case is $225.00 per hour. Id. This rate is well below the Fitzpatrick Matrix for an attorney with three or four years experience in 2024 and 2025.
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Epps v. AZ Battery Rescue LLC et al
Jul 8, 2026 · Wage and hour · Rates from a fee matrix
Role Experience Requested Approved Attorney 44 years $695 $695 Attorney 31 years $645 $645 Attorney 11 years $465 $465 Paralegal $245 $245 The court's words
Omar Melehy, Esq.’s billing rate is $695.00 per hour
Suvita Melehy, Esq.’s billing rate is $645.00 per hour
Andrew Balashov, Esq.’s billing rate is $465.00 per hour
the law firm’s billing rate for law clerks and paralegals is $245.00 per hour
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Jul 1, 2026 · Consumer protection · Rates from a fee matrix
Role Experience Requested Approved Attorney 5 years $450 $450 Attorney 5 years $500 $500 Attorney 3 years $425 $425 Attorney 2 years $350 $350 Attorney 3 years $500 $500 Attorney 15 years $725 $725 The court's words
The requested hourly rates for James Ristvedt, Esq. ($450.00 per hour in 2024 and $550.00 per hour in 2025) fall below the relevant Fitzpatrick Matrix rates for those years.
The requested hourly rate for Levi Eidelman, Esq. ($500.00 per hour in 2024) also falls below the relevant Fitzpatrick Matrix rate.
Kendra Penningroth, Esq. ($425.00 per hour in 2024) ... all fall below the relevant Fitzpatrick Matrix hourly rates.
Isabella Ruggeri, Esq. ($350.00 per hour in 2024) ... all fall below the relevant Fitzpatrick Matrix hourly rates.
Michael Yancey III, Esq. ($500.00 per hour in 2025) all fall below the relevant Fitzpatrick Matrix hourly rates.
the requested hourly rate for David Chami, Esq. ($725.00 per hour in 2024) is slightly above the relevant rate in the Fitzpatrick Matrix ($722.00 per hour).
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Broadcast Music, Inc. et al v. Disorder LLC
Jun 23, 2026 · Intellectual property · Rates from a fee matrix
Role Experience Requested Approved Partner 16 years $300 $300 The court's words
Plaintiffs’ Counsel charged fees at a rate of $300.00 per hour, showing total fees billed in the amount of $3,847.50 and additional fees in the amount of $1,950.00
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Maryland Electrical Industry Health Fund et al v. Max Electrical Construction Corp.
Jun 11, 2026 · ERISA benefits
Role Experience Requested Approved Attorney $350 $350 Attorney $350 $275 The court's words
Ms. Bott was admitted to the Maryland bar in December of 1998 and billed 45 hours at $350 an hour.
The second attorney, Manuel Alcantar-Robles, was admitted to the District of Columbia bar in December of 2024, and billed 33.75 hours at $350 an hour.
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Jun 4, 2026 · Other · Rates from a fee matrix
Role Experience Requested Approved Partner $1,270 Partner $1,425 Of counsel $975 other $410 The court's words
Doreen Edelman (Partner) $1,270.00
Rachel Maimin (Partner) $1,295.00 $1,425.00
Markiana Julceus (Counsel) $885.00 $975.00
Carrie Hayter (Lowenstein Sandler Knowledge and Research Services) $410.00
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Okoniha et al v. Upscale Management Services, LLC et al
Jun 3, 2026 · Wage and hour · Rates from a fee matrix
Role Experience Requested Approved Associate 13 years $598 $598 The court's words
Wang, an associate at L&N who has been practicing law for thirteen years, charges an hourly rate of $598.
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Edward G. Rahll & Sons, Inc. v. Everfresh Farms, LLC et al
May 22, 2026 · Commercial · Fee cut details
Role Experience Requested Approved Attorney 37 years $325 $325 Partner 33 years $500 $500 The court's words
Fassett avers that her typical hourly rate is $425 per hour, but she used "a courtesy rate of $325.00 per hour for the vast majority of [her] time expended on this matter, with a reduced hourly rate of $200.00 for any work performed that was more paralegal or administrative in nature."
Diess' hours are billed at a rate of $500 per hour.
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May 14, 2026 · ERISA benefits · Rates from a fee matrix
Role Experience Requested Approved Attorney $387 $387 Paralegal $150 $150 The court's words
Mr. Gilligan states that he has been a member of the bar since 1986. He charged an hourly rate of $387. And he charged an hourly rate of $150 for paralegal work. I find that these hourly rates are reasonable
He charged an hourly rate of $387. And he charged an hourly rate of $150 for paralegal work. I find that these hourly rates are reasonable under the Guidelines
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May 7, 2026 · ERISA benefits · Rates from a fee matrix
Role Experience Requested Approved Partner $350 $350 The court's words
She billed at a rate of $350.00 per hour through December 2024, $360 per hour from January through December 2025, and $370 per hour from January 2026 through the present day.
Earlier rulings
FAQ
What hourly rate does the D. Maryland approve for partners?
A median of $470 an hour across 22 approved rates in fee rulings since October 20, 2024, with the middle half from $353 to $625.
What hourly rate does the D. Maryland approve for associates?
A median of $225 an hour across 13 approved rates in fee rulings since October 20, 2024, with the middle half from $225 to $317.
What hourly rate does the D. Maryland approve for attorneys?
A median of $450 an hour across 97 approved rates in fee rulings since October 20, 2024, with the middle half from $325 to $625.
How often does the D. Maryland cut a requested hourly rate?
For 6 of 173 timekeepers (3%) in recent fee rulings, by a median 26.8% when it did.
How do I prove a reasonable hourly rate in the D. Maryland?
With evidence beyond your own declaration, usually recent awards in the same district for lawyers of similar experience. The rulings on this page can be cited directly; use the citation block to copy them.
The data is free to use under CC BY 4.0. Please credit "LegalTime Fee Cut Tracker" with a link to this page. 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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