Bernhard Law Firm is happy to announce a good victory in federal court on behalf of our clients in a fee dispute in the Southern District of Florida. This week the Court reduced the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees demand by more than 90%, granting only a small fraction of the fees sought.

Bernhard Law Firm was engaged solely to defend against an outsized attorney’s fee demand in a federal court dispute—and we’re happy for our clients’ success. See the order here:

If your company or client is facing an inflated attorney’s fee petition—especially after limited or procedural relief—contact us at Bernhard Law Firm, www.bernhardlawfirm.com, 786-871-3349, abernhard@bernhardlawfirm.com.

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Background

The underlying litigation was removed to federal court from Florida state court in mid-2024. After a remand to state court, Plaintiff sought to recover over $72,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs, arguing that he was the prevailing party for unnecessarily removal to federal court.

Our client brought us in solely to oppose the fee request. We quickly developed a strategic response that emphasized the limited nature of Plaintiff’s success and highlighted serious issues with the claimed hours.

The Court’s Analysis

This week the Court issued a Report and Recommendation recommending that the motion for attorney’s fees be denied in large part. The Court relied on the 12-factor reiterated in Meyrowitz v. Brendel, 2018 WL 4440492 (S.D. Fla. Sept. 17, 2018) to scrutinize the request.

Although the Court accepted the claimed hourly rates—ranging from $275/hour for associates to $525/hour for partners—it found that much of the time billed was excessive to the limited relief Plaintiff obtained.

Key highlights:

• The Court did not agree that Plaintiff was entitled to full fees as a prevailing party.
• The fee award was drastically reduced.
• The Court emphasized that even where a party prevails procedurally, fee recovery must be tied to actual results obtained.

Strategic Defense That Paid Off

By focusing narrowly on the fee petition and building a concise record challenging both entitlement and reasonableness, we delivered a result that protected our client from unnecessary and unfair financial exposure.

This ruling reinforces that federal courts take a hard look at fee demands, especially where success is limited and billing records are excessive.

Let Us Help You Push Back

Fee litigation requires a different kind of litigation strategy—and a willingness to push back on inflated claims. If you’re facing a dispute over attorney’s fees in state or federal court, reach out to us. We know how to challenge, negotiate, and litigate fee issues with precision and purpose.

If your company or client is facing an inflated attorney’s fee petition—especially after limited or procedural relief—contact us at Bernhard Law Firm, www.bernhardlawfirm.com, 786-871-3349, abernhard@bernhardlawfirm.com.