Judge Sends Message to Opposing Counsel: Awards 100% of Requested Attorneys’ Fees
Los Angeles, CA – Steve E. Young, Head of Litigation for Practus LLP, scored a strategic and moral victory in Los Angeles Superior court. The judge awarded Young and his co-counsel attorneys’ fees that dwarf the damages their client received. Young’s clients were awarded $300,000 in a breach of contract dispute regarding the sale of their business, Agape Home Healthcare Services, in Southern California. The contract stipulated that the buyers would remit accounts receivable totaling that sum, but they refused to pay, leading to the lawsuit. The defendants countered with their own action alleging breach of contract and fraud.
Months of abusive behavior, spiraling legal costs
What followed, says Young, was months of bad faith and unprofessional behavior by opposing counsel that drove up legal costs. Apparently, the judge agreed, granting Young and his co-counsel every bit of the requested $719,402 in fees and another $57,000 in costs.
Judge saw through the linguini
Young says, “This is the first time in my experience where you have such a large disparity between actual damages and fees. It’s almost standard practice for the judge to give you a haircut on your fees. But the opposing lawyer’s conduct was outrageous and arguably unethical, and the judge saw through the linguini thrown on the wall.”
Steven E. Young has nearly 50 years of experience as a commercial litigation attorney, focusing on intellectual property, entertainment transactional matters, real estate and general business litigation, in State and Federal Courts, State and Federal Appellate Courts, as well as arbitration.
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