Opinion
2:22-CV-01687-TL
03-29-2023
SIYOUM TESFAY, Plaintiffs, v. UNITED FINANCIAL CASUALTY COMPANY, Defendants.
ORDER AWARDING FEES & COSTS TO PLAINTIFF
TANA LIN UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff's motion for fees and costs. Dkt. No. 20.
The Court previously granted Plaintiff's motion to remand the case back to state court. Dkt. No. 19 at 4. in the order, the Court found that Defendant lacked an objectively reasonable basis to seek removal of the case and found that Plaintiff was entitled to recover costs and attorney's fees. Id. at 3-4. The Court ordered that Plaintiff submit a request for costs and fees with evidentiary support for the amount requested. Id. at 4. No response from Defendant was permitted. Id.
Plaintiff seeks attorney's fees in the amount of $4,332 for counsel's work on the case, at a rate of $400 an hour and for a combined total of approximately 10.5 hours of work. Having reviewed Plaintiff's submission and given the complexity of the case, the Court finds that a reasonable amount of attorney's fees to award is $3,160, which accounts for the time that counsel spent reviewing papers related to and drafting the motion to remand briefing. See Dkt. No. 20 at 8. The Court has slightly reduced the time submitted on reviewing the notice of removal and the order to remand.
Plaintiff does not explain why the total requested amount ($4,332) exceeds the rate ($400) multiplied by the hours worked (10.5 hours).
Accordingly, the Court hereby GRANTS Plaintiff's motion for fees and costs (Dkt. No. 20) and AWARDS attorney's fees in the amount of $3,160, which Defendant must pay within thirty (30) days of this Order.