Johnson v. Elk Horn Gas, Inc.
Filing
51
MEMORANDUM and ORDER signed by District Judge Morrison C. England, Jr., on 5/1/18, GRANTING Plaintiff's 49 Motion for Attorney's Fees. The Court awards Plaintiff $12,630 in attorney's fees and $620 in litigation costs, for a total of $13,250. (Kastilahn, A)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
9
EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
10
11
SCOTT JOHNSON,
12
Plaintiff,
13
14
No. 2:14-cv-00798-MCE-DB
v.
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
ELK HORN GAS INC.,
15
Defendant.
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
This lawsuit was brought by Plaintiff Scott Johnson (“Plaintiff”) under the
provisions of both the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.
(“ADA”), and California’s Unruh Civil Rights and Disabled Persons Acts (Cal. Civ. Code
§§ 51-53, 54-54.8)1 on grounds that Defendant Elk Horn Gas, Inc. (“Elk Horn”) failed to
provide a compliant accessible parking space and transaction counter at its Elkhorn
Shell service station located at 4261 Elkhorn Blvd in North Highlands, California.
Presently before the Court is Plaintiff’s Motion for Attorney’s Fees and Litigation
Expenses (ECF No. 49). Plaintiff seeks attorney’s fees totaling $17,315 and litigation
expenses of $620, for a total amount of $17,935. Defendant Elk Horn has failed to
oppose the Motion.
1
28
Plaintiff also alleged a state common law claim for negligence in his Fourth Cause of Action.
1
1
As set forth below, Plaintiff’s Motion is GRANTED, but the Court finds that only
2
$12,630 in attorney’s fees are recoverable, which along with the $620 spent as litigation
3
costs, results in a total of $13,250.2
4
5
BACKGROUND3
6
7
Plaintiff, a California resident, is a level C-5 quadriplegic who cannot walk and has
8
manual dexterity impairments. He uses a wheelchair and has a special van to facilitate
9
movement.
10
On September 11, 2013, Plaintiff claims he went to Defendant’s Elkhorn Shell
11
station and discovered that the “van accessible” parking stall lacked signage and was
12
too steep and uneven for him to exit his vehicle safely and independently in a
13
wheelchair. In addition, when Plaintiff went inside the station to make his purchase, he
14
states he discovered that the transaction counter was too high for him to use when
15
seated in his chair. According to Plaintiff, he returned to the Elkhorn Shell on four
16
additional occasions and encountered the same barriers on each subsequent visit.
17
On March 19, 2017, Plaintiff moved for summary judgment on grounds that the
18
barriers he encountered violated the ADA as a matter of law. Plaintiff therefore claimed
19
entitlement to statutory damages under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, which
20
provides for a statutory penalty of $4,000 for each ADA violation under Cal. Civ. Code §
21
55.56(a). Although Plaintiff visited Elkhorn Shell on a total of five different occasions and
22
claims he was subjected to access barriers on each occasion, he sought statutory
23
damages for only two visits. Defendant Elk Horn failed to oppose Plaintiff’s summary
24
judgment request and, by Memorandum and Order filed October 7, 2017, the Court
25
granted Plaintiff’s Motion and entered judgment in favor of Plaintiff.
26
27
2
Because oral argument would not be of material assistance, the Court ordered this matter
submitted on the briefs. E.D. Cal. Local Rule 230(g).
3
28
Unless otherwise noted, the facts in this section are taken from the Complaint, Plaintiff’s
Undisputed Facts in Support of Summary Judgment, and the present Motion.
2
1
Given the judgment rendered in his favor, Plaintiff brought the Motion for fees and
2
costs now before the Court given his status as a prevailing party. Specifically, Plaintiff,
3
who is represented by the Center for Disability Access, seeks to recover $350 per hour
4
for work performed by partner Mark Potter, a $300 hourly figure for associate Phyl
5
Grace, $250 an hour for work performed by associates Dennis Price and Isabel
6
Masanque, and a $200 per hour rate for time expended by associates Amanda Lockhart
7
and Sara Gunderson.
8
9
ANALYSIS
10
11
Section 12205 of the ADA authorizes a court, in its discretion, to “allow the
12
prevailing party, other than the United States, a reasonable attorney’s fee, including
13
litigation expenses, and costs . . . .” 42 U.S.C. § 12205. A prevailing plaintiff under a
14
statute so worded “should recover an attorney’s fee unless special circumstances would
15
render such an award unjust.” Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424, 429 (1976).
16
Moreover, Section 55 of the Califirnia Civil Code provides that “[t]he prevailing party in
17
the action shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney’s fees.” Cal. Civ. Code § 55.
18
A plaintiff who enters a legally enforceable settlement agreement is considered a
19
prevailing party. Barrios v. Cal. Interscholastic Federation, 277 F.3d 1128, 1134 (2002).
20
Attorney’s fees are calculated using the lodestar method, under which “a
21
reasonable hourly rate [is multiplied] by the number of hours reasonably expended on
22
the litigation.” Widrig v. Apfel, 140 F.3d 1207, 1209 (9th Cir. 1998). The lodestar figure
23
may then be adjusted based on an analysis of twelve factors as outlined by the Supreme
24
Court in Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424 (1983). These factors include:
25
(1) the time and labor required; (2) the novelty and difficulty of
the questions, (3) the skill requisite to perform the legal service
properly, (4) the preclusion of employment by the attorney due
to acceptance of the case, (5) the customary fee, (6) whether
the fee is fixed or contingent, (7) time limitations imposed by
the client or the circumstances; (8) the amount involved and
the results obtained; (9) the experience, reputation, and ability
3
26
27
28
1
2
of the attorneys; (10) the “undesirability” of the case; (11) the
nature and length of the professional relationship with the
client; and (12) awards in similar cases.
3
Id. at 430, n. 3. Plaintiff has the burden of “produc[ing] satisfactory evidence—in
4
addition to the attorney’s own affidavits—that the requested rates are in line with those
5
prevailing in the community for similar services by lawyers.” Blum v. Stenson, 465 U.S.
6
886, 896 n.11 (1984).
7
As indicated above, Plaintiff requests $350 per hour for Mr. Potter and $300 per
8
hour for Ms. Grace. The prevailing hourly rates in the Eastern District, however, are
9
lower, and the Court finds that the foregoing rates sought are excessive.4 In Johnson v.
10
Lin, 2016 WL 1267830, at *4 (E.D. Cal. Mar. 31, 2016), for example, Potter and Grace
11
were awarded $300 and $175, respectively. Less than a month ago, in Johnson v.
12
Akins, Case No. 2:16-cv-02067-MCE-KJN, this Court found hourly rates of $300 and
13
$200 proper for Potter and Grace. Additionally, in March of 2018, another judge in this
14
district awarded Mr. Potter $300 per hour and other attorneys $150 for similar work.
15
Johnson v. Saleh, 2018 WL 1157494, at *3 (E.D. Cal. Mar. 5, 2018). Similarly, in August
16
of last year, another court within the district awarded $300 per hour to Mr. Potter and
17
$175 per hour to Ms. Grace. Johnson v. Swanson, 2017 WL 3438735, at *4 (E.D. Cal.
18
Aug. 10, 2017). Additionally, in March of 2017, the undersigned awarded Mr. Potter
19
$300 per hour. Johnson v. Patel, 2017 WL 999462, at *3 (E.D. Cal. Mar. 15, 2017).
20
Around that same time, the undersigned also awarded $300 per hour for partners and
21
$200 per hour for associates in a similar ADA case. Chapman v. Pier 1 Imports (U.S.),
22
Inc., 2017 WL 999253, at *3 (E.D. Cal. Mar. 15, 2017).
23
These cases make it perfectly clear that the market rate in Sacramento for a
24
partner with Mr. Potter’s experience is $300 per hour. While a wider range of fees has
25
been applied with respect to associate attorneys ($150-$200), it is nonetheless clear that
26
the $300 per hour sought for Ms. Grace’s work is higher than the local rate.
27
28
4
While Plaintiff cites four cases decided by the Central District of California, the Court rejects any
notion that prevailing fees in the Los Angeles area are consistent with those being charged here in
Sacramento.
4
1
Additionally, to the extent that Plaintiff seeks $250 an hour for time spent by Mr. Price
2
and Masanque on this matter, those rates also appear higher than the prevailing rates
3
here in Sacramento.
4
Instead, the Court is convinced that the market rate for partners and associates in
5
ADA cases in Sacramento in 2018 is $300 and $200, respectively. These rates are
6
consistent with the cases cited above and Plaintiff has presented no relevant evidence to
7
the contrary. The Court thus concludes that the reasonable rate for Mr. Potter is $300
8
per hour, and that Ms. Grace, Mr. Price, Ms. Masanque, Ms. Lockhart and
9
Ms. Gunderson are entitled to a $200 hourly figure.5
10
Given the lack of any opposition, the Court declines to question the
11
reasonableness of the time expended for the various tasks identified on counsel’s billing
12
statements. The Court nonetheless notes that Mr. Potter has included an eight-hour
13
charge for time he anticipated would be necessary to review Elk Horn’s opposition to his
14
fee request, to draft a reply, and to travel to and participate in oral argument. Since no
15
opposition was filed and the matter was submitted, none of that estimated time in fact
16
became necessary. This results in a total reduction to the hours billed by Mr. Potter
17
(25.1) of 8.0 hours. Accordingly, the lodestar in this case is as follows:
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Attorney
Hours
Rate
Total
Potter
17.1
$300.00
$5,130.00
Grace
6.1
$200.00
$1,220.00
Price
1.3
$200.00
$260.00
Masanque
7.1
$200.00
$1,420.00
Lockhart
3.1
$200.00
$620.00
19.9
$200.00
$3,980.00
Gunderson
Reasonable Attorney’s Fees Earned
$12,630.00
27
5
28
The rates claimed for Lockhart and Gunderson, at $200 per hour, do not require adjustment.
5
1
The Court also awards Plaintiff $620 in litigation costs.
2
3
CONCLUSION
4
5
For the above reasons, Plaintiff’s Motion for Attorney’s Fees (ECF No. 49) is
6
hereby GRANTED. The Court awards Plaintiff $12,630 in attorney’s fees and $620 in
7
litigation costs, for a total of $13,250.
8
9
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated: May 1, 2018
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
6
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.
Why Is My Information Online?