Gulino, et al v. Board of Education, et al

Filing 8871

ORDER re: 8798 Special Master's Report, filed by John S. Siffert. The Court hereby adopts all of the findings and recommendations of the Report, including the hourly rates recommended by the Special Master. The Court awards Plaintiffs a total of $3,800,651.69 in attorneys' fees. The award shall be paid no later than October 28, 2021. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Judge Kimba M. Wood on 9/28/21) (yv)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
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GULINO, ET AL.,

USDC SDNY
DOCUMENT
ELECTRONICALLY FILED
DOC #: __________________
DATE FILED:
9/28/2021

Plaintiffs,
-againstTHE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE
CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY
OF NEW YORK,

96-CV-8414 (KMW)
ORDER

Defendant.
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KIMBA M. WOOD, United States District Judge:
On September 15, 2021, Special Master John S. Siffert issued his Interim Report and
Recommendation recommending granting Plaintiffs’ sixteenth through nineteenth motions for
interim attorneys’ fees (the “Report”). (ECF No. 8798.) That Report recommends an interim
award of Plaintiffs’ interim attorneys’ fees and costs associated with work in this case from
January 1, 2021 through April 31, 2021 in the total amount of $3,800,651.69. Relative to prior
fee awards, this award reflects an increase in the hourly rates for associate attorneys as well as
for several experts. The Report reviews the complex issues addressed by counsel during the
above-mentioned time period and the reasonableness of the billing rates for various attorneys and
experts. The Special Master also undertook a meticulous review of attorneys’ and experts’ time.
The Court notes that the parties have represented to the Special Master that they do not
intend to file objections to the Report. The Report also notes that Plaintiffs have not waived their
claim to entitlement to the compensation they originally requested for this period.

The Court hereby adopts all of the findings and recommendations of the Report,
including the hourly rates recommended by the Special Master. The Court awards Plaintiffs a
total of $3,800,651.69 in attorneys’ fees. The award shall be paid no later than October 28,
2021.

SO ORDERED.
Dated: New York, New York
September 28, 2021

/s/ Kimba M. Wood
KIMBA M. WOOD
United States District Judge