Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-alnd-2_14-cv-01578/USCOURTS-alnd-2_14-cv-01578-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 140
Nature of Suit: Negotiable Instruments
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Negotiable Instrument

---

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA

SOUTHERN DIVISION

BRANCH BANKING AND TRUST,

CO.,

Plaintiff,

v.

EBR INVESTMENTS LLC, et al.,

Defendants.

}

}

}

}

}

}

}

}

}

}

CIVIL ACTION NO.

2:14-CV-1578-WMA

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

In accordance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37 and this

court’s February 18, 2015 order (Doc. 39), the court now fixes the

amount of plaintiff’s reasonable expenses and attorney’s fees

incurred in prosecuting its motion to compel (Doc. 36). 

Plaintiff’s counsel timely filed an affidavit in support of their

request for an award of fees and costs, requesting that $4,205.03

be paid to lead counsel Mychal J. Katz and $825.00 be paid to local

counsel Bryan G. Hale. (Doc. 40). Defendants filed a reply

objecting to various time entries, specific airfare selections, and

travel time calculations relating to the lead counsel’s expenses

and costs. (Doc. 41). Upon close review, the court finds

plaintiff’s lead counsel properly recorded his billable time and

prudently selected reasonably priced airfare given the

circumstances. However, the court adjusts the billable hours for

plaintiff’s counsel’s travel time. While plaintiff’s counsel does

state in his reply that he spent approximately 15 minutes traveling

FILED

 2015 Mar-16 PM 02:46

U.S. DISTRICT COURT

N.D. OF ALABAMA

Case 2:14-cv-01578-WMA-SGC Document 43 Filed 03/16/15 Page 1 of 2
to the airport, 20-25 minutes going through airport security, and

arrived at his gate approximately 20 minutes prior to boarding, he

provides no explanation of the substantive work conducted beyond

mere travel or assurances that he was not performing work for other

clients during that time. (Doc. 42). Therefore, the court adjusts

his billable travel time from his requested 9.2 hours to 4.2 hours,

which reasonably includes time for the boarding, take-off, and

changing planes process where implicitly client work could not be

conducted. Avoiding the risk of windfall, this adjustment ensures

that “[d]efendants’ choice not to abide by the Federal Rules of

Civil Procedure should not result in BB&T’s lead counsel losing an

hour of billable time.” (Doc. 42 at 6).

Accordingly, defendants are ORDERED within seven (7) days to

pay plaintiff’s reasonable expenses, in the amount of $825.00 to

Bryan G. Hale and $3,030.03 to Mychal J. Katz.

DONE this 16th day of March, 2015.

_____________________________

WILLIAM M. ACKER, JR.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 2:14-cv-01578-WMA-SGC Document 43 Filed 03/16/15 Page 2 of 2