T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T CH RI S LU SBY TA Y LO R; G A RY K ESSELM A N ; W I LLI A M J . PA LM ER; DA WN E . S T R UC K; S US AN S WI NT ON , a n dN A N CY A . PEPPLE- G O N SA LV ES, O n be ha l f

of the m s e l ve s a nd othe rpe r s ons s i m i l a r l ys i tua t e d, P l ai n t i ffs - A p p el l ees, v. JO H N C H IA N G , i n h i s c apac i ty a s C on trol l erof the S t at e of C al i forni a; S T E VE WE S T L Y, D efen d an t s - A p p el l an t s. N o. 09- 15982 D . C . N o . 2 : 0 1 - c v - 0 2 4 0 7 - J A MGG H ME MOR AN DU M *

C HR I S L US B Y T AY L OR ; NA NC Y A . PEPPLE- G O N SA LV ES; G A RY KE S S E L MAN; S US AN S WI NT ON ; W I LLI A M J . PA LM ER, P l ai n t i ffs - A p p el l an t s, a nd DA WN E . S T R UC K, N o. 09- 16116 D . C . N o . 2 : 0 1 - c v - 0 2 4 0 7 - J A MGG H 

# FI LED DE C 03 2010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALST he pa ne l una ni m ous l yc onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). 2 P l ai nt i ff

, v. JO H N C H IA N G , i n h i s c apac i ty a s C on trol l erof the S t at e of C al i forni a; S T E VE WE S T L Y, D efen d an t s - A p p el l ees.

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e E a s te rn D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia J ohn A . M e nde z , D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d M a y11, 2010 ** S a n F r a n c is c o , C a lif

o rn ia B efo re: B E E Z E R , K L E IN F E L D , an dH A W K IN S , C i rcu i tJu d g es.

T he di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s a w a r d of a tt orne y s ’ f

e e s i s r e vi e w e d f

ora n abus e of di sc re t i on . T ut or-S al i ba C orp. v. C i ty of H ai l ey , 45 2 F . 3d 10 55 , 10 59 (9th C i r. 2006) . U nde rtha ts t a nda r d, “ thi s c ourtc a nnotr e ve r s e unl e s s i tha s ade f i ni t e a nd fi rm conv i ct i on thatthe di stri ctcourtcom m i tt ed a c l ear e rr or of j ud gm ent . ” U ni t ed S t a t e s v. T uc orI nt ’ l , I nc . , 238 F . 3d 1171, 1175 ( 9th C i r . 2001) . W e r e vi e w de3

novo l e ga l de t e rm i na t i ons m a de i n the a tt orne y s ’ f e e s de c i s i on. A s s oc i a t e d G e n. C on tra ct ors v. S m i th, 74 F . 3d 92 6, 93 1 (9th C i r. 19 96 ).

W i nt errow d v . A m . G en. A nn ui ty I ns. C o. , 55 6 F . 3d 81 5 (9th C i r. 20 09 ), c ontr ol s r e ga r di ng the C ul ha ne f e e s . F a c tua l l y , C ul ha ne ’ s pa rt i c i pa t i on i s not d i s t i n g u i s h ab l e , e x c e p tth a tCu l h a n e w a s ame mb e ro f Pl a i n t i f f s ’ a tt o rn e y ’ s f

i rm, w hi ch stre ng thens the cl ai m . S ee i d. at82 2. T he l ocal rul es for the C entra l D i stri ct o f C a lif o rn iaa r e m a te r ia llys im ila rto th o s e in th e E a s te rn D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia . A c c o r d in g ly , W in te rr o w dc a n n o t b e d is tin g u is h e do n th a t g r o u n d . T he r e duc t i on i n P l a i nt i f f s ’ a tt orne y s ’ r e que s t e d hour l yr a t e s t o $335 w a s not a n abus e of

di s c r e t i on. W e ha ve i ns truc t e d tha t“ r a t e s s houl d be e s t abl i s he d by r e f e r e n c e to th e f

e e s th a t p r iv a te a tto rn e y s o f a n ab ilitya n dr e p u ta tio n c o m p a r ab le t o thatof prevai l i ng coun se l char ge thei r pay i ng cl i ent s f or l egal w ork o f s i m i l ar c o m p le x ity .” D a v is v . C ity& C n ty . o f S a n F r a n c is c o , 9 7 6 F .2 d1 5 3 6 , 1 5 4 5 ( 9 th C i r . 1992) ( e m pha s i s a dde d) ; s e e a l s o P e r due v. K e nnyA . , 130 S . C t . 1662, 1672 ( 2010) . T he de c l a r a t i ons s ubm i tt e d byP l a i nt i f f s do note s t abl i s h r a t e s tha tpa y i ng c l i e nt s w e r e c ha r ge d. S e e M or e no v. C i tyof S a c r a m e nt o, 534 F . 3d 1106, 1111 ( 9th C i r . 2008) ( “ T he num be rof hour s t o be c om pe ns a t e d i s c a l c ul a t e d byA ppe l l a nt s a nd A ppe l l e e s ha ve c r os s - appe a l e d the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s a w a r d of 1 f e e s . E a c h s id e a r g u e s th a t th e r e d u c tio n w a s e ith e rto o m u c h o rn o t e n o u g h . W h en w e d i scu ss th e fee aw ard i n th i s case, w e are ad d ressi n g b o th si d es’ di s a gr e e m e ntw i th the a w a r d. W e g r e a tlyap p r e c ia te th e m e tic u lo u s a n a ly s is th e m a g is tr a te ju d g e p r o v id e d . I tc l e a r l y , c om pr e he ns i bl y , a nd r e a s onabl ye xpl a i ns e a c h s t e p of the e xe r c i s e of d is c r e tio n . 4 c ons i de r i ng w he the r , i n l i ghtof the c i r c um s t a nc e s , the t i m e c oul d r e a s onabl yha ve been bi l l ed t o a pri vat e c l i ent . ”) . T he m agi stra t e j ud ge approp ri at el y c on si dere d re ce ntca se s ( fr om 20 07 t o 2 00 8) w i th si m i l arl evel s of di ff i cul ty, i n a si m i l ar geog raph i c are a, and arr i ved ata r ea sonabl e r at e. Id. at11 15 (“ D i stri ctj ud ges c an ce rt ai nl y c on si der the fe es aw ar ded b y other j ud ges i n the sam e l ocal i ty i n si m i l ar ca se s. ”) . T he di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s r e duc t i on i n hour s w a s nota n abus e of di s c r e t i on. 1 “[ F ]o llo w in g th e le a do f th e S u p r e m e C o u rt, w e h a v e s tr e s s e dth a t th e f a m ilia r ity o f ad is tr ic t c o u rt w ith th e u n d e r ly in g litig a tio n w a rr a n ts c o n s id e r ab le d e f e r e n c e to i t s f i nd i ng s on such m att er s a s w hether the ho urs c l ai m ed by prevai l i ng coun se l ar e r e d u n d a n t.” D a v is , 9 7 6 F .2 da t 1 5 4 4 . “W h e n th e d is tr ic t c o u rt m a k e s its a w a r d , it m us te xpl a i n how i tc a m e up w i th the a m ount . T he e xpl a na t i on ne e d notbe e lab o r a te , b u t it m u s t b e c o m p r e h e n s ib le .” M o r e n o , 5 3 4 F .3 da t 1 1 1 1 .W e a l so re j ec tD ef endant s’ ar gu m entthatthe m agi stra t e j ud ge m i sapp l i ed 2 the t e rm s of

the f e e r e que s ts t i pul a t i on. T he m a gi s tr a t e j udge w a s pr e s e ntw he n the s tip u la tio n w a s m a d e , a n du n d e r s to o dw h a t w a s in te n d e db yth e p a rtie s . 5 W he n r e duc i ng the hour s f orthe w ork s e pa r a t e l yde l i ne a t e d, the c ourtga ve c o g e n t e x p la n a tio n s f

o rth e v a r io u s r e d u c tio n s to P la in tif f s ’ r e q u e s te df

e e s . A ddi t i ona l l y , as i z e abl e a m ountof P l a i nt i f f s ’ r e que s t e d f

e e s w a s bl oc k- bi l l e d. T he di stri ctcourthas the “ autho ri ty t o reduce hou rs thatar e bi l l ed i n b l ock form at . ” W e l c h v. M e tr o. L i f

e I ns . C o. , 480 F . 3d 942, 948 ( 9th C i r . 2007) . W he n doi ng s o, the court“ shou l d exp l ai n h ow or w hy the re du ct i on fa i rl y bal ance s tho se ho urs that w e r e a c tu a llyb ille din b lo c kf o rm a t.” I d . ( in te rn a l q u o ta tio n m a rk s o m itte d ) . H e r e , the c ourtc om pr e he ns i ve l ye xpl a i ne d w hyi t s r e duc t i ons f a i r l yba l a nc e d the u n fai rn ess t o D efen d an t s w i sh i n g t o ch al l en g e th e b l o ck -b i l l ed h o u rs w i th th o se h o u r s a c tu a llyb ille db yP la in tif f s ’ c o u n s e l. 2

W e r e j e c tD e f e n d a n t s ’ a r g u me n t s b a s e do n H e n s l e yv . Ec k e rh a rt , 4 6 1 U . S. 4 2 4 ( 1 9 8 3 ) . I t is tru e th a t, a t th is s ta g e , th e P la in tif f s h a v e n o t b e e n w h o lly s uc c e s s f ul on the e nt i r e tyof

the i rc a s e . H ow e ve r , the i nt e r i m f e e a w a r d i s f

or P la in tif f s ’ “w o rkin th e d is tr ic t c o u rt a n din th is C o u rt r e g a r d in g th e c h a lle n g e to C al i forni a’ s ol d esc heatst atut e, ” T ay l or v. W es t l y, 52 5 F . 3d 12 88 , 12 90 (9th C i r. 2 0 0 8 ) , n o t f

o ra n ys u c c e s s th e ym ig h t h a v e u n d e rC a lif o rn ia ’s r e v is e ds c h e m e .6

P l a i nt i f f s ’ c a s e i s notone tha tc a n be pa r s e d i nt o di s c r e t e pi e c e s , a s the l i t i ga t i on i nvol ve s ac om m on c or e of f a c t s . T he di s tr i c tc ourtc ons i de r e d the l i m i t a t i on p la c e do n it b yth is c o u rt’s m a n d a te to a w a r df e e s r e g a r d in g w o rku n d e rth e o ld esch eatst atu t e, an dfash i o n ed i t s aw ard ap p ro p ri at el y.

A tthi s i nt e r i m s t a ge , unde rthe c i r c um s t a nc e s of thi s c a s e , no e nha nc e m e nt t o the f e e a w a r d i s w a rr ant e d. S e e P e r due , 130 S . C t . a t1673 ( e m pha s i z i ng the lo n g s ta n d in g ru le th a t “th e lo d e s ta rm e th o dy ie ld s af e e th a t is p r e s u m p tiv e ly s uf f i c i e ntt o a c hi e ve th[ e ] obj e c t i ve [ s ] ” unde r l y i ng f e de r a l f e e - s hi f t i ng s t a tut e s a nd tha tupw a r d de pa rtur e s f r om the l ode s t a ram ountar e w a rr a nt e d onl yi n “ r a r e ” a nd “e x c e p tio n a l” c ir c u m s ta n c e s ) . T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt’s a tto rn e y s ’ f e e s a n de x p e n s e s o r d e ris A F F I R M E D . A l tho ug h w e r ej ec tthe di stri ctcourt ’ s W i nt errow d d i st i nct i on and con cl ud e thatan a w a r df o rC u lh a n e ’s w o rkis ap p r o p r ia te , w e a f f irm th e d is tr ic t c o u rt’s a lte rn a te deci si on , aw ar di ng a r educed am ou ntfor C ul hane’ s w ork. C ost s s hal l be aw ar ded i n f a vorof pl a i nt i f f s , i nt e r e s tf

r om A pr i l 24, 2009 s ha l l be a dde d t o the a w a r d.