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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA 

Aaleon Akins, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

Seidberg Law Offices PC, 

Defendant. 

No. CV-18-00954-PHX-DJH

ORDER 

 Before the Court is Class Counsel’s Unopposed Motion for Attorney’s Fees and 

Costs (Doc. 36). In connection with the class action settlement granted final approval by 

the Court on May 21, 2019 (Doc. 35),1

 the Thompson Consumer Law Group, PLLC 

(hereinafter “Class Counsel”) seeks an award of attorneys’ fee in the amount of $15,000.00 

to be paid by Defendant. The Settlement Agreement provided that Defendant would pay 

the Class Members’ reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses in an amount not to exceed 

$15,000.00. (Doc. 26-1 at 13). However, the court “ha[s] an independent obligation to 

ensure that the award, like the settlement itself, is reasonable, even if the parties have 

already agreed to an amount.” In re Bluetooth Headset Products Liab. Litig., 654 F.3d 

935, 941 (9th Cir. 2011). 

The Court finds that Class Counsel is entitled to an award of reasonable attorneys’ 

fees and expenses in connection with the approved settlement. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(h); 

 

1

 For a detailed analysis of the settlement agreement and background of this matter see the Court’s Order Granting Class Certification and Final Approval of Class Action Settlement 

(Doc. 35) and the Court’s Order Granting Conditional Certification and Preliminary Approval of Class Action Settlement Agreement (Doc. 27). 
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Camacho v. Bridgeport Fin., Inc., 523 F.3d 973, 978 (9th Cir. 2008). Accordingly, the 

Court has reviewed the Motion, and all documents submitted in support thereof, including 

Class Counsel’s itemized time sheets and expenses and its affidavit regarding the attorneys 

for whom the motion seeks reimbursement. The Court further finds that the 50.5 hours of 

work performed by attorneys and the 12.2 hours by paralegals were reasonably spent on 

this matter. Additionally, given that Class Counsel has been appointed in numerous class 

actions, including FDCPA cases; courts have awarded them exactly the same rates 

requested here in previous cases; and courts in this District found similar rates appropriate 

in FDCPA cases, the Court finds that Class Counsel’s requested rates are reasonable. See 

Ogletree v. Cafe Valley Inc., 2018 WL 4179060, at *1 (D. Ariz. Apr. 13, 2018). 

Accordingly, applying the lodestar calculation, the presumptive reasonable attorneys’ fees 

award is $20,415.00. (Doc. 36 at 5). However, here, the Settlement Agreement only 

provided for an attorneys’ fee award of $15,000.00 and Class Counsel only requests an 

award of $15,000.00. Thus, the requested attorneys’ fee award, inclusive of costs, is less 

than the lodestar amount. Therefore, the Court finds that the requested attorneys’ fee award 

is reasonable. 

Accordingly, 

IT IS ORDERED that Class Counsel’s Unopposed Motion for Attorney’s Fees and 

Costs (Doc. 36) is GRANTED. Defendant Seidberg Law Offices, P.C. shall pay 

$15,000.00 in attorneys’ fees and costs to the Thompson Consumer Law Group, PLLC. 

 Dated this 5th day of June, 2019. 

Honorable Diane J. Humetewa

United States District Judge