Opinion ID: 538388
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Duplication of Effort by Multiple Counsel and Unnecessary Services

Text: 31 The State objects to $11,121.50 requested in fees by plaintiff on the ground that these services were duplicative and unnecessary. The plaintiff counters by asserting that given the complexity of the issues and the size of the record, it was not unreasonable to have the two principal attorneys from Virginia present at the oral argument. WVUH also notes that due to our expedition of the briefing and oral argument, counsel for WVUH had less time than usual to prepare for argument and, therefore, had divided the work on appeal. Furthermore, it asserts that local counsel were necessary because of their familiarity with practice before this court. 32 It seems that an extraordinary amount of time was consumed by appellee's counsel in the preparation of an appellate brief pertaining to a case which they had tried, researched, and briefed in the district court. Furthermore, the appellants had the laboring oar in framing the issues on appeal and preparing the appendix. Nonetheless, we are unable to say that multiple counsel were unnecessary or that the hours consumed were unreasonable. We did order expedited briefing and oral argument; the issues were complex. 33 On a prior occasion we noted the thin line that may exist between a reasonable and unreasonable expenditure of time in pursuit of a client's cause. We also reminded counsel that members of the bar are officers of the court and that they should demonstrate the same level of billing judgment and sensitivity in fee shifting situations as they do with their own private clients. 34 The courts frequently must rely not only upon the accuracy of the record keeping but upon the intellectual honesty of counsel in the allocation of hours worked and in the measurement of time. Lawyers must therefore exercise care, judgment, and ethical responsibility in the delicate task of billing time and excluding hours that are unnecessary. Such consideration may not be abandoned because fee responsibility is shifted under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1988. 35 Hall v. Borough of Roselle, 747 F.2d 838, 841-42 (3d Cir.1984). In the absence of evidence to the contrary, we choose to believe that counsel were intellectually honest with the court and their opponents and properly allocated the hours worked and the measurement of time. 36 With respect to the presence of multiple counsel at oral argument, we think that more than two counsel was unnecessary. In addition to Mr. Adams, who argued the appeal for WVUH, perhaps one additional lawyer may have been necessary in an appeal of this complexity at oral argument to assist and to refer to the record or briefs. We will allow fees for the two principal attorneys present at oral argument, Adams and Krebs-Markrich. 37 As to the presence of local counsel at oral argument, we do not believe that the rules of practice of the Third Circuit are so unique or dissimilar from the rules of the Fourth Circuit, where principal counsel have their offices, as to also require the presence of local counsel. Furthermore, Mr. Adams and his partner appropriately familiarized themselves with the rules of this court. We will allow a reasonable amount for this purpose. However, they have charged what appears to be approximately seven hours of time aggregating $1,190.00 for familiarizing themselves with our court rules in connection with filings and oral argument. We believe that seven hours for seasoned and experienced counsel to familiarize themselves with our appellate rules are grossly excessive. We will allow $300.00. Under the circumstances, we see no reasonable basis for the additional presence of local counsel at oral argument in this court. The sum of $400.00 requested in fees for local counsel at oral argument and $277.73 for his lodging and expenses will be disallowed. 38 The State also objects to charges by Attorneys Adams, Krebs-Markrich, and Stover relating to meetings with the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on the grounds that the charges are duplicative and there was no need for more than one attorney for this purpose. We do not reach this issue because we have already rejected these items because the services were not relevant to the appeal in this court. 39 At oral argument, the court requested counsel for WVUH to supplement their brief with a memorandum on the standing of the Hospital to seek relief under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983 for violation of the Social Security Act governing hospital reimbursement and whether the eleventh amendment barred retroactive relief from the date of filing the lawsuit. We are able to identify 138.10 hours in plaintiff's exhibit as time spent on the post-argument brief. These hours include cite checking, instant citing, reviewing, and editing. The total fee request for this time is $17,423.00. Although these charges seem high, and as many as three lawyers charged for services performed on the same day, we cannot say that these services were duplicative or unnecessary. Counsel were under time constraints to submit the brief after oral argument and it is understandable that under such circumstances more than one lawyer might be engaged at the same time in the research and drafting. Furthermore, the issues addressed were very complex, involved extensive research, and the study of numerous cases. The request for fees for the post-argument briefing will be allowed. 40