Opinion ID: 3036302
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Fee Calculation

Text: Bartkowski challenges the District Court’s calculation of his fee. He argues that it erred in excluding certain hours from consideration and in applying a 16.7 percent 3 enhancement to the final fee. The District Court provided ample explanation for its decision not to include the 41.9 hours at issue in calculating an appropriate fee. We find that the District Court did not abuse its discretion for substantially the same reasons set forth in the District Court’s opinion. The District Court applied a 16.7 percent enhancement because that was the largest enhancement that Bartowski asked for and the District Court found that it was justified. On appeal, Bartowski argues that the 16.7 percent number was chosen because, together with his proposed total hours and hourly rate, it would result in a fee equal to one third of the settlement value. Had he known the District Court would reduce the hours and hourly rate credited to him, he claims he would have asked for a higher percentage enhancement. However, the fact remains that Bartowski did not ask for more than a 16.7 percent enhancement. The District Court is not required to guess at the attorney’s reason for choosing to request a particular enhancement, much less to adjust the enhancement to better effect that purpose. We find that the District Court did not abuse its discretion in declining to do so.