Opinion ID: 1530733
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Attorney's Fees Sovereign Immunity

Text: The State contends that sovereign immunity precludes an award of attorney's fees against the State. The State concedes that Section 5931 is a statutory waiver of sovereign immunity to the extent the Board directs the State to grant back pay, and restore ... benefits. The United States Supreme Court has held that the Eleventh Amendment does not bar an award of attorney's fees against a State that is ancillary to relief on the merits. Hutto v. Finney, 437 U.S. 678, 690-93, 98 S.Ct. 2565, 2573-75, 57 L.Ed.2d 522 (1978). Cf. Kentucky v. Graham, 473 U.S. 159, 170, 105 S.Ct. 3099, 3107-08, 87 L.Ed.2d 114 (1985). Similarly, we hold that the General Assembly's enactment of a statute that expressly subjects the State to broad equitable remedies constitutes a waiver of sovereign immunity under the Delaware Constitution, with regard to all ancillary equitable relief, e.g., in this case an award of attorney's fees pursuant to the bad faith exception to the American Rule. See Del. Const. art. I, § 9 and Blair v. Anderson, Del.Supr., 325 A.2d 94, 96 (1974).