Opinion ID: 4027535
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Limit on Fees for Fees

Text: The magistrate judge recommended limiting the fees recoverable for litigating the attorneys’ fees motion to 3% of the overall award, and the district court agreed. Appellants now challenge that decision, and they also challenge the continuing validity of the case that had 18 No. 15-1449, H.D.V. - Greektown, LLC v. City of Detroit imposed the 3% cap rule, Coulter v. Tennessee, 805 F.2d 146 (6th Cir. 1986), abrogated by The Ne. Ohio Coal. for the Homeless v. Husted, Nos. 14-4083, 14-4084, 14-4132, 14-4133, 15-3295, 15-3296, 15-3380, 15-3381, --- F.3d ---, 2016 WL 4073489 (6th Cir. Aug. 1, 2016) (published). At the time, Coulter had permitted the district court to apply a 3% cap on the award of fees for fees absent a finding of unusual circumstances. See id. at 151. But we have recently abrogated Coulter, given the Supreme Court’s decision in Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Jean, 496 U.S. 154 (1990). See Husted, 2016 WL 4073489, at . Our precedent now dictates, consistent with Jean, that the award of fees for fees be determined under the Hensley reasonableness standard. See id. at . In light of Husted, we vacate the district court’s fee for fee determination, and we remand for recalculation of that portion of the award.