Opinion ID: 2543911
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: RVLG's entitlement to attorney fees and costs

Text: Section 98.2(c) provides that the trial court shall assess costs and reasonable attorney fees against an appellant who is unsuccessful in the appeal. As used in the Labor Code, shall is mandatory. (§ 15; see Morris v. County of Marin (1977) 18 Cal.3d 901, 908, 136 Cal.Rptr. 251, 559 P.2d 606 [construing § 3800].) The parties disagree on whether Smith was unsuccessful in the appeal, as that term is used in the fee-shifting statute. Smith asserts that his appeal was successful because he won a judgment in the trial de novo; he argues it is irrelevant whether the trial court judgment reflects an improvement over the commissioner's award. Smith further urges that, in any event, his judgment is more favorable than the commissioner's award because it includes interest (approximately $230) on his reimbursable business expense claims. RVLG disagrees and asserts that the Court of Appeal correctly determined that success in the appeal requires the appellant to achieve a more favorable result at trial, something the Court of Appeal found Smith failed to do in this case, notwithstanding the award of interest on the nonwage items included in the trial court's judgment.