Opinion ID: 2611825
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: whether the district court should have granted associates' request for attorney fees.

Text: In its memorandum decision and order, the district court, without discussion, ordered that neither party be awarded attorney fees. Associates has cross-appealed claiming it should have been awarded attorney fees under I.C. § 12-120(3), because it was the prevailing party in a commercial transaction dispute. The record reveals that Associates neglected to preserve this issue for appeal. We have combed the trial record and nowhere find Associates seeking attorney fees specifically pursuant to I.C. § 12-120(3). Although Associates' counterclaim prayed generally for attorney fees, it did not reference I.C. § 12-120(3). Rather, Associates steadfastly maintained below that New York law governs this dispute, and the district court probably viewed Associates' prayer for attorney fees in that context. By not specifically invoking I.C. § 12-120(3), Associates never gave the district court a fair opportunity to decide whether attorney fees can be awarded under an Idaho fee-shifting statute, in a case governed by New York law. We will not entertain the question for the first time on appeal. Adams v. Krueger, 124 Idaho 74, 77, 856 P.2d 864, 867 (1993). It is the litigant's duty to not only clearly state its contentions to the trial judge, but to make such contentions, and the rulings thereon, of record so they may be reviewed on appeal. Carey v. Lafferty, 59 Idaho 578, 583, 86 P.2d 168, 170 (1938).