Opinion ID: 1672017
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Liability for Attorneys' Fees

Text: Lastly, Beard alleges that Summit should be assessed attorneys' fees in the amount stipulated by the parties in the trial court, $2,400.00, and requests an increase in attorneys' fees in the amount of $3,500.00, representing fees in connection with legal services rendered on appeal to the Second Circuit and in connection with proceedings before this Court. La. R.S. 23:632 provides that [r]easonable attorney's fees shall be allowed the laborer or employee by the court which shall be taxed as costs to be paid by the employer, in the event a well-founded suit for any unpaid wages whatsoever be filed.... Unlike penalty wages, courts do not permit equitable defenses to the award of attorney's fees in the event a well-founded suit for wages is filed. supra. This suit is obviously a well-founded suit as plaintiff prevailed at the trial court and at this Court. Accordingly, Beard is entitled to attorneys' fees. We affirm the $2,400.00 award of attorneys' fees granted by the trial court. In addition, in accordance with the policy of La. R.S. 23:632 of encouraging workers to assert their rights to those wages and motivating attorneys to prosecute those suits to insure that the working people of this state will not be deprived of their earnings, courts must also consider the time spent in preparation of the successful appeal. Accordingly, we award plaintiff an additional $2,600.00 for time spent in defending the appeal to the Second Circuit and in connection with the proceedings before this Court.