Court Opinion

ID: 9861123
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 23:43:14.027675+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:27:15.368830
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE SCHOSTOK, concurring in part and dissenting in part: I dissent from the majority’s decision that the trial court abused its discretion in determining that the plaintiff was not entitled to its attorney fees for work done on a summary judgment motion it contemplated but never pursued. As the majority sets forth, a trial court abuses its discretion when it “acts arbitrarily, acts without conscientious judgment, or, in view of all the circumstances, exceeds the bounds of reason and ignores recognized principles of law.” Pond, 379 Ill. App. 3d at 987. Here, the trial court heard the arguments of the parties and made detailed findings. There is no evidence in the record that its decision as to this issue was made arbitrarily or without conscientious judgment. Second, the trial court’s decision did not contravene any recognized principles of law. In support of its decision, the majority points to Becovic, 296 Ill. App. 3d at 242. However, that decision dealt with work that attorneys did on matters that were actually litigated; Becovic did not address attorneys’ work on matters that were merely “contemplated.” See Becovic, 296 Ill. App. 3d at 242. Furthermore, it cannot be said that the trial court’s refusal to award fees for work on matters that were contemplated but never actually pursued “exceed[ed] the bounds of reason.” See Pond, 379 Ill. App. 3d at 987. In all other respects, I concur with the majority’s decision.