Court Opinion

ID: 9458708
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 20:59:58.23925+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:35:52.208644
License: Public Domain

WINTER, Circuit Judge
(dissenting):
We are hampered in deciding this ease by the absence of findings by the deceased district judge coupled with the fact of his death. While I share my brothers’ evident admiration and respect for Judge Stanley’s abilities and experience and the high quality of his performance of judicial duties, I nevertheless, am constrained to conclude that the fee fixed in this case was “clearly wrong.” United States v. Anglin & Stevenson, 145 F.2d 622, 630 (10 Cir. 1944), cert. den., 324 U.S. 844, 65 S.Ct. 678, 89 L.Ed. 1405 (1945).
I
As a preliminary matter, I have serious doubts that Rule 52(a), F.R.Civ.P., does not require findings of fact and conclusions of law by the district court in this case, notwithstanding that the judgment for payment of counsel fees was requested by motion. Stated otherwise, I am inclined to view the language of Rule 52(a), exempting decisions of certain types of motions from the findings of fact and conclusions of law requirements of the rule, as inapplicable here. What was sought was a money judgment. There was a contest as to the number of hours of legal services which were necessary and proper and the rate at which they were to be compensated. Although the judgment was *280sought by motion, the case would appear to be analogous to any other contested non-jury action where findings of fact and conclusions of law are required when the case is decided on the merits. Hence, within the spirit of Rule 52(a), if not its letter, findings of fact and conclusions of law by the district court would seem to have been required. See Horizons Titanium Corporation v. Norton Company, 290 F.2d 421, 424 (1 Cir. 1961); 5A Moore’s Federal Practice ¶ 52.08 (1971 Ed.); 9 Wright and Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure § 2575 at p. 694 (1971 Ed.). Cf. Westley v. Southern Railway Co., 250 F.2d 188, 189 (4 Cir. 1957).
I would not decide the point and remand the case for further findings, however, because Judge Stanley has unfortunately died. Judicial efficiency would seem to dictate that, if it is concluded that the district judge exceeded his discretion in fixing the fee, we proceed to a final determination of the case on the present record because we are as able to make it as a district judge who is new to the case and who has had no previous knowledge of what has transpired.
II
The reasons why I think the district judge exceeded his discretion, the amount of the fee I would allow, and the reasons therefore follow:
Plaintiffs requested an award of $29,640. They claimed that 515 hours had been spent in litigation of the case and that these hours should be compensated for at the rate of $40 per hour for conferences with plaintiffs and certain types of office work and at the rate of $60 per hour for court appearances and other types of services. The district judge allowed $10,000 which, if plaintiffs’ claim of a total of 515 hours is accepted, means that plaintiffs’ attorneys were allowed $19.42 per hour for their services.
In allowing $10,000, the district judge remarked, with respect to some of the items of time claimed, “I don’t think there is anybody connected with the plaintiffs’ case that would deliberately misrepresent anything, but some of these items I just think wouldn’t take that long.” Defendant asserted that 128 hours of the 515 hours claimed were excessive, but it did not contend that all of the 128 hours should be disallowed. Similarly, the majority is of the view that 103 hours were duplicating, but it does not suggest that all of the 103 hours should be excluded. If defendant’s 128 hours asserted to be excessive are totally disallowed, the district judge’s award meant that plaintiffs’ attorneys were compensated at the rate of $25.84 per hour for their services.
Giving effect to the apparent view of the district judge that the total number of hours for which compensation was claimed was excessive, as well as the items which the majority points out appear to contain duplications, I would disallow 64 hours of the 515 hours claimed. Thus, I would make an allowance for 451 hours.
In the Middle District of North Carolina, the bar association’s suggested minimum fee is $30 per hour for routine office work, travel time and stand-by time in court (only 6 hours in plaintiffs’ claim) and $35 per hour for all other services. Certainly, this must be the beginning point in fixing the rate of compensation in this case. But other factors are relevant: The main action was one under new legislation involving novel issues. Plaintiffs achieved substantial success from their attorneys’ efforts. They made new law which will affect the rights of many other persons. The novelty of the issues thoroughly warranted bringing counsel from more metropolitan and sophisticated areas where prevailing schedules of fees are more remunerative than those in the Middle District. Considering all of these factors, I do not see how counsel can fairly be compensated at a rate less than $40 per hour. Measured by this rate, the district judge’s allowance constituted an abuse of discretion because *281counsel would have been compensated for only 250 hours of services, and there is nothing in the record, and no party has asserted, that only 250 of counsel’s claimed 515 hours of services were com-pensable.
If what I think is a proper minimum rate is applied to what I think is a proper base, the resulting figure is $22,040. But the record reflects that the time spent in preparing the claim for fees, litigating that claim, and litigating this appeal have not been included in the claim. I would, therefore, direct a total allowance of $25,000 for all services to the termination of the litigation.
I respectfully dissent.