Florida’s First Loss Was From The Teachers. The Second Was From The Attorney’s Fees

// Winning in court and making your opponent pay the lawyer fees is one hell of an “I told you so” — and that goes double when you get to stick it to a state along the way. Unfortunately for our plaintiffs, Florida isn’t known for taking losses gracefully — especially not a six-figure one. The Sunshine State’s lack of enthusiasm for covering the tab could have spillover effects for future litigants. From Reuters:

Florida is challenging a judge’s ruling that the state must cover legal fees for University of Florida professors who sued the state, giving a U.S. appeals court a new chance to assess how courts should determine when losing adversaries must pay for their opponents’ lawyers.

Attorneys for Florida in a court filing on Tuesday said they intend to ask the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to weigh the appropriateness and the size of the $372,000 award that was granted last week.

googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-top-300x250" ); });

The reason for such a high price tag? Plaintiffs hired Debevoise & Plimpton to litigate their case. And even though the price was discounted, billing $450 an hour for about 1400 hours adds up to a larger tab than Florida was expecting. That’s what they get for not letting professors testify as expert witnesses — that’s definitely some side income worth fighting for!

Sponsored The Smartfirm Playbook - Thriving In Today’s Legal Landscape Strategically using software and automation to boost efficiency and streamline operations, allowing for a laser-focus on practicing law. From Lawmatics  

If you’d like to follow up on developments in this case, you can find them under Sharon Wright Austin et al v. University of Florida Board of Trustees et al, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, No. 1:21-cv-00184-MW-HTC.

Florida Appeals $372K Legal-Fee Award To Profs Who Sued State [Reuters]

googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-middle-300x250" ); }); googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-storycontent-440x100" ); }); googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-in-story-youtube-1x1" ); });

Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by tweet at @WritesForRent.

googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-bottom-300x250" ); }); Sponsored Sponsored Pioneering Ethical, Trustworthy Generative AI For Legal Research As a longstanding leader in legal AI, LexisNexis now pioneers ethical generative AI for legal research, enabling professionals to improve outcomes while upholding responsible AI… From LexisNexis   Sponsored The Smartfirm Playbook - Thriving In Today’s Legal Landscape Strategically using software and automation to boost efficiency and streamline operations, allowing for a laser-focus on practicing law. From Lawmatics   Sponsored LawPay Pro Offers Upgraded Time And Billing Essentials AffiniPay’s latest product for the legal community, introduced earlier this year, presents a simple web-based solution for attorneys seeking seamless firm cash flow. From Above the Law   Sponsored Lexis+ AI: Generative AI Research That Cites Its Sources This new tool will change how you conduct legal research, offering a faster, more adaptable approach. From Ethan Beberness   Sponsored Managing a High Volume of Acquisitions with a Lean In-House Team How a veterinary services provider optimized contract workflows with Bloomberg Law Contract Solutions From Bloomberg Law   Sponsored Pioneering Ethical, Trustworthy Generative AI For Legal Research As a longstanding leader in legal AI, LexisNexis now pioneers ethical generative AI for legal research, enabling professionals to improve outcomes while upholding responsible AI… From LexisNexis   Topics

Courts, Debevoise & Plimpton, Expert Witnesses, Florida