Plaintiff Lawyer Awarded $600 per hour in Employment Discrimination Case

A plaintiff's lawyer, yes a plaintiff's lawyer, has been awarded $600 per hour in legal fees incurred in a discrimination case. The lawyer is   Kathleen Peratis  of Outten & Golden , which is probably the premier plaintiffs side law firm in the country. The case is Rozell v. Courtney ___F.Supp. 2d ___(S.D.N.Y. May 29, 2008).  The decision spans 38 pages and is well written.

Interestingly, the employer was represented by a large law firm where the partner billed less than the plaintiffs lawyer. Ultimately, the court held that the following rates were permissible:

Status             Hours                Rates                     Total
Partners          697.55               $600                      $418,530
Sr. Associates 1,243.30             $350                      $435,155
Jr. Associates  265.98               $250                      $66,495
Law Clerks      248.73                $175                      $43,528
Paralegals       714.66                $125                      $89,333

Grand Total: $1,053,041

Mitchell H. Rubinstein   

Hat Tip: Connecuticut Employment Law Blog