Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company v. JMG Investments Inc

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS CENTRAL DIVISION COMMONWEALTH LAND TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY, as subrogee PLAINTIFF

v. CASE NO. 4:20-CV-01514-BSM JMG INVESTMENTS, INC. DEFENDANT ORDER JMG’s motion for attorney’s fees [Doc. No. 49] is granted in part, and Commonwealth is ordered to pay attorneys’ fees incurred by JMG in the amount of $32,487.50. As the prevailing party, JMG is allowed to collect a reasonable attorney’s fee. Ark. Code Ann. § 16-22-308. The amount ordered reflects a $175 per hour rate for John Singleton, which is

a more reasonable fee for a junior associate handling similar litigation in this legal market. JMG’s request for fees incurred during the separate state court case is denied. Logue v. Seven-Hot Springs Corp., 926 F.2d 722, 725 (8th Cir. 1991) (decision to award attorney fees under section 16-22-308 is left to the “sound discretion of the trial court”). The resulting award is $32,487.50, which is a reasonable attorney’s fee given the complexity of this case and length of the litigation. IT IS SO ORDERED this 19th day of August, 2022.

& A Me UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE