Reasonableness Of Fees: Trial Court’s Allowance Of Reduced Lodestar For Individual Cross-Defendant’s Win On Alter Ego Issue Was No Abuse Of Discretion

Simplicity Of Issue And Minimal Time Expended On It Justified The Final Fee Award.

            In a commercial lease dispute where the sole owner of landlord was sued as an alter ego via cross-complaint, sole owner won and was awarded $12,250 in fees and $703.23 in costs, but less than he wanted.  Owner appealed to the Third District, in TAL Redding, LLC v. Cheesecakes Unlimited, Inc., Case No. C082078 (3d Dist. May 29, 2019) (unpublished).  The fee award was affirmed.  The lodestar on the alter ego work was $17,500 which was reduced 30% for inefficiencies not to mention that the issue was not complex and minimal efforts were spent on the defense relating to the alter ego issue.  The Court of Appeal discerned no abuse of discretion based on the record before it, affirming the reduced, less-than-requested fee award.