The Cleveland Guardians baseball team asked a federal court to reject as unreasonable a request for $114,000 in attorneys’ fees after the parties reached a $36,000 settlement of claims the ball club failed to compensate a worker at its Arizona spring training facility.
Because the claims that were dismissed or dropped as part of the settlement “formed the far greater portion” of Jenae Finton’s claimed damages, the fee award “must take into account that far lesser extent of her overall success,” the ball club told the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona Monday.
“That requires a substantial reduction in the fees that Ms. Finton seeks,” with a total fee award of between $34,000 and $64,000, the Guardians said.
The Guardians reached a settlement in December, agreeing to pay Finton 100% of her claimed overtime and minimum wage compensation on her Fair Labor Standards Act claims, and liquidated damages of the same amount.
The club also agreed to pay Finton’s attorney fees and costs as determined by the court after briefing and argument.
Finton submitted her claim for attorneys’ fees on Jan. 14. Anticipating the club’s opposition, Finton said, “In an individual FLSA case like this one, it is not the amount of the award that justifies the legal fees—it is the value of the rights that are vindicated by this lawsuit and by this court that justifies a substantial...
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