Defendant’s Motion for Attorneys’ Fees is GRANTED in the reduced amount of $39,187.50 and $2,498.85 in costs, for a total of $41,686.35. Under Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16(c) the prevailing party is entitled to fees, but the amount awarded is within the Court’s discretion. Attorney Greene’s rate of $375 per hour is reasonable. One point Plaintiff’s argue is that “evidence of the unreasonableness of the requested fees appears in the form of the Declaration of Jeffrey Lewis,” one of their attorneys. Lewis’ declaration sets forth Lewis’ time spent on the appeal. The declaration does not opine, as an expert, on the reasonableness of Defendants counsel’s time or fees for bringing the anti-SLAPP motion or litigating the appeal. However, based on the Court’s experience, the time shown in the request is excessive. Additionally, the Court is concerned with inexplicable repeated billing entries of hundredths of hours in the moving papers, Exhibit B, “contemporaneous time sheets” and “t
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Defendant’s Motion for Attorneys’ Fees is GRANTED in the reduced amount of $39,187.50 and $2,498.85 in costs, for a total of $41,686.35. Under Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16(c) the prevailing party is entitled to fees, but the amount awarded is within the Court’s discretion. Attorney Greene’s rate of $375 per hour is reasonable. One point Plaintiff’s argue is that “evidence of the unreasonableness of the requested fees appears in the form of the Declaration of Jeffrey Lewis,” one of their attorneys. Lewis’ declaration sets forth Lewis’ time spent on the appeal. The declaration does not opine, as an expert, on the reasonableness of Defendants counsel’s time or fees for bringing the anti-SLAPP motion or litigating the appeal. However, based on the Court’s experience, the time shown in the request is excessive. Additionally, the Court is concerned with inexplicable repeated billing entries of hundredths of hours in the moving papers, Exhibit B, “contemporaneous time sheets” and “t