Isakov v. Parched Hospitality Group, Inc.
- Vernon Broderick
- 1:25-cv-01407
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 4
In Isakov v. Parched Hospitality Group, Judge Broderick granted in part and denied in part Isakov’s fee motion, awarding $480 in costs and $2,825 in fees.
Simon Isakov received $480 in costs and $2,825 in attorneys’ fees. His separate $1,000 request for an accessibility report was denied without prejudice to refiling by July 7, 2025. Parched Hospitality Group, Inc. is affected by the fee and cost award.
What happened
In Isakov v. Parched Hospitality Group, Inc., Simon Isakov had obtained a default judgment on claims that the defendant’s website could not be used with screen-reader technology. Isakov then asked the court to award attorneys’ fees and costs.
The court approved $405 in filing fees and $75 in process-server costs. It also approved $2,825 in attorneys’ fees for 6.25 hours of work by Attorney Asher Cohen at $450 per hour.
Judge Vernon S. Broderick granted in part and denied in part the motion. He denied the requested $1,000 cost for an accessibility report because Isakov had not provided enough information to show that amount was reasonable, but allowed Isakov to submit the request again by July 7, 2025.
The detailed version
- Isakov v. Parched Hospitality Group, Inc. · No. 1:25-cv-01407
- Vernon Broderick
- June 3, 2025
Background
On May 22, 2025, Simon Isakov, whom the opinion identifies as legally blind, obtained a default judgment against Parched Hospitality Group, Inc. The judgment concerned claims that the defendant’s website was inaccessible with screen-reader technology, allegedly violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, the New York State Civil Rights Law, the New York State Human Rights Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law. Isakov then moved for attorneys’ fees and costs.
Costs and expenses
The court awarded the requested $405 filing fee and $75 process-server cost, for a total of $480 in costs. Isakov also requested $1,000 for a manual and automated accessibility report. The court treated that report as an expert expense and explained that the party seeking reimbursement must show that the amount is reasonable. The submission did not provide information about the consultant’s experience in accessibility compliance, time spent, hourly rate, or other factors relevant to reasonableness. The court therefore denied the $1,000 request, while allowing Isakov to submit a separate request for those costs.
Attorneys’ fees
Isakov requested $2,825 for 6.25 hours of work by Attorney Asher Cohen at $450 per hour. The court found that the hourly rate was reasonable based on prevailing rates in the district for Americans with Disabilities Act cases and Cohen’s experience. It also found that 6.25 hours was reasonable for the relatively straightforward litigation. The court granted the request for $2,825 in attorneys’ fees.
Disposition
The court granted in part and denied in part Isakov’s motion for attorneys’ fees and costs. It awarded $480 in costs and $2,825 in attorneys’ fees. It denied the $1,000 accessibility-report request without prejudice to refiling it no later than July 7, 2025. The clerk was directed to terminate the pending motion.
Read the full 4-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.