Russian School of Mathematics, Inc. v. Sinyavin
- Philip Halpern
- 7:23-cv-08103
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 3
In Russian School of Mathematics v. Sinyavin, Judge Halpern entered an $8,343.51 judgment for attorney’s fees and costs against the defendants.
Russian School of Mathematics, Inc. received a judgment for $8,343.51. Irene Sinyavin and Logicus, LLC were ordered to pay that amount, consisting of $8,312.85 in attorney’s fees and $30.66 in costs.
What happened
Russian School of Mathematics, Inc. v. Sinyavin concerns the school’s request for additional attorney’s fees and costs connected to its motion to hold Irene Sinyavin and Logicus, LLC in contempt. The court had previously awarded the school $9,504 for related work performed in October and November 2024.
The school sought another award for work performed after March 17, 2025. The court found that some billing entries did not appear to relate only to the contempt motion and that block billing made the records difficult to evaluate. It reduced the adjusted fee request of $12,928.50 by 30 percent and awarded $8,312.85 in attorney’s fees, plus $30.66 in costs.
Judge Philip M. Halpern entered judgment for Russian School of Mathematics, Inc. against Irene Sinyavin and Logicus, LLC in the total amount of $8,343.51. The order awarded attorney’s fees and costs; it did not state that the defendants were held in contempt in this order.
The detailed version
- Russian School of Mathematics, Inc. v. Sinyavin · No. 7:23-cv-08103
- Philip Halpern
- June 6, 2025
Background
On February 24, 2025, the Court granted Russian School of Mathematics, Inc.’s motion for attorney’s fees and costs incurred in making its motion to hold Irene Sinyavin and Logicus, LLC in contempt. An earlier judgment awarded the plaintiff $9,504 for attorney’s fees for work performed in October and November 2024.
On May 22, 2025, the plaintiff moved for another judgment covering attorney’s fees for work performed after March 17, 2025, in connection with the contempt motion. The defendants opposed the motion, and the plaintiff filed reply papers.
Court’s Analysis
The Court reviewed the plaintiff’s corrected billing exhibit. It found that several billing entries did not appear to relate solely to the motion to hold the defendants in contempt. The Court also found that block billing—grouping multiple tasks together in a time entry—made it difficult to determine which hours were reasonably related to that motion.
The Court identified the entries it found supported an award and adjusted the amount sought for those tasks to $12,928.50. Based on the billing concerns and its familiarity with the case and the work involved, the Court found that a 30-percent reduction was warranted. The resulting attorney’s-fee award was $8,312.85. The Court also found that the plaintiff was entitled to $30.66 in costs.
Disposition
The Court ordered, adjudged, and decreed that Russian School of Mathematics, Inc. have judgment against Irene Sinyavin and Logicus, LLC in the amount of $8,343.51, representing attorney’s fees and costs. This order awarded fees and costs related to the contempt motion; it did not separately state a ruling holding the defendants in contempt.
Read the full 3-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.