Sumlin v. New York Beer Co., LLC
- Lewis Liman
- 1:24-cv-08448
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Sumlin v. New York Beer Co., LLC, Judge Liman granted Sumlin’s motion and awarded $2,880 in attorney’s fees and costs.
Dennis Sumlin received $2,880 in attorney’s fees and costs from New York Beer Co., LLC; the court also directed that the case be closed.
What happened
In Sumlin v. New York Beer Co., LLC, the court considered Dennis Sumlin’s request for attorney’s fees and costs after an earlier order granted him default judgment on claims under disability-rights laws.
Sumlin asked for $2,880 under the Americans with Disabilities Act. His lawyer submitted detailed materials supporting the requested hourly rate and time spent, and the court found both reasonable.
Judge Liman granted the motion for attorney’s fees and costs, awarded Sumlin $2,880, and directed the clerk to close the motion and the case.
The detailed version
- Sumlin v. New York Beer Co., LLC · No. 1:24-cv-08448
- Lewis Liman
- July 10, 2025
Background
In a June 18, 2025 opinion and order, the court granted default judgment for Dennis Sumlin on claims against New York Beer Co., LLC under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the New York City Human Rights Law, and the New York State Human Rights Law. The court stated that the ADA and New York City Human Rights Law allow attorney’s-fee awards and directed Sumlin to submit a fee motion.
Fee request
Sumlin moved for $2,880 in attorney’s fees and costs under 42 U.S.C. § 12205. The court explained that a reasonable fee is generally calculated using the lodestar method: multiplying the reasonable number of hours worked by a reasonable hourly rate, with possible adjustments for factors such as litigation risk, issue complexity, and attorney skill.
Sumlin’s counsel submitted an affidavit and detailed supporting statement. The court found counsel’s $400 hourly rate to be the prevailing rate in the Southern District of New York for Americans with Disabilities Act cases. It also found the time spent reasonable in light of the extent of the litigation and complexity of the issues.
Ruling
The court granted the motion for attorney’s fees and costs and awarded Sumlin $2,880. Judge Lewis J. Liman directed the clerk to close the fee motion and the case.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.