Chowdhury v. Best Wireless 23rd Park Inc
- Stewart Aaron
- 1:22-cv-11005
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Chowdhury v. Best Wireless 23rd Park, Judge Aaron ordered Plaintiff to provide fee information and a signed settlement agreement.
Farzana Chowdhury and the attorneys seeking fees in connection with the proposed settlement.
What happened
In Farzana Chowdhury v. Best Wireless 23rd Park Inc. et al., Plaintiff asked the court to approve a settlement. The order does not state whether the settlement was approved.
Judge Aaron ordered Plaintiff to provide information about the attorney fees actually spent and the attorneys’ relevant experience. The order cited decisions explaining that courts independently review whether requested fees are reasonable, including when fees are calculated as a percentage of the settlement.
The court also ordered Plaintiff to file a fully signed copy of the settlement agreement by May 24, 2023. Judge Stewart D. Aaron issued the order on May 17, 2023.
The detailed version
- Chowdhury v. Best Wireless 23rd Park Inc · No. 1:22-cv-11005
- Stewart Aaron
- May 17, 2023
Background
Plaintiff Farzana Chowdhury submitted a letter seeking approval of a settlement. The order refers to the settlement and to attorney-fee issues in Fair Labor Standards Act cases, but it does not describe the underlying claims or the proposed settlement’s terms.
Court’s Analysis and Order
After reviewing Plaintiff’s letter, the court required Plaintiff to provide two items by May 24, 2023:
1. Information about the actual attorney fees expended and the relevant experience of the attorney or attorneys supporting the fee request. 2. A fully executed, meaning fully signed, copy of the settlement agreement.
The court cited decisions stating that courts must independently determine whether requested attorney fees are reasonable. Those decisions explain that even when fees are calculated as a percentage of a settlement, courts may also examine the attorneys’ hours and costs using the lodestar method, which estimates fees by multiplying reasonable hours by a reasonable hourly rate.
Disposition
The order required Plaintiff to submit the additional fee information and signed settlement agreement. It did not state that the settlement was approved or denied. Judge Stewart D. Aaron issued the order.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.