DocketNumber: No. CV95-0051042S
Citation Numbers: 1998 Conn. Super. Ct. 1990
Judges: SFERRAZZA, JUDGE.
Filed Date: 10/22/1998
Status: Non-Precedential
Modified Date: 4/17/2021
In the spring of 1995, the plaintiff initiated this suit for wrongful discharge in six counts alleging breach of express contract; breach of implied contract; retaliatory discharge under C.G.S. § 31-51e for exercising first amendment rights; retaliatory discharge under §
On December 17, 1997, a jury returned a verdict for the defendants on the whistle blower count, as well as the claims under §
The defendants submitted evidence that its counsel charged $150 per hour initially and $165 per hour later for the legal services rendered in defending this case. The court finds that an hourly charge at $150 is reasonable and comparable to rates typically charged by attorneys defending employers in wrongful discharge cases. The defendants also proffered itemized time sheets detailing the type of legal activity performed, the time consumed in performing these activities, and related expenditures. The court finds that the defendants have proved that 583 hours were appropriately expended by counsel in defending against the plaintiff's allegations.
The pivotal issue in determining reasonable fees in this case is whether reasonable fees applies to all the time spent to defend against the entire case or only to those hours allocable to that fraction of the case whose source was the whistle blower statute. The court holds that, in this particular litigation, all of the defense time is to be considered in assessing reasonable attorney's fees.
First, the primary defense to the plaintiff's assertions of wrongful discharge and negligent infliction of emotional distress was that the plaintiff quit employment rather than having been discharged by the defendants. This defense applied with equal vigor to all counts. The jury specially found that the plaintiff had quit instead of having been fired. Every bit of testimony, piece of evidence adduced, and most of the defense argument pertained to this issue and was as necessary to defend against CT Page 1991 the whistle blower claim as any other. Also, the central basis of both retaliatory discharge counts, §§
In Russell v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc.,
Although in the Russell case, supra, it was a plaintiff who prevailed, the court feels the same logic pertains to successful defendants' claims for attorney's fees. Indeed, the facts of the present case appear more compelling than those in the Russell
case, supra, because here the defendants prevailed on all counts. The defense had a unified goal of establishing that the plaintiff quit his job. Having achieved this goal, the defendants are entitled, under §
Under the plaintiff's argument, not only would the court have to parse the time of defense counsel as to counts but also with respect to the issue of damages versus liability. The impracticality of such surgery is apparent on the facts of this case. The holistic approach regarding attorney's fees as announced in the Russell case, supra, avoids such attempt to divide litigative endeavor.
Therefore, the court awards reasonable attorney's fees to the defendants in the amount of $87,450, which amount is the product of 583 hours at $150 per hour.
Sferrazza, J.