CHARLESTON – More than a dozen residents gathered outside of Steptoe & Johnson’s Charleston office May 12 to protest what the organizer calls poor treatment of a black attorney by a member of the firm.
Guidance on Awarding Attorney’s Fees
The Legislature has brought clarity and guidance to trial courts deciding whether to award a party attorney’s fees and expenses in an action brought under the Act. Prior to the new law, § 46A-5-104 of the Act merely told trial courts they could award “reasonable” attorney’s fees and expenses to a consumer and could award the same to a defendant if the action was brought in bad faith and for the purposes of harassment. The new law still provides that trial courts may award “reasonable” attorney’s fees to a consumer and also to a defendant if the action was brought in bad faith and for the purposes of harassment. But, the new law requires trial courts to conduct a “lodestar” analysis and examine the following factors in determining the amount of fees and expenses to award:
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CHARLESTON – An attorney has asked a circuit judge to bring sanctions against a law firm and another attorney who he says assassinated his character with false statements about his work ethic.
Michael M. Cary filed a Motion for Sanctions against Michael D. Mullins and Steptoe & Johnson on April 16 in Kanawha Circuit Court. In the accompanying Memorandum of Law in Support, Cary says he and his firm Cary Law Office was appointed Guardian ad Litem in a civil complaint last year.
In the memorandum, Cary says Mullins made statements about Cary as a “deliberate effort to damage my reputation, credibility and good standing.” He said the decision to file the motion was not made lightly.
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