Attorneys Fees

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7^th Circuit Court of Appeals

Case Name: Kenneth Baker, et al v. Jean M. Lindgren, et al

Case No.: 15-2203

Officials: EASTERBROOK and ROVNER, Circuit Judges, and SHADID, District Judge

Focus: Attorneys Fees

Kenneth Baker and several of his family members sued the City of Chicago, eight named police officers, a number of unknown officers, as well as two private citizens and the company employing them, alleging civil rights violations and state law tort claims. In the end, Baker won a modest recovery from several City defendants on one of the civil rights claims, and from the City defendants and a private defendant on one of the state law tort claims, but the defendants prevailed on all the remaining claims. The district court granted attorneys’ fees to Baker, but denied him costs as prevailing party, instead awarding costs to the City for prevailing against two other plaintiffs. Baker appeals the amount of the attorneys’ fees awarded and the denial of costs to Baker. Two other plaintiffs appeal the award of costs to the defendants. We affirm in part and vacate and remand in part.

Affirmed in part

Vacated and remanded in part

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Attorney Derek A. Hawkins is the managing partner at Hawkins Law Offices LLC, where he heads up the firm’s startup law practice. He specializes in business formation, corporate governance, intellectual property protection, private equity and venture capital funding and mergers & acquisitions. Check out the website at www.hawkins-lawoffices.com or contact them at 262-737-8825.