Bauer SLAPPs Beckham With A Huge Motion For Attorney Fees
I know David Beckham's defeat at the hands of Bauer Publishing is somewhat old news. But no one seems to have commented specifically about the merits of the massive motion for attorney fees filed against Beckham.
Just how much is Bauer seeking in attorneys' fees? More than $250,000 in fees and costs! Just for an anti-SLAPP motion! To give you a point of reference, I'd say that most anti-SLAPP motions are litigated for somewhere between $10,000 and $50,000. Sometimes it's a bit less if it's a fairly straightforward motion. And sometimes it's a bit more if the evidence is voluminous or when the issues involved are novel or complex. There are a handful of cases where courts have granted fee requests in the two to three hundred thousand dollar range. BUT IN THIS CASE? REALLY?
It's hard for me to believe that Bauer's attorneys spent over 500 hours litigating this motion. I am definitely looking forward to reading the opposing and reply papers and, ultimately the Court's decision on this.
