U.S. Judge Jesse Furman of New York City; One of the Good Guys

The state of New York presented Jesse Matthew Furman with a law license in 1998 after he graduated from Yale University School of Law.

In one matter,Judge Furman presided over a case involving a liability case against General Motor’s over faulty ignition switches.

At the conclusion of the litigation, Naples, Florida attorney James Zonas requested $22,000.00 in fees and expenses after filing the lawsuit after his client had fired him. In a written opinion, Judge Furman stated:

• “Zonas could collect only for work performed before his August 2017 firing>”
• “Zonas was entitled to compensation for only 14.7 in attorney hours and 12 law clerk hours, which would yield a lodestar amount of about $6,100.”
• “Zonas wasn’t entitled to any expenses because he has already been paid for them out of the single-vehicle crash settlement.”
• “The court concludes that Zonas should be awarded only a small fraction of what he seeks because he has already been reimbursed for his expenses, because he seeks fees for work that was not reasonably done (or done at all) or for which he has already received payment, and because he did little to aid his client’s cause.”

Kudos to Judge Furman for displaying the fortitude to disallow the demand by Zonas to be paid fees he obviously and ethically was not entitled to collect.

As we speak (ca. August 2021), Judge Furman continues to sit as a U.S. District Court judge in New York City.