United States First Circuit

A litigant who obtains significant relief through a court-approved settlement, rather than a verdict or a formal consent decree, may achieve "prevailing party" status and, thus, become eligible for an award of attorneys' fees under a typical federal fee-shifting statute after consideration of the three pertinent factors, which in this case leads to the conclusion that the settlement agreement, though structured as a court-approved settlement rather than as a formal consent decree, bears a sufficient judicial imprimatur to qualify the plaintiffs as prevailing parties. That qualification, in turn, renders them eligible for an award of attorneys' fees, and thus the district court's award of attorney fees is affirmed.

Appellate Information

• Decided 02/17/2011
• Published 02/17/2011

Judges

• SELYA

Court

• United States First Circuit

Counsel