United States Sixth Circuit

In an appeal of an attorney's fees award under the False Claims Act, arising from a dispute between a law firm that represented qui tam plaintiffs and defendant-shipbuilders, the attorney's fee award is affirmed for the most part where, with the exception of the exclusion of fees related to the fee litigation, the district court's calculation of attorneys' fees fell within the broad discretion afforded under the statutory scheme.

Appellate Information

• Decided 12/18/2007
• Published 12/18/2007

Judges

• Before:  MERRITT and CLAY, Circuit Judges;  COX, District Judge.

Court

• United States Sixth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  James B. Helmer, Jr., Helmer, Martins, Rice & Popham, Cincinnati, Ohio, for Appellants.  Michael L. Waldman, Robbins, Russell, Englert, Orseck, Untereiner & Sauber, Washington, D.C., for Appellees.   ON BRIEF:  James B. Helmer, Jr., Robert M. Rice, Helmer, Martins, Rice & Popham, Cincinnati, Ohio, for Appellants.  Michael L. Waldman, Robbins, Russell, Englert, Orseck, Untereiner & Sauber, Washington, D.C., Kali N. Bracey, Jenner & Block, Washington, D.C., Charles B. Sklarsky, Jenner & Block, Chicago, Illinois, for Appellees.