CALG’s Rex Heinke and Jessica Weisel have successfully defended on appeal an award of $334,458.41 in attorneys’ fees and costs arising out of a dispute between a corporate legal client, represented by CALG, and a law firm it had once hired – the second appeal they won in this case.

The litigation arose when the law firm sought to enforce $3,000 in fees billed to the client after the client had told the firm to pause work. At arbitration, the arbitrator ruled largely in the client’s favor and issued a nominal award.

Dissatisfied, the law firm brought an action in the trial court, which ruled in the firm’s favor and awarded the firm $80,000 in legal fees.

Rex and Jessica were brought in to represent the client on appeal. They obtained a reversal from the California Court of Appeal’s Second District, which directed that the arbitration award be confirmed.

On remand, the client successfully sought more than $300,000 in fees for work performed by both trial and appellate counsel. The law firm appealed the fee award.

However, Rex and Jessica again prevailed: last week, in a published opinion, the Court of Appeal affirmed the fee award in full. Significant additional fees and costs may be awarded on remand.

The opinion in Soni v. Cartograph, Inc. et al. is available by clicking here.