UNPUBLISHED

DECISION ON ATTORNEYS' FEES AND COSTS1

NORA BETH DORSEY, Chief Special Master.

On January 31, 2018, petitioner filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, 42 U.S.C. §300aa-10, et seq.,2 (the "Vaccine Act"). Petitioner alleges that she suffered a left shoulder injury related to vaccine administration ("SIRVA") following the receipt of an influenza ("flu") vaccination administered on October 6, 2016. Petition at 1. On March 13, 2019, the undersigned issued a decision awarding compensation to petitioner based on the respondent's proffer. ECF No. 31.

On March 25, 2019, petitioner filed a motion for attorneys' fees and costs. ECF No. 35. Petitioner requests attorneys' fees in the amount of $18,561.20 and attorneys' costs in the amount of $450.20. Id. at 9. In compliance with General Order #9, petitioner filed a signed statement indicating that petitioner incurred no out-of-pocket expenses. Id. at 10. Thus, the total amount requested is $19,011.40.

On March 28, 2019, respondent filed a response to petitioner's motion. ECF No. 36. Respondent argues that "[n]either the Vaccine Act nor Vaccine Rule 13 contemplates any role for respondent in the resolution of a request by a petitioner for an award of attorneys' fees and costs." Id. at 1. Respondent adds, however, that he "is satisfied the statutory requirements for an award of attorneys' fees and costs are met in this case." Id. at 2. Respondent "respectfully recommends that the Chief Special Master exercise her discretion and determine a reasonable award for attorneys' fees and costs." Id. at 3.

Petitioner did not file a reply.

The undersigned has reviewed the billing records submitted with petitioner's request and finds a reduction in the amount of fees to be awarded appropriate for the reasons listed below.

I. LegalStandard

The Vaccine Act permits an award of reasonable attorneys' fees and costs. § 15(e). Counsel must submit fee requests that include contemporaneous and specific billing records indicating the service performed, the number of hours expended on the service, and the name of the person performing the service. See Savin v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 85 Fed. Cl. 313, 316-18 (2008). Counsel should not include in their fee requests hours that are "excessive, redundant, or otherwise unnecessary." Saxton v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 3 F.3d 1517, 1521 (Fed. Cir. 1993) (quoting Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424, 434 (1983)). It is "well within the special master's discretion to reduce the hours to a number that, in [her] experience and judgment, [is] reasonable for the work done." Id. at 1522. Furthermore, the special master may reduce a fee request sua sponte, apart from objections raised by respondent and without providing a petitioner notice and opportunity to respond. See Sabella v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 86 Fed. Cl. 201, 209 (2009). A special master need not engage in a line-by-line analysis of petitioner's fee application when reducing fees. Broekelschen v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 102 Fed. Cl. 719, 729 (2011).

The petitioner "bears the burden of establishing the hours expended, the rates charged, and the expenses incurred." Wasson v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 24 Cl. Ct. at 482, 484 (1991). She "should present adequate proof [of the attorneys' fees and costs sought] at the time of the submission." Id. at 484 n.1. Petitioner's counsel "should make a good faith effort to exclude from a fee request hours that are excessive, redundant, or otherwise unnecessary, just as a lawyer in private practice ethically is obligated to exclude such hours from his fee submission." Hensley, 461 U.S., at 434.

II. Attorney Fees

A. Hourly Rates

Petitioner requests the following rates for work performed by attorney Jeffrey Pop and his staff:

ECF No. 35-2 at 2.

The requested rates for 2017 have previously been awarded and will be awarded herein. Mr. Pop and is staff has also been awarded rates for work performed in 2018.3 See Baum v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., No. 16-0766V, 2018 WL 2225388, (Fed. CL. Spcl. Mstr. February 22, 2018); McDonald v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., No. 17-0149V, 2018 WL 2225799, (Fed. CL. Spcl. Mstr. February 26, 2018); Benson v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., No. 16-1062V, 2018 WL 2772262, (Fed. CL. Spcl. Mstr. March 9, 2018); and Gregory v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., No. 16-1360V, 2018 WL 3991278, *Fed. CL. Spcl. Mstr. February 22, 2018). The undersigned reduces the requested rates to those previously awarded for 2018, which consists of the following:

This results in a reduction of the attorneys' fees requested in the amount of $1,031.50.4

For 2019, the undersigned finds the requested rate increases reasonable given the undersigned's experience, the analysis of the McCulloch factors as applied to Mr. Pop and his associates and that Mr. Pop has not requested a rate increase since 2016. The undersigned awards the requested rates for 2019 in full.

III. Attorney Costs

Petitioner requests reimbursement for attorneys' costs in the amount of $450.20. After reviewing petitioner's invoices, the undersigned finds no cause to reduce petitioner's' request and awards the full amount of attorneys' costs sought.

IV. Conclusion

Based on the reasonableness of petitioner's request, the undersigned GRANTS IN PART petitioner's motion for attorneys' fees and costs.

Accordingly, the undersigned awards the total of $17,979.905 as a lump sum in the form of a check jointly payable to petitioner and petitioner's counsel Jeffery S. Pop.

The clerk of the court shall enter judgment in accordance herewith.6

IT IS SO ORDERED.