Rivera vs. American Honda Motor Company, Inc.

7 Phillips vs. Newport-Mesa School District

2025-01474929 Motion to Compel Further Responses to Special Interrogatories

Continued to 07/13/2026 8 Pooph, Inc. vs. ONM Environmental, Inc.

2025-01511009 1. Motion for Order to Stay Proceedings 2. Case Management Conference

Off Calendar 9 Ramirez vs. Goering

2025-01479940 Demurrer to Amended Complaint

Moot – Second Amended Complaint filed 05/12/2026 10 Ramos vs. Fan

2024-01371487 Motion for Determination of Good Faith Settlement

Off Calendar 11 Rivera vs. American Honda Motor Company, Inc.

2024-01374210 Motion for Attorney Fees

Plaintiff Brisa Rivera’s motion for attorney fees against Defendant American Honda Motor Company, Inc. is granted in part as set forth below.

Plaintiff is awarded fees in the total amount of $33,678.55.

On 5/6/25, Defendant served a CCP 998 offer to Plaintiff in the amount of $25,000 for a repurchase, plus attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses by motion, which Plaintiff accepted. (Jiang Decl., ¶ 27, Ex. 1.) Defendant agreed in the 998 Offer that Plaintiff is the “prevailing party” for purposes of a fee motion. (Id.)

In Plaintiff’s motion/reply brief, she seeks a total of $38,550.35 in fees.

It is within the court’s discretion to decide which of the hours expended by the attorneys were “reasonably spent” on the litigation. (Meister v. Regents of University of California (1998) 67 Cal.App.4th 437, 449.) Additionally, a trial court has broad discretion to determine the amount of reasonable attorney’s fees, as an experienced trial judge is in the best position to decide [the] value of professional services rendered in court. (PLCM Group, Inc. v. Drexler (2000) 22 Cal.4th 1084, 1095.)

The court finds that the hourly rates of $415-$540 per hour for attorneys with 7-13 years of experience, and $210-$215 for paralegals are reasonable.

Based on counsels’ billing statements, the Court finds that $33,678.55 is a reasonable amount of attorney fees in this matter, and awards this amount.

In reaching this number, the Court deducted $697.50 representing time spent on the reply brief in support of this motion, that it found to be excessive.

The Court additionally deducts $1,023.30 time representing paralegal time that is administrative/clerical in nature, and also duplicative of attorney work.

Lastly, the Court deducts $3,151.00 representing entries that are overly vague. The Court cannot evaluate the reasonableness of a billing entry that states only “confer re case,” “email re case,” “call to/from counsel,” etc.

The Court did not deduct any additional fees as it finds that the remainder of the fees incurred were reasonable and necessary to the litigation.

Given that Plaintiff acknowledges she already received payment of costs in the amount of $1,319.69, the request for costs in the motion is denied as moot.

Plaintiff shall give notice of the ruling.

12 Sundance Air Support, Inc. vs. General Motors, LLC

2025-01482070 Motion for Protective Order

Off Calendar