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SJC hears appeal over attorney‑fee cut after anti‑SLAPP win in Hidalgo case
Summary
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments in an appeal by Andres Hidalgo challenging an appeals‑court decision that reduced his attorneys’ fees after he prevailed on anti‑SLAPP counterclaims; lawyers disputed whether the appeals court improperly factored the small Wage Act claim value into a fee reduction and whether lodestar calculations should control on appeal.
BOSTON — The Supreme Judicial Court on Monday heard an appeal by Andres Hidalgo challenging an appeals‑court reduction of attorneys’ fees he sought after prevailing on anti‑SLAPP counterclaims in a dispute with Watch City Construction.
Hidalgo’s lead appellate counsel, David Bellfort, told the court the appeals panel erred by reducing his fee award by about 50% after emphasizing the underlying Wage Act claim’s small dollar value instead of the harm posed by the SLAPP counterclaims. "After they found our fees reasonable, they then slashed our rate by 50%," Bellfort said, arguing that the appeals court improperly anchored reasonableness to the $3,500 Wage Act figure rather than the costs and chilling effects of defending the counterclaims.
The center of the dispute…
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