ARMED SERVICES BOARD OF CONTRACT APPEALS
Application Under the Equal Access )
to Justice Act of -- )
)
Optimum Services, Inc. ) ASBCA Nos. 58755, 59952
)
Under Contract No. W912EP-09-C-0033 )
APPEARANCE FOR THE APPELLANT: Joseph W. Lawrence, II, Esq.
Vezina, Lawrence & Piscitelli, P.A.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
APPEARANCES FOR THE GOVERNMENT: Thomas H. Gourlay, Jr., Esq.
Engineer Chief Trial Attorney
Charles T. Pino, Esq.
Joshua R. Holmes, Esq.
Engineer Trial Attorneys
U.S. Army Engineer District, Jacksonville
OPINION BY ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE DICKINSON
ON APPELLANT'S APPLICATION UNDER THE
EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT
Appellant, Optimum Services, Inc. (OSI), has applied pursuant to the Equal
Access to Justice Act (EAJA), 5 U.S.C. § 504, for fees and other expenses incurred in
connection with the subject appeals. The appeals arose from a sponsored
subcontractor claim for $1.87 million and a 93-day time extension for differing site
conditions adversely impacting the dredging portion of a contract with the Jacksonville
District Corps of Engineers (the government or the Corps) to restore the benthic
substrate and hydro logic process of Rose Bay in Volusia County, Florida. See
Optimum Servs., Inc., ASBCA No. 58755, 15-1BCA~35,939; Optimum Servs., Inc.,
ASBCA No. 59952, 16-1 BCA ~ 36,490. We assume familiarity with those decisions.
OSI filed its EAJA application on 28 November 2016. OSI initially sought
recovery of fees and other expenses in the following categories and amounts:
Amount
Category of Fees, Other Expenses Requested
Attorneys' Fees
Joseph W. Lawrence, II (14.2 hrs at $425/hr) $ 6,035.00
Joseph W. Lawrence, II (546.2 hrs at $475/hr) $ 259,445.00
Paul Washington (2 hrs at $190/hr) $ 380.00
Robert L. Frye ( 1.6 hrs at $330/hr) $ 528.00
Robert L. Frye (2.6 hrs at $350/hr) $ 910.00
Steven K. Johnson (16.5 hrs at $250/hr) $ 4,125.00
Steven K. Johnson (646.4 hrs at $275/hr) $ 177,760.00
Kristina Diaz (4.2 hrs at $21 O/hr) $ 882.00
Subtotal (Attorneys' fees) $ 450,065.00
Legal Assistant Fees
A.M. Lucas (0.8 hrs at $120/hr) $ 96.00
Koly Cuebas (3.9 hrs at $85/hr) $ 331.50
Jacklyn Frometa (60.6 hrs at $80/hr) $ 4,848.00
Enidelz Alvarado (52.6 hrs at $65/hr) $ 3,419.00
Subtotal (Legal Assistants) $ 8,694.50
Miscellaneous Attorney Expenses
Copy Costs for copies of documents made in
preparation for the entitlement, quantum hearings $ 14,172.71
Attorney Travel Costs $ 4,793.64
Costs/Charges for Hearing Transcripts $ 557.50
Telephone Bills/Conference Calls $ 256.50
Courier/Postage $ 1,018.65
Trial Exhibit Preparation $ 328.50
Subtotal (Miscellaneous Attorney Expenses) $ 21,127.50
Expert Witness Fees
William Humphreys $ 135,468.50
Luis A. Prieto-Portar $ 86,977.50
Vincent Encomio $ 1,673.00
Subtotal (Expert Witness Fees) $ 224, 119.00
Expert Witness Travel Expenses
William Humphreys $ 5,519.66
Luis A. Prieto-Portar $ 1,737.11
Vincent Encomio $ 641.22
Subtotal (Expert Witness Travel Expenses) $ 7,897.99
Mr. Humphreys' Mailing and Courier Expenses
William Humphreys $ 791.88
Subtotal (Mailing and Courier Expenses) $ 791.88
2
Fact Witness Expenses
William Ryan $ 1,652.50
Juan Garland $ 2,232.70
Matt Conneen $ 561.44
Marc Barnell $ 421.84
Donald (Sonny) Buchanan $ 22.00
Subtotal (Fact Witness Expenses) $ 4,890.48
TOTAL $ 717,586.35
(See, e.g., appellant's application and brief in support (app. br.); Bd. order