Harper v. BP Exploration & Oil, Inc.

KENNEDY, Circuit Judge.

This dispute over the district court’s award of attorneys’ fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1988, and Tenn.Code Ann. § 4-21 — 311(b), is before the court on the appeal of defendant, BP Exploration & Oil, Inc., and the cross-appeal of plaintiff, Paul Harper. On appeal, BP alleges that the district court abused its discretion by failing to reduce the fee award to account for time spent on what it considers unsuccessful, unrelated claims and by applying a contingency fee multiplier. Harper argues that the district court abused its discretion by reducing the hourly rate of one…