A Third District Court of Appeal ruling is a cautionary tale for lawyers, after the appellate court reversed and remanded a trial court order on attorney fees that reduced an award by hundreds of thousands of dollars for the insureds’ counsel.

Edward Mullins, a partner at Reed Smith in Miami, said even though Roniel Candelaria and Amelia Padura entered a contingency fee arrangement with their lawyer—Paul Feltman, a partner at Alvarez, Feltman, Da Silva & Costa in Miami—that was not sufficient for their counsel to prove entitlement to a substantial award of attorney fees.

Ed Mullins of Reed Smith (Credit: Courtesy Photo) Ed Mullins of Reed Smith (Credit: Courtesy Photo)