Eleventh Circuit Affirms Award of Attorneys’ Fees in Georgia Election Lawsuit

Paul, Weiss and the Brennan Center won the affirmance by the Eleventh Circuit of an award of attorneys’ fees in a voting rights lawsuit in Georgia.

In 2018, representing Common Cause Georgia, Paul, Weiss and the Brennan Center successfully sued then-Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp for threatening the manipulation of voter registration information. The U.S. district court in Atlanta granted emergency injunctive relief on our showing that Kemp likely failed to “properly maintain a reliable and secure voter registration system,” which would “result in the infringement of the rights of the voters to cast their vote and have their votes counted.” The suit concluded when Georgia passed legislation largely incorporating the relief ordered by the court, which then awarded Common Cause $166,000 in attorneys’ fees.

With Kemp now governor, the state appealed the award of fees. The Eleventh Circuit rejected the state’s arguments and affirmed the award.

The Paul, Weiss team was led by litigation partner Robert Atkins and counsel Farrah Berse, who argued the appeal, and included associates Nicholas Butto, Jessica Fuhrman, Makiko Hiromi, Melina Meneguin Layerenza, Kyle Sieber, Jake Struebing and Clare Tilton.