Ray Haluch Gravel Co. v. Central Pension Fund (2013)
- Docket
- 12-992
- Decided
- 2013-01-01
Summary
Question: Is a district court's decision on the merits, which fails to resolve a request for contractual attorney's fees, a "final decision" for the purposes of appeal? Conclusion: Yes. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy delivered the opinion of the unanimous Court. The Supreme Court held that the decision on the merits, even if the issue of attorney's fees remains unresolved, is the final decision for the purpose of appeal. Because attorney's fees do not remedy the injury giving rise to the action and are often available to the defendant(s) as well as the plaintiff(s), the issue is generally not considered part of a merits decision. Although this distinction could lead to piecemeal litigation, the Court held that the concern was counterbalanced by the clarity that such a uniform rule provided to the appeals process.