PHOENIX — Two months after throwing out a lawsuit against the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Board of Regents, a judge has ordered the state to pay nearly $1 million in the board’s legal fees.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Whitten rejected arguments by Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who unsuccesfully sued the regents over what he claimed was an illegal lease deal at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ State University.
Brnovich said the hourly fees charged by the attorneys defending the board were too high.
“The skill, experience and background of the defense lawyers in this case was far, far above average,†Whitten wrote in awarding $979,758 in legal fees. “In fact, they are at or near the top of the bar.â€
The judge was no more impressed by claims by Brnovich that the number of hours billed was excessive, especially for a case that went from initial claim to judgment in less than a year.
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Whitten said the whole idea was to get the case handled in an expedited fashion.
The Board of Regents oversees the three state universities.
Brnovich’s lawsuit tried to quash a proposal to create a 330-room Omni hotel and a 30,000-square-foot conference center on land that is owned by ASU.
The Attorney General’s Office said it will appeal.
