Welch v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co.

480 F.3d 942 Vicki WELCH, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Long Term Disability Plan; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Medical Plan; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Life Insurance Plan; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Retirement Plan, Defendants-Appellees. No. 04-56768. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Argued and Submitted October 19, 2006. Filed March 6, 2007. Lisa S. Kantor (argued) and Glenn R. Kantor, Kantor & Kantor LLP, Northridge, CA, for the plaintiff-appellant. Eric R. McDonough (argued) and Lawrence E. Butler, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Los Angeles, CA, for the defendants-appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California; Percy Anderson, District Judge, Presiding. D.C. No. CV-04-00084-PA. Before: FISHER and CALLAHAN, Circuit Judges, and COLLINS, * District Judge. FISHER, Circuit Judge: 1 Plaintiff-Appellant Vicki Welch appeals the district court's order awarding her attorney's fees under 29 U.S.C. § 1132 (g)(1). She disputes the district court's decisions to award fees at an hourly rate of $250, to apply across-the-board reductions in…