Statutory Fees
Many whistleblower laws permit attorneys representing employees to be paid by opposing counsel at "reasonable market rates." In the District of Columbia the reasonable market rate for attorneys representing employees in employee discrimination cases was established in a 1983 decision Laffey v. Northwest Airlines, Inc., 572 F. Supp. 354 (D.D.C. 1983), aff'd in part, rev'd in pat on other grounds, 746 F.2d 4 (D.C. Cir. 1984), cert. denied, 472 U.S. 1021 (1985). Since 1984, two district court decisions in DC approved the "Salazar" method for adjusting the Laffey rates for inflation. Click to view matrix.