Michael Chesal and Steven Peretz, Peretz Chesal & Herrmann. Photo: Jill Kahn/ALM.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in the Southern District of Florida has approved a $1.15 million attorney fee award for Florida National University, which successfully warded off a trademark infringement lawsuit claiming it had piggy-backed on Florida International University's name.

FIU had alleged FNU's name was too similar, but Williams found no evidence that college applicants ever got the two institutions confused.

Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Becerra recommended the award, which gives FNU 92% of what it paid its Miami lawyers, led by Michael Chesal and Steven Peretz of Peretz Chesal & Herrmann in Miami.

Plaintiffs lawyers Jaime Vining and David Friedland of Friedland Vining in Miami objected to the report, arguing FNU's hours should have been reduced by more than the 7.5% its expert suggested. That reduction was aimed at canceling out duplicate and overlapping time entries.

FIU had proposed a 40% reduction, pointing to alleged block billing and unrecoverable clerical work, like scanning and saving documents online, mailing documents and calendaring deadlines. Vining and Friedland did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.