A Practice Note covering various issues that may arise when plaintiff's counsel seeks to recover attorneys' fees under employment statutes, including reasonable hourly rates, reasonable time spent on the litigation, scrutiny of counsel's time entries, and recoverable costs. This Note also addresses strategies for recovering fees during negotiations with defendants and filing a fee petition with the court, including exercising billing discretion, seeking defendant's billing information, and guidance for filing attorney declarations with the court. This Note covers federal law and applies to cases litigated in federal court, although the principles are broadly applicable to state law proceedings.