Lara K. Eshkenazi
How Judge Eshkenazi decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
She does not rubber-stamp default judgments: she independently audits the damages math and the legal basis for each requested category before recommending an award. In the Plumbers ERISA matter she caught a fund's clerical contribution miscalculation and recommended DENYING that portion of the damages with leave to amend, even though the defendant had defaulted. Submit clean, internally-consistent damages computations -- she checks them.
“National Funds appears to have inadvertently included ITF's amount owed when calculating the contributions that only UANPF is owed ... this Court respectfully recommends that National Funds' request for damages be denied, with leave to submit documentation amending the contribution calculations.”
Procedural preferences
On a fee award conditioning the vacatur of a default (Rule 55(c)), she requires real prejudice or an extended period of wasted time / disregard of court orders before she will shift fees. A default that arose from an inadvertent mistake (here, an insurer-coverage misunderstanding) and was promptly cured once counsel appeared does not warrant fees -- and willfulness is not required either way.
“The cases in this district in which courts have awarded attorneys' fees as a condition of vacating a default involved an extended period of wasted time or disregard of court orders.”
Cautions
She applies prevailing E.D.N.Y. lodestar discipline to fee requests in default-judgment R&Rs: she trims paralegal billing rates to the district-current ~$125/hr and checks that hours are within the norm for the case type before recommending a (reduced) fee. Over-billed paralegal rates or padded hours will be cut.
“this Court respectfully recommends discounting Ms. Keating and Ms. Frankel's hourly rates to $125.00.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“this Court respectfully recommends that (1) Plaintiff's motion for default judgment be granted as to liability ... (4) Plaintiff be denied attorneys' fees and costs.”
“For the foregoing reasons, Plaintiffs' motion for attorneys' fees and costs is denied.”
“I respectfully recommend that the District Court (1) grant Plaintiff's motion for default judgment; (2) award Plaintiff $135,000 in statutory damages from Defendant; (3) issue a permanent injunction enjoining Defendant from further infringement of Plaintiff's copyrighted works; and (4) award Plaintiff's counsel their attorney's fees of $8,055 and costs of $519.30.”
“I respectfully recommend that the District Court: (1) grant Plaintiffs' motion as to liability; (2) grant Local 1 Funds' request for damages ... (3) deny National Funds' request for damages, with leave to submit an amended declaration correcting the contribution calculations; (4) and grant Plaintiffs $582.09 in costs, but reduce Plaintiffs' award of attorneys' fees to $8,471.”
“the Court respectfully recommends (1) granting Plaintiffs' motion for default judgment, and (2) converting the terms of the preliminary injunction and supplemental preliminary injunctions into a permanent injunction ... thereby enjoining Defendants, their representatives and persons who are in active concert or participation with them, from engaging in any of the activity complained of in this action”
“In a report and recommendation dated January 6, 2026 (Order dated 1/06/2026 (the ‘R&R’)), Magistrate Judge Lara K. Eshkenazi recommended that the Court dismiss Plaintiff's claims for failure to prosecute; the district judge's adopting order states: 'the R&R is adopted in its entirety, and this action is dismissed with prejudice.'”
“In February 2026, Judge Eshkenazi issued an R&R recommending that plaintiff's claims be dismissed with prejudice and without leave to amend.”
“For the aforementioned reasons, it is recommended that Lewis's motion be DENIED.”
“In conclusion, the Court respectfully recommends granting the motion for a charging lien and fixing the amount of the charging lien against Plaintiff's judgment at $174,127.73 for attorneys' fees ... The Court further respectfully recommends including $21,193.19 of incurred costs in the charging lien.”
“Judge Eshkenazi issued the annexed R&R on February 3, 2025, recommending that the court grant Plaintiff's request to certify a class under Rule 23(b)(3) but deny Plaintiff's request to certify a class under Rule 23(b)(2). ... Judge Eshkenazi also recommends that the court appoint Plaintiff as Class Representative and appoint her counsel as Class Counsel under Rule 23(g).”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Court respectfully recommends granting Defendant's motion to compel Plaintiffs to arbitrate their claims. ... The Court respectfully recommends staying this case pending arbitration.”
“For the reasons set forth below, Mr. Nolan's motion to withdraw is granted, but Mr. Nolan's request for a retaining lien is denied.”
“For the reasons set forth below, Mr. Nolan's motion to withdraw is granted, but Mr. Nolan's request for a retaining lien is denied. ... the Court finds that the further delay of this case, which would inevitably result from the issuance of a retaining lien to Mr. Nolan, would unjustly delay Plaintiffs' prosecution of their claims.”
Put Judge Eshkenazi's record to work
Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Eshkenazi actually rules, not a generic AI guess.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Eshkenazi's own signed orders and cites them.