Hefty lawyer fee approved despite flaws

Trial Notebook

By Steven P. Garmisa

Hoey & Farina

Posted June 24, 2016 2:51 PM

Two days after filing a junk-fax class action against Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. and Storick Group in Lake County, the named plaintiffs asked the trial judge to approve a $23 million settlement that called for paying a one-third fee to class counsel, rather than using the alternative method of multiplying reasonable hours by a reasonable rate.Objecting, Judd Clayton Jr. and Austin Distributing and Manufacturing Corp. argued, among other things, that the fees were excessive and the procedures for notifying class …

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