Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Attorney Fees
Dist. Ct. erred in establishing total attorney fee award in class action at $13 million and awarding one attorney her proportionate share of $2.7 million rather than $8.4 million that said attorney had requested. Special master failed to justify $13 million as ceiling on fees, where award was based on $110 million (cash and in-kind relief) class action award, and had improperly rejected $18.75 million in attorney fees requested by all attorneys representing class. Ct. then awarded complaining attorney 22 percent ($4.125 million) of $18.75 million total fee, which was based on comparison of relative time invested by different attorneys, multiplied by reasonable hourly rate, as well as estimation of relative costs incurred by said attorneys.