Wake Up Call: Google Settlement Lawyers Want $85 Million in Fees

Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.

• Two US law firms that helped to secure a $700 million settlement in a lawsuit that accused Google of overcharging app store customers have asked a judge to award them $85 million in legal fees for their work in the case. Bartlit Beck and Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer made their fee request to US District Judge James Donato in San Francisco. (Reuters)
• The Education Department is currently accepting public comments on a proposed rule change that would prevent thousands of public interest attorneys from receiving the public service loan forgiveness benefits to which they are entitled. The proposed change would withhold loan forgiveness from public service workers if the Department decides that their employers are “aiding or abetting” violations of federal immigration law and antidiscrimination law. (Balls and Strikes)
• A judge rejected an attempt by the state of Georgia and a local development agency to force people who unsuccessfully sued to block an electric vehicle plant to pay the government’s legal fees. The state and development authority requested that six Morgan County property owners who challenged the zoning for Rivian Automotive pay more than $337,000 in legal fees incurred by the government. (Insurance Journal)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• David Higbee, Ben Gris, and Djordie Petkoski joined Paul Weiss as antitrust partners. They join from A&O Shearman.
• Adam Fee and James Pearl joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges as partners in its complex commercial litigation practice in Los Angeles.
• Anna Howell and Mitasha Chandok joined Orrick as partners in its energy and infrastructure practice in London. They join from Gibson Dunn.
• James Curley joined Paul Hastings as a partner in its private equity practice in Boston. He joins from Goodwin Procter.
• Brooke Poole Clark joined Morgan Lewis as a partner in its energy and project development practice in Washington.
• Michael Darowski joined Reed Smith as a partner in London. He joins from McDermott Will & Schulte.
• Benjamin Wallfisch joined Polsinelli as a shareholder in its health-care litigation and government investigations practices in Washington. He joins from the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Alexis Gutierrez joined K&L Gates as a government affairs advisor in its public policy and law practice in Washington. She joins from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.