ConAgra Workers Finalize $18 Million Deal in Wage, Breaks Suit

An $18 million settlement between ConAgra Brands Inc. and nearly 8,200 food-processing workers in California received final approval, after a federal judge cut the requested attorneys’ fees by about $600,000.

Class counsel will receive about 30% of the total, or $5.4 million, in attorneys’ fees plus about $572,000 for expenses.

The fee award is still relatively high for this jurisdiction, but is more reasonable than the $6 million initially sought, Judge Fernando M. Olguin said Monday.

Class counsel litigated the case for eight years on a contingency basis, and negotiated a settlement that is “on the higher end for wage ...