Chicken Cartel Attorney Fees Again Shaved Down by Appeals Court

Appellate judges again ordered a reduction in fees to class counsel in a poultry price-fixing case, saying attorneys are entitled to 26.6% of the settlement award rather than the 30% granted by a district court judge.

The lower court judge did a commendable and thorough job when determining the appropriate target, wrote Judge Michael Brennan of the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The only error was including “a handful of skewed fee awards when recreating the ex ante market for legal services,” Brennan said.

In reassessing the calculation without including the flawed awards, the appropriate portion is ...