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Mealey's Attorney Fees

  • June 30, 2025

    Judge Enters Injunction In Penn State Trademark Case, Denies Attorney Fees

    HARRISBURG, Pa. — After a jury found in favor of The Pennsylvania State University on its trademark claims against an apparel maker, a Pennsylvania federal judge issued a permanent injunction against the clothier barring it from using the university’s trademarked logos or phrases on apparel items.

  • June 30, 2025

    Ex-Congressman Seeks High Court Review In Attorney Fee Spat Over Precedent Clash

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — A former congressman filed a petition for writ of certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of an 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decision that affirmed a district court’s ruling that granted defendants $740,710 in attorney fees in a case that hinged on allegations of harassment and defamation; the former congressman argues that the 11th Circuit erred in upholding the lower court decision by contravening federal statutes, disregarding a doctrine that mandates the application of state substantive law and federal procedural law in diversity cases and contrasting precedents established by the Florida Supreme Court.

  • June 26, 2025

    Montana High Court Affirms Verdict In Home Sale Case, Remands For Fee Sanction

    HELENA, Mont. — The Montana Supreme Court has affirmed a $73,900 special verdict in a case involving the alleged sale of a home belonging to a developmentally disabled man, but the high court remanded the case for the awarding of full costs and attorney fees as a sanction for defending against an original complaint that the plaintiff dropped on the eve of trial.

  • June 26, 2025

    $45 Million Settlement Of Suits Over MGM Data Breaches Gets Final Approval

    LAS VEGAS — A $45 million settlement of a consolidated class action against MGM Resorts International over two data breach incidents that provides for payments of up to $15,000 in documented losses for class members was declared “fundamentally fair, reasonable, adequate, and in the best interests of the Settlement Class” by a Nevada federal judge, as she granted final approval to the agreement.

  • June 26, 2025

    Nebraska High Court Affirms Default Judgment, Attorney Fee Sanctions In Fraud Row

    LINCOLN, Neb. — Noting a trial court’s finding that a group of parties accused of fraud engaged in “repeated discovery violations” and “inexcusable recalcitrance,” the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld an award of more than $2 million in default judgment for the plaintiff-appellees, as well as an attorney fees award exceeding $180,000.

  • June 25, 2025

    Judge Issues Final Approval Order For $69M Settlement Of Target Date Funds Case

    MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota federal judge on June 24 entered final approval and awards orders in a case concluded by a $69 million deal that the class representative called “the largest-ever ERISA settlement alleging breach of fiduciary duty for failure to remove underperforming investment options.”

  • June 25, 2025

    1st Circuit Partly Reverses Ruling In Coverage Suit Over Hurricane Maria Damage

    BOSTON — The First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals reversed a lower federal court’s denial of an insurer’s postverdict motion to reduce a jury’s $873,000 contractual damages award and to set aside a jury’s $250,000 consequential damages award in a Hurricane Maria coverage dispute and affirmed the lower court’s denial of the insured’s postverdict motion for attorney fees and prejudgment interest.

  • June 24, 2025

    In Mixed Ruling, 9th Circuit Approves Denial Of Coverage For Wilderness Program

    SAN FRANCISCO — In an unpublished June 23 memorandum disposition issuing a mixed ruling in a mental health and substance use coverage dispute, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said that coverage for a wilderness program was properly denied; that coverage for residential treatment was not properly denied but the correct remedy is reprocessing because factual disputes remain; and that an award of nearly $50,000 for attorney fees and costs can’t stand because it was based on determinations that the appellate court reversed.

  • June 20, 2025

    7th Circuit Affirms Defense Verdict, No Attorney Fees In Mining Contract Case

    CHICAGO — The Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has affirmed a defense verdict in a mining breach of contract case and also agreed that based on the fee-shifting language in the parties’ contract, the defendant is not due attorney fees.

  • June 20, 2025

    Split 9th Circuit Says Walmart Infringed On Artist’s Lamps, Not Photos

    SAN FRANCISCO — A partially split Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel issued a mixed opinion in a copyright dispute between an artist and Walmart Inc., with the majority holding that the company infringed on the artist’s copyrighted lamp designs by selling imitations but reversing a California federal jury’s finding that Walmart infringed on the artist’s copyrighted photos of the lamps.

  • June 20, 2025

    South Dakota High Court Remands Lien Case For Award Of Attorney Fees

    PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota Supreme Court has reversed a trial court’s denial of attorney fees in a mason’s mechanic’s lien case and remanded the issue for reconsideration of the prevailing party’s attorney fee motion.

  • June 19, 2025

    $7.5 Million Settlement Of Digital Pharmacy Data Breach Class Action Approved

    OAKLAND, Calif. — Almost seven months after preliminarily approving a $7.5 million settlement of a class action over a 2023 data breach experienced by PostMeds Inc., a California federal judge made his approval final, granting a motion by the plaintiffs in the consolidated lawsuit, while also giving his thumbs up to requests for attorney fees, costs and service awards.

  • June 19, 2025

    Attorney Fees, Costs Awarded In Acura Bluetooth Settlement As Honda Appeals

    OAKLAND, Calif. — A federal judge in California issued final approval order and judgment after a settlement was reached between consumers in four states and American Honda Motor Co. Inc. in a class case alleging defective HandsFreeLink (HFL) Bluetooth systems in certain Acura vehicles that cause excessive electric drain, approving more than $9.5 million in attorney fees and costs while the total value of claims is estimated to be less than $540,000.

  • June 17, 2025

    Split West Virginia Court Reverses Ruling On Insurer’s Setoff In Fire Coverage Row

    CHARLESTON, W. Va. — In a dispute over fire damage coverage regarding alleged arson and fraud, a split West Virginia appellate court reversed and remanded a lower court’s ruling that denied the homeowners insurer with a setoff for contractual damages by the amount paid by the insurer to satisfy the homeowners’ mortgage, finding that the insurer preserved its right for a setoff.

  • June 17, 2025

    $5.25 Million Settlement Approved In Recruiter Misclassification Class Case

    SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge in California granted final approval of a $5.25 million nonreversionary class settlement in a lawsuit alleging systemic misclassification of recruiters as exempt employees and granted in part a motion for attorney fees, costs and a service award.

  • June 17, 2025

    Nevada Supreme Court Affirms Accounting Malpractice Ruling, Defense Attorney Fees

    CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada Supreme Court has affirmed trial court rulings that an accounting firm’s client’s malpractice claim was time-barred and that the accounting firm was properly granted attorney fees due to the client’s rejection of a settlement offer.

  • June 17, 2025

    5th Circuit Affirms Attorney Fee Rulings In Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

    NEW ORLEANS — The Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that a Texas federal bankruptcy court did not abuse its discretion in awarding general counsel its fee request or in approving a modified flat fee request by special appellate counsel in a pro se debtor’s Chapter 7 case.

  • June 16, 2025

    Nevada High Court Affirms Attorney Fee Awards To Firm That Took Over Case

    CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada Supreme Court has affirmed and the imposition of $268,675 in attorney fees and costs to the law firm that eventually took over and settled a personal injury, finding that the court did not abuse its discretion in awarding fees to the firm as the prevailing party.

  • June 13, 2025

    ERISA Suit Over Allegedly Underperforming Target Date Funds Settles For $69M

    MINNEAPOLIS — A $69 million deal that the class representative called “the largest-ever ERISA settlement alleging breach of fiduciary duty for failure to remove underperforming investment options” has been granted final approval, a text-only June 13 docket entry in Minnesota federal court shows.

  • June 13, 2025

    Attorney Fees Presumed For ‘Right To Know’ Claimants, Montana Supreme Court Says

    HELENA, Mont. — The Montana Supreme Court vacated and remanded a lower court’s denial of attorney fees to an environmental nonprofit, holding in a divided ruling that citizens who successfully assert their constitutional “right to know” are entitled to a presumption toward an award of litigation costs and fees.

  • June 12, 2025

    Data Breach Class Action Against Biotech Firm Settles For $7.5 Million

    CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — Four months after preliminarily approving a $7.5 million settlement of a consolidated class action over a 2023 data breach experienced by a biotech firm, a New York federal magistrate judge granted final approval to the settlement, which provides for up to $10,000 in out-of-pocket reimbursements for class members.

  • June 12, 2025

    Judge Adopts Recommendation To Award GEICO Attorney Fees In No-Fault Fraud Dispute

    TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida federal judge adopted in full a magistrate judge’s report and recommendation advising that the court grant GEICO’s motion for attorney fees in a case where the court previously entered a $690,251.44 judgment for the insurer in its suit against a health care clinic and related parties for allegedly submitting fraudulent no-fault insurance charges.

  • June 11, 2025

    Revised, Reduced Attorney Fees Award In CPK Data Breach Suit Approved

    SANTA ANA, Calif. — After an initial attorney fees award of $800,000 was rejected and remanded by the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in a consolidated class action over a data breach experienced by California Pizza Kitchen Inc. (CPK), a California federal judge on June 10 approved a revised fees and costs request, which reduces the original award by more than $500,000.

  • June 10, 2025

    Magistrate Approves $7.25M Settlement Of Patreon Privacy Violation Claims

    SAN FRANCISCO — A California federal magistrate judge granted a motion for final approval of a $7.25 million settlement to resolve claims that Patreon Inc. illegally shared its users’ video-viewing data with social media company Meta Platforms Inc., including more than $2.1 million in attorney fees, and rejected as invalid more than 900 opt-outs filed on behalf of class members by a third-party “recovery company.”

  • June 10, 2025

    Judge Won’t Stay Fees Bid Pending Appeal Of LTD Ruling For Claimant

    PITTSBURGH — A motion for more than $126,000 in attorney fees will proceed after a Pennsylvania magistrate judge denied an insurer’s request for a stay pending resolution of its appeal of a summary judgment ruling in favor of a physician who successfully challenged denial of her claim for long-term disability (LTD) benefits.