Judge Rebuffs $85 Million Fee Request in Google Play Antitrust Settlement, for Now
San Francisco — U.S. District Judge James Donato on October 15 rejected for now a request by consumer lawyers for $85 million in legal fees from the $630 million Google Play antitrust settlement, saying the attorneys failed to provide sufficiently detailed billing records, according to Reuters. Donato said the material submitted offered little information about what work was done and for what purpose.
Donato also questioned whether the consumer lawyers alone were responsible for obtaining the settlement, noting that attorneys representing all 50 states and other government entities participated in the litigation leading to the deal. He gave the plaintiffs another chance to persuade him to award the fees. The $85 million request amounts to 13.5% of the $630 million consumer settlement fund.
Google was accused of overcharging Play Store customers through restrictions on app distribution on Android devices and fees for in-app transactions. The company agreed in 2023 to pay $630 million into a consumer settlement fund and $70 million into a separate fund managed by the states; Google denied wrongdoing. Lead consumer attorneys Karma Giulianelli of Bartlit Beck and Hae Sung Nam of Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Google did not immediately respond either. (GSM, via Reuters)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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