The Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ordered a district judge to re-consider the fee to be awarded to plaintiff’s counsel in a personal injury case that resulted in a $18M dollar settlement. The district court had cut the fee from $6M to $600,000.
The appellate court concluded that the district court had disregarded the nature of contingent fee contracts in cutting the award.
The case is Pellegren v. National Union Fire Company, No. 09-1285 (4th Cir. May 18, 2010).