Keir Milan, individually and on behalf of the Class; Cristin Morneau and Kelly Strange, individually and jointly as successors-in-interest to Carolyn A. Morneau, and on behalf of the Estate of Carolyn A. Morneau and the Class v. Protective Life Insurance Company and West Coast Life Insurance Company, Morneau | United States District Court for the Southern District of California 2025 | LawTools

Cases Cited(13)

Allen v. Protective Life Insurance Co., et al., No. 1:20-cv-530-JLT-CDB (E.D. Cal.)Cited

Schmidt v. Standard Insurance Company, et al., No. 1:21-cv-1784-JLT-CDB (E.D. Cal.)Cited

Class Plaintiffs v. Jaffe & Schlesinger, P.A., 19 F.3d 1306, 1308 (9th Cir. 1994)Followed

In re Kia Hyundai Vehicle Theft Litig., No. 8:22-ml-03052-JVS-KES, 2024 WL 4602700, at *2, *4 (C.D. Cal. Oct. 9, 2024)Followed

In re Cendant Corp. Sec. Litig., 404 F.3d 173, 197 (3d Cir. 2005)Followed

Hill v. Volkswagen Grp. of Am., Inc. (In re Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” Mktg., Sales Practices, & Prod. Liab. Litig.), 914 F.3d 623, 642 (9th Cir. 2018)Followed

Victor v. Argent Classic Convertible Arbitrage Fund L.P., 623 F.3d 82, 87 (2d Cir. 2010)Cited

Bentley v. United of Omaha Life Insurance Co., No. 15-cv-7870-DMG-AJWx, 2018 WL 3357458 (C.D. Cal. May 1, 2018)Distinguished

In re Wells Fargo & Co. Shareholder Derivative Litig., 445 F. Supp. 3d 508, 533 (N.D. Cal. 2020)Followed

Arkin v. Pressman, Inc., 38 F.4th 1001, 1009 (11th Cir. 2022)Followed

Showing top 10 of 13.

Summary

The United States District Court for the Southern District of California denied absent class members’ counsel’s motion for attorney fees and reimbursement of expenses. The court held that counsel had not shown that their work in a related action meaningfully benefited the class or contributed to the settlement fund. The order addresses fee awards to non-lead counsel in class actions under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(h).

Holdings

Counsel seeking fees from a class settlement fund bears the burden of establishing entitlement to compensation by demonstrating that counsel's specific services meaningfully benefited the class or created, increased, protected, or preserved the fund.

Questions Presented

Whether counsel for absent class members were entitled to attorney fees and expenses from the class settlement fund based on work performed in a separate, related class action.
Whether the requesting counsel demonstrated that their specific services meaningfully benefited the settlement class or created, increased, protected, or preserved the common fund.

Disposition

other

Cases Cited (13)

Allen v. Protective Life Insurance Co., et al., No. 1:20-cv-530-JLT-CDB (E.D. Cal.)(discussed)
Schmidt v. Standard Insurance Company, et al., No. 1:21-cv-1784-JLT-CDB (E.D. Cal.)(discussed)
Class Plaintiffs v. Jaffe & Schlesinger, P.A., 19 F.3d 1306, 1308 (9th Cir. 1994)(followed)
In re Kia Hyundai Vehicle Theft Litig., No. 8:22-ml-03052-JVS-KES, 2024 WL 4602700, at *2, *4 (C.D. Cal. Oct. 9, 2024)(followed)
In re Cendant Corp. Sec. Litig., 404 F.3d 173, 197 (3d Cir. 2005)(followed)
Hill v. Volkswagen Grp. of Am., Inc. (In re Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” Mktg., Sales Practices, & Prod. Liab. Litig.), 914 F.3d 623, 642 (9th Cir. 2018)(followed)
Victor v. Argent Classic Convertible Arbitrage Fund L.P., 623 F.3d 82, 87 (2d Cir. 2010)(discussed)
Bentley v. United of Omaha Life Insurance Co., No. 15-cv-7870-DMG-AJWx, 2018 WL 3357458 (C.D. Cal. May 1, 2018)(distinguished)
In re Wells Fargo & Co. Shareholder Derivative Litig., 445 F. Supp. 3d 508, 533 (N.D. Cal. 2020)(followed)
Arkin v. Pressman, Inc., 38 F.4th 1001, 1009 (11th Cir. 2022)(followed)

Showing top 10 of 13.

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