A judge has approved a $180 million settlement in a stolen wages class action but has criticised the plaintiff’s law firm for the costs incurred in the case and raised doubts about the value of litigation funding.
Class action settlements leaped in value last year, with three settlements topping the $200 million mark.
Funder LLS has urged the court to approve its 20 per cent cut of a $202 million settlement in a stolen wages class action, saying that reducing the “bottom end” rate could deter investments in public interest class actions.
The Commonwealth says funder LLS should not be allowed a 20 per cent cut of a stolen wages class action settlement of up to $202 million, arguing it could produce an “excessive deduction”.
A court has approved a settlement worth up to $202 million in a stolen wages class action against the government, but will hear further argument on the legal costs of the case.
Shine Lawyers wants to claim $24.5 million in legal costs in a stolen wages class action on behalf of Northern Territory First Nations people, a sum a judge called “eye watering”.