Daphne Papadatos

The plaintiffs in a certified competition law class action regarding price-fixing of lithium-ion batteries moved for approval of settlements with the LG Chem and Toshiba defendants, as well as for approval of class counsel fees.

The court found the settlements, which provided approximately $5.1 million from LG Chem and $264,000 from Toshiba, to be fair, reasonable, and in the best interests of the class.

The court also approved class counsel's fee request of approximately $1.18 million, representing a 25% contingency fee, finding it reasonable given the risks undertaken and the results achieved.

The plaintiffs brought a motion for judicial approval of 13 discrete auto part class action settlements with the HIAMS, Mitsuba, NGK, and Sumitomo Riko defendants, totaling approximately $14.8 million.

The court found that each of the proposed settlements fell within a zone of reasonableness, noting that the Canadian settlement amounts were proportionate to related American settlements.

The court also approved class counsel's request for a 25 percent contingency fee, plus disbursements and taxes, finding it presumptively valid.