On a motion in a prisoner segregation class proceeding, the court approved class counsel’s contingency fee agreement, a $7.5 million class counsel fee plus HST, the statutory levy payable to the Class Proceedings Fund, and a $15,000 honorarium for the representative plaintiff.
The court held that the litigation was extraordinarily risky, legally and factually complex, and had produced a very substantial result, including a $30 million aggregate damages award that had been upheld on appeal.
Applying class action fee approval principles, the court found the reduced 25% fee request fair and reasonable.
Applying the exceptional contribution framework for representative plaintiff honoraria, the court found the representative plaintiff’s leadership and assistance instrumental to the class’s success.
