Mark C. Canofari

The plaintiff class sought approval of class counsel fees, disbursements, and honoraria for the representative plaintiff and another class member following a settlement in a privacy class action against SiriusXM.

The court approved the requested $75,000 in class counsel fees, finding them fair and reasonable given the risk undertaken and the time expended.

The court also approved $5,000 honoraria for the two class members due to their active involvement and exposure to costs risks.

However, the court reduced the requested disbursements from $75,000 to $55,657.36, rejecting class counsel's attempt to claim firm overhead as a disbursement.

The plaintiff brought a motion to approve a settlement in a class proceeding against SiriusXM regarding the alleged unlawful collection and use of personal information from vehicle purchasers.

The proposed settlement provided for a $150,000 cy-près payment to the Automobile Protection Association to fund a privacy best practices report, with no direct compensation to class members.

The court found the settlement fair and reasonable given the significant risks in the litigation, including the lack of evidence of actual harm or data breach, and the strong defences available to the defendants.

The settlement was approved.