Attorney General Cameron Leads Bipartisan Coalition Against Attorneys’ Fees that Would Reduce Consumer Payments by $51 Million

FRANKFORT, Ky. (December 8, 2020) – Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced today that he led a 12-state bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in filing an amicus brief urging a California District Court to reject a request for $87.73 million in attorneys’ fees for class counsel in the Apple, Inc. class action throttling settlement.

The coalition of attorneys general joins Apple, Inc., in arguing that the $87.73 million proposed by class counsel for attorney’s fees is “wildly excessive” and will represent “a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the total settlement amount available to compensate class members for their injuries.”  The proposed fee is more than $50 million higher than what the coalition of attorneys general argue the attorneys should receive. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, every dollar in fees results in one less dollar paid to consumers.

“An award of more than $87 million in attorney’s fees is unwarranted and takes dollars out of the pockets of Kentucky consumers who are entitled to them as part of this settlement,” said Attorney General Cameron.  “While the attorneys are entitled to be fairly compensated for their work, it’s my job to protect the interests of consumers and to advocate on their behalf before the court when the requested compensation is grossly out of line.”

Depending on the number of consumers who make a claim, the class action settlement could require Apple to pay up to $500 million in consumer restitution as part of the proposed settlement.

Last month, Attorney General Cameron announced a separate multistate settlement with Apple, Inc. requiring the company to pay $113 million for violating consumer protection laws by concealing malfunctions, misrepresenting iPhone products, and throttling iPhone performance. 

Attorney General Cameron was joined in signing the amicus brief by attorneys general from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Utah.

A copy of the brief is available here

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