Latest news with #legal fees
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
States spend £100k so far on evicting Fermain Beach Cafe tenants
About £100,000 has been spent by Guernsey States on legal fees trying to evict the tenants of the Fermain Beach Cafe, it has been revealed.A Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request was submitted to the States asking Policy & Resources (P&R) to confirm the current legal fees to online petition was started and signed by more than 2,000 people in April 2024 to keep the current tenants in place and to stop any future development at the site after they lost the tender case remains ongoing and P&R said it expected "further costs" would be spent but hopefully "to a minimum". It added: "It is standard practice to engage external lawyers when there is not sufficient capacity within the Law Officers. "This ensures that matters are handled efficiently and without delay."In April 2024, the States said the lease tender process for the site had been fair and the tenant's proposals to carry out improvements to the site since 2009 had not been carried out. Having raised the issue with P&R, Deputy Mark Helyar said he would like to see the matter come to an end said: "I would just like to see a political intervention and a step-in for some negotiation and mediation so that it can be brought to a close. "We've got a new committee [since the general election], so a fresh pair of eyes, hopefully it might lead to a more satisfactory resolution."The States Property Unit reiterated that a formal tender process had been run for the site and the party that submitted the best bid would be selected.
Reuters
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
US judge rejects lawyers' $94 million fee bid in auto parts pricing case
July 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge has declined to approve $94 million in additional legal fees for a group of attorneys who already collected more than $269 million in fees for securing $1.2 billion in settlements with auto parts makers. Chief U.S. District Judge Sean Cox in Detroit called the plaintiffs' fee request "excessive" in a ruling, opens new tab on Friday. Cox said the attorneys from law firms Susman Godfrey; Cotchett Pitre; and Robins Kaplan were owed more compensation for their latest and fifth settlement rounds. But the judge said the amount should be "far less" than $94 million and asked the lawyers to refile their request closer to the end of the settlement claims process. The law firms represent consumer and commercial auto parts buyers who accused auto parts makers of conspiring to fix prices. Companies including Denso; Hitachi Automotive; and Mitsubishi Electric were among dozens of defendants that settled with the plaintiffs in recent years. They all denied any wrongdoing. The litigation began in 2012, following a U.S. Justice Department probe of some manufacturers. The plaintiffs' lawyers in May asked Cox to approve, opens new tab the additional fee award, covering legal work from 2019. Several companies that are members of the class of parts buyers, including car rental dealers Hertz (HTZ.O), opens new tab and Avis (CAR.O), opens new tab, objected, opens new tab to the $94 million fee request, arguing that the lawyers had already been amply compensated. Lawyers requesting the fees at Susman Godfrey; Cotchett Pitre; and Robins Kaplan did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Hertz and Avis did not immediately respond to similar requests. In a court filing, the plaintiffs' lawyers said the $1.2 billion settlement was "believed to be the largest amount ever obtained on behalf of indirect purchasers in the history of U.S. antitrust litigation." The case is In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, No. 2:12-md-02311. Read more: US judge admonishes Amazon over disclosures in FTC lawsuit over Prime service Lawyers defend $205 million legal fee in US auto class action settlement Class action administrators, banks accused of kickback scheme in new lawsuits More lawyers join the $3,000-an-hour club, as other firms close in
Irish Times
14-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
OPW has spent €700,000 on legal costs in cases over mooted children's science museum
The Office of Public Works (OPW) has paid more than €700,000 in legal fees for two arbitration cases taken by a private charity to compel it to construct a national children's science museum. The OPW paid €560,000 in legal fees after it was required to pay the legal costs of both sides in the first arbitration process in 2013. Its own legal costs amounted to €255,252 and it also paid the €307,000 costs of Irish Children's Museum Limited (ICML), a charity that has campaigned for almost 25 years for such a facility to be provided. OPW chairman John Conlon has written to the Public Accounts Committee in recent weeks disclosing the amount of the partial legal fees bill arising out of a second arbitration case commenced in 2022. In the letter, a copy of which has been seen by The Irish Times, Mr Conlon said the second arbitration remains open but the OPW has paid €146,997 for its own legal costs to date. READ MORE He said the OPW is required the pay the ICML's legal expenses. These legal expenses are 'not yet settled' and are being reviewed by the State Claims Agency on behalf of the OPW. " It is likely that the final cost of the two arbitration processes could come to between €800,000 and €900,000, with all the costs being borne by the OPW. The OPW entered an agreement with the ICML in 2003 to build a National Children's Science Centre close to Heuston Station. However, the construction did not go ahead because of the economic collapse from 2008. Subsequently, the ICML initiated the first arbitration proceedings against the OPW, the outcome of which compelled the State body to fulfil its contractual obligations to provide a centre. A site was later identified on Earlsfort Terrace close to the National Concert Hall. Planning permission was granted in 2016. ICML began a second arbitration case in 2022, and the arbitrator issued an interim award in favour of ICML in June that year. New planning permission was granted in March 2024. At a meeting of the Dáil's Public Accounts Committee last year, Mr Conlon said the expected cost of constructing the museum could exceed €70 million. The ICML will be responsible for the costs associated with the fit-out of the museum and the operational costs. The Government is expected to request the ICML to provide clarity on the operating model of the museum post-construction. ICML chief executive Barbara Galavan told The Irish Times last year that the estimated fit-out cost of the museum would be €25 million, which the charity would provide through fundraising and sponsorship. At a meeting last year, members of the PAC criticised the high costs associated with the project and the position the OPW found itself in in having to provide a building at a high cost to a private charity. Former Social Democrats leader Catherine Murphy told the meeting that ICML 'has its foot on the throat of the State'. At the time, Ms Galavan responded to criticisms of ICML for pursuing a legal route by saying it would have much preferred not to have gone to arbitration. She pointed out that Ireland is the only OECD country without a national children's science museum. The Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Sinn Féin TD, John Brady, is expected to examine the project at a hearing during the autumn.
