Lawyers Who Got Microsoft To Settle Want $258 Million In Fees
from the ouch dept
There are plenty of stories about class action cases where it's the lawyers who walk off with the real prize, where those involved in the case get pennies for the dollars they lost. Now, the California lawyers who convinced Microsoft to settle their anti-trust suit say they deserve $258 million in fees - approximately 25% of the entire settlement. When broken out into pieces, it means $3,000 per hour for the lead attorney, $2,000 per hour for 34 other lawyers and an impressive $1,000 per hour for administrative work. Microsoft, of course, claims the fees seem a bit high - but you could make the same argument about some of their software. Meanwhile, Microsoft may get off without paying the $16 or so they owe you for overcharging on Windows if you don't fill out the claim form. Yes, that $16 they overcharged you for Windows represents just under one minute of administrative work done on this case.
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Too late already
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