Plaintiffs’ lawyers in AT&T class actions win $59 million legal fee award
T•A federal judge approved $59 million in legal fees for lawyers who negotiated $177 million in settlements over 2024 AT&T data breaches that exposed the personal information of tens of millions of customers.
1. Fees and settlements
U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater in Dallas approved the settlements, finding them fair despite objections to the scope of AT&T’s payments and the lawyers’ fees. One group of lawyers, including Mark Lanier, was awarded $49.7 million, and a second group will receive $9.3 million.
2. Customer payments
Eligible customers can receive up to $2,500 or $5,000 from the settlements. The deals drew dozens of objections, including claims that they were small compared with a $350 million settlement in related T-Mobile data-breach litigation.
3. Objections denied
Some objectors alleged AT&T negotiated with the least effective attorneys to secure a weak settlement in a so-called reverse auction. The plaintiffs’ lawyers defended the settlement and denied the claim; AT&T denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.
