DOJ Plans to Oppose Counsel Fee Request in African-American Discrimination Suit

According to a press report, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) plans to
oppose the request for $90.8 million in attorney’s fees filed by counsel for
African-American farmers who sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture
for discrimination in the administration of farm loan programs. Additional
information about the fee petition appears in Issue 405 of this Update. While
DOJ lawyers have not yet filed a formal opposition to the fee petition, in other
court papers they have apparently indicated that “the government does
not agree with every point made by plaintiffs in support of final approval
of this settlement agreement.” The fee request represents 7.4 percent of the
proposed $1.25 billion settlement. Ten individuals reportedly filed an objection
to the settlement earlier in August, contending that settling the matter
before discovery would be detrimental to plaintiffs who would lose their
bargaining leverage with the federal government. See The BLT: The Blog of
LegalTimes, August 24, 2011.