Amid allegations of breached ethics rules, conflicts of interest, as well as myriad of objections, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge reduced by 25% the requested attorney fees of  $90 million in the case of Benjamin Fogel v Farmers Group.

Zurich Financial Group, represented by Dewey & LeBoeuf,  "blasted as 'outrageous' any insinuation that the attorneys in the case had colluded in a scheme to pad their own pockets."


Mr. Walter Lack of Engstrom, Lipscomb & Lack stated he was "a little disappointed" by the reduction of fees. In a declaration submitted to the court, Lack wrote: We have a written agreement among class counsel dividing the fees in five equal shares with California counsel receiving two shares and Texas law firms receiving three shares.

As we stated earlier: "Separately, and somewhat preposterously, Mr Jerry Flanagan (advocating on behalf of Harvey Rosenfield's Consumer Watchdog) has urged the court to order unclaimed funds in the settlement to help offset a $350 million in the court own budget shortfall."

Judge Highberger denied Consumer Watchdog's request, stating such order would be a conflict of interest for the court.

Please see complete story @:
http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/story/455-million-farmers-group-settlement-okd-over-objections