Discretion

8th Cir. Holds Trial Court Did Not Err in Using ‘Percentage of the Benefit’ Over ‘Lodestar’ in TCPA Class Fee Award Dispute

In an appeal involving the settlement of four separate class actions under the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit recently held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by electing to use the “percentage-of-the-benefit” method to calculate class counsel’s fee award, as opposed to the “lodestar” method. The Eighth Circuit …


Four States File Lawsuit to Block Internet Transfer

The agency has been a part of the U.S. Commerce Department since the Internet was fashioned, but President Obama has indicated that the agency will become independent of the U.S. government on October 1, when the current contract to operate it through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration expires. The lawsuit filed by the states of Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, and Nevada, …


Judge Dismisses $750M Fort Detrick Pollution Lawsuit

A federal judge has dismissed a $750 million class-action lawsuit alleging the Army’s reckless handling of chemical and biological toxins caused death and illness among people living near Fort Detrick in Frederick. The Frederick News-Post (http://bit.ly/2buYcdz ) reports that U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake filed the dismissal notice Thursday in Baltimore.