No evidence was produced of a deferred fee arrangement between the law firm and funder backing franchise class actions against 7-Eleven, and the “unequivocal” denial by the solicitor running the cases should be accepted, a court has heard.
A marathon hearing of an application for court approval of a $98 million settlement in two 7-Eleven class actions has ended with a judge taking the rare step of signing off on the settlement amount while withholding approval of the legal costs and funding commission.
A judge has signed off on a $98 million settlement in two franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven, but has yet to reach a decision on $19.6 million in legal costs and a $25 million funding commission, which a court-appointed contradictor has urged him to reject.
A solicitor running two franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven “retaliated” against a group member who objected to a $98 million settlement and issued a late $6.5 million legal bill to benefit a litigation funder, a court has heard.
A $98 million settlement reached in two franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven is “appropriate” given the likelihood that the convenience store giant would have lost at trial, according to a contradictor who urged the court to reject a $25 million cut sought by the funder that backed the litigation.
Litigation funder Galactic should receive a $15 million commission for its work on two franchisee class actions against convenience store giant 7-Eleven, instead of the $25 million it has asked for, a court has heard.
Evidence of anxiety felt by 7-Eleven franchisees leading class actions against the convenience store giant was relevant to whether the funder could earn a $25 million commission from the proceeds of a settlement, a court has heard.
A judge has declined a contradictor’s calls to send an application for a common fund order in a class action against 7-Eleven, which recently settled for $98 million, to the Full Court.
A contradictor asked to weigh in on a $98 million settlement in class actions against 7-Eleven has said the Full Federal Court should decide an application by the funder for a common fund order, citing the importance of the issue.
Despite claims the $98 million settlement did not warrant a contradictor’s scrutiny, a judge has appointed a contradictor to represent the interests of group members in franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven as he weighs the deal.