In Re First Interstate Bancorp Consolidated Shareholder Litigation

OPINION

LAMB, Vice Chancellor.

I. INTRODUCTION

Before me is a petition for fees pressed by the stockholder plaintiffs and their counsel premised on the well-recognized principle that where (i) meritorious litigation is filed, (ii) an action producing a benefit to the corporation or its stockholders is taken by the defendants before judi cial resolution is achieved, and (iii) the resulting benefit is causally related to the litigation, then the plaintiff or his counsel is entitled to an award of attorney’s fees and expenses. United Vanguard Fund v. TakeCare, Inc., Del.Supr., 693 A.2d 1076, 1079…