Warnell v. Ford Motor Co.

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

BUCKLO, District Judge.

I here resolve a dispute between the named plaintiffs in these two class actions and their counsel about the enforcement of contingent fee agreements. Attorneys have fiduciary duties to their clients, not least when they represent a class of plaintiffs. They also have an obligation, as officers of the court, to disclose any potential conflicts of interest with their clients when they seek an award of attorneys’ fees out of the proceeds of a class settlement. I find that, at a minimum, the attorneys for the plaintiffs in this case violated the…