In a significant development within collegiate athletics, attorneys representing student-athletes in the antitrust lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have been awarded over $475 million in legal fees, with the potential for this figure to exceed $725 million over the next decade. This decision follows the approval of a $2.8 billion settlement aimed at compensating athletes and reforming compensation practices within college sports.
U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approved the fee request, acknowledging the attorneys’ exceptional outcomes in challenging NCAA restrictions on student-athlete compensation. Co-lead counsels Steve Berman and Jeffrey Kessler requested $475.2 million, representing 18.3% of the $2.596 billion cash common fund. Additionally, they sought an extra $250 million, totaling $725.2 million, based on an estimated $20 billion in added athlete benefits over the 10-year settlement term. This equates to 3.2% of what would then be a $22.596 billion settlement. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/3ce2392e51523528873c96a1d02f9e89?utm_source=openai))
The lawsuit, initiated in June 2020, challenged NCAA restrictions on student-athlete compensation, arguing these rules violated U.S. antitrust law. The settlement not only provides monetary compensation but also allows schools to pay athletes directly, marking a historic shift in college sports. Over ten years, the new payments and benefits could total $20 billion. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/law-firms-27-bln-ncaa-accord-could-earn-more-than-500-mln-2024-07-29/?utm_source=openai))
Legal experts consider the fee request reasonable given the case’s complexity and risk. The attorneys logged tens of thousands of hours and faced vigorous opposition from well-funded NCAA and conference legal teams. The lawsuit involved the review of millions of pages of documents and was conducted on a contingency basis, meaning attorneys only get paid if successful. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/3ce2392e51523528873c96a1d02f9e89?utm_source=openai))
University of Buffalo law professor Christine Bartholomew noted that the request for attorneys’ fees could have been considered a bit low given the difficulty of the case, which dates back five years. She mentioned that it is not uncommon for plaintiffs’ attorneys to be granted as much as 30% of the common funds. ([sfchronicle.com](https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/attorneys-in-ncaa-antitrust-case-to-share-475m-20366184.php?utm_source=openai))
This settlement represents a significant shift in the landscape of college sports, providing substantial compensation and benefits to athletes and setting a precedent for future litigation in the realm of student-athlete rights and compensation. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/aa3169056e8194aeebf34495641bce0b?utm_source=openai))
In a significant development within collegiate athletics, attorneys representing student-athletes in the antitrust lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have been awarded over $475 million in legal fees, with the potential for this figure to exceed $725 million over the next decade. This decision follows the approval of a $2.8 billion settlement aimed at compensating athletes and reforming compensation practices within college sports.
U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approved the fee request, acknowledging the attorneys’ exceptional outcomes in challenging NCAA restrictions on student-athlete compensation. Co-lead counsels Steve Berman and Jeffrey Kessler requested $475.2 million, representing 18.3% of the $2.596 billion cash common fund. Additionally, they sought an extra $250 million, totaling $725.2 million, based on an estimated $20 billion in added athlete benefits over the 10-year settlement term. This equates to 3.2% of what would then be a $22.596 billion settlement. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/3ce2392e51523528873c96a1d02f9e89?utm_source=openai))
The lawsuit, initiated in June 2020, challenged NCAA restrictions on student-athlete compensation, arguing these rules violated U.S. antitrust law. The settlement not only provides monetary compensation but also allows schools to pay athletes directly, marking a historic shift in college sports. Over ten years, the new payments and benefits could total $20 billion. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/law-firms-27-bln-ncaa-accord-could-earn-more-than-500-mln-2024-07-29/?utm_source=openai))
Legal experts consider the fee request reasonable given the case’s complexity and risk. The attorneys logged tens of thousands of hours and faced vigorous opposition from well-funded NCAA and conference legal teams. The lawsuit involved the review of millions of pages of documents and was conducted on a contingency basis, meaning attorneys only get paid if successful. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/3ce2392e51523528873c96a1d02f9e89?utm_source=openai))
University of Buffalo law professor Christine Bartholomew noted that the request for attorneys’ fees could have been considered a bit low given the difficulty of the case, which dates back five years. She mentioned that it is not uncommon for plaintiffs’ attorneys to be granted as much as 30% of the common funds. ([sfchronicle.com](https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/attorneys-in-ncaa-antitrust-case-to-share-475m-20366184.php?utm_source=openai))
This settlement represents a significant shift in the landscape of college sports, providing substantial compensation and benefits to athletes and setting a precedent for future litigation in the realm of student-athlete rights and compensation. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/aa3169056e8194aeebf34495641bce0b?utm_source=openai))