Judge Weighs Legal Fees In $190 Million Settlement
BALTIMORE (AP) -- A Baltimore judge is weighing what percentage of a $190 million settlement to earmark for lawyers representing more than 8,000 plaintiffs.
A judge heard arguments Thursday from attorneys representing thousands of former patients of Dr. Nikita Levy, a gynecologist who was fired from a Johns Hopkins-affiliated clinic after a colleague raised concerns that he was secretly recording women during exams with a spy camera. Levy committed suicide days after investigators raided his home and recovered hundreds of images and videos.
Hopkins agreed to pay the women $190 million in July. The settlement was finalized on Sept. 19.
The plaintiffs' attorneys, from eight firms, are asking for 35 percent of the settlement, roughly $66.5 million. But an attorney filed an objection to the proposed fees, arguing the number is too high.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)