A federal court judge in Manhattan vacated a $28.5 million settlement for four families of 9/11 victims, finding that the settlement was too large and the lawyer's fees too high. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said Maryland law firm Azrael, Gann & Franz's "entire strategy seems to have been to coast on the work of others," by not settling until late in the process. The victims were all Pentagon employees, who, per the NY Times, Hellerstein said were "modest wage earns" and that the settlements of $5.5-8.5 million were "disproportionately large" relative to other settlements. One victim's relative was distraught, telling the Post, "How can he take back our money?"
Published Jul 25, 2008
Modified Jul 25, 2008
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