Yeah, I'm not sure that's the right solution either. Perhaps there could be a third party "class advocate" that receives 1% of all proceeds awarded to the class

Yeah, I'm not sure that's the right solution either. Perhaps there could be a third party "class advocate" that receives 1% of all proceeds awarded to the class in the case of a settlement or trial victory who has unilatteral power to veto any settlement agreement. Then their incentives would be aligned to ensure the maximum settlement while taking into account the probability of winning in court and the costs of prolonged delay, etc. If the class gets nothing, the class advocate gets nothing. If the lawyers make bank, but the class gets a pittance, the class advocate gets a pittance. The class advocate could also negotiate reasonable attorney fees for the class.