2 ms·
I guess I don't see a problem with a tri-furcated system: 1) substantial damages per individual -- opt-in tort system, 2) diffuse damages that collectively add
by bradleyjg 12y ago
I guess I don't see a problem with a tri-furcated system: 1) substantial damages per individual -- opt-in tort system, 2) diffuse damages that collectively add up to substantial wrongdoing -- government fines, 3) diffuse damages that don't collectively add up substantially enough to attract government attention -- reputational damage.
- mikeash 12y agoWhat's the practical difference between accomplishing (2) through government fines and accomplishing it through a class-action lawsuit?
- bradleyjg 12y agoMid-career federal government lawyers in an expensive city make $130k a year. Class action attorneys generally get a significant fraction of the value of the settlement. And the value of the settlement is calculated in kind of a crazy way particularly when it comes to injunctive relief. In the google buzz case, which resulted in no monetary relief to the class in general (representative plaintiffs were given a small award, the rest was cy pres) class plaintiffs were awarded over $2.1M plus expenses for 2550 billable hours* over the course of a calendar year. *That's a little understated because the filing that number came from was near the end of the litigation, but not at the very end.