$65M in Attorney Fees: Miami-Dade Judge Grants Award in Suit Over Surfside Collapse

The Miami-Dade Circuit Court entered an attorneys fees award on Monday of $65 million for the attorneys who, in the class action, represented the families of victims in the collapse of the Champlain Towers South, in Surfside, Florida.

The victims’ lawyers sought more than $100 million in attorney fees, citing the risk they incurred, the novel issues of Florida law and the resulting nine-figure settlement they achieved for the class members. However, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman ruled that a proposed 4.5 multiplier was “pretty much the highest fee that can be granted,” before reducing the multiplier to about three.