Class Action Lawyers: Who Courts Appoint and What They Are Paid
In a class action, the court picks the lawyers who represent everyone in the class. Here are the firms named most often in the cases we track, the court orders that appointed them, and the fees judges awarded. No ratings, no paid listings.
Do You Need a Class Action Lawyer?
It depends on whether a case already exists for what happened to you.
If a settlement already exists and you are in the class, no. The court has appointed class counsel to represent you, at no cost to you. Filing a claim is free and happens on the official settlement website.
You would hire a lawyer of your own only to object to the settlement or to opt out and sue on your own. If no case exists yet, a firm that brings class actions can review what happened; most are paid only if the case recovers money.
Law Firms Courts Appoint in the Cases We Track
Each case links to our case page; open the record to read the sentence of the court order or official settlement website that names the firm.
- 10law firms
- 17court appointments on record
- $130.8Mfees awarded in 5 cases
Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC
Founded 1965 · Headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico; U.S. principal office in Knoxville, Tennessee
Interim co-lead class counsel (Gary M. Klinger), with Stueve Siegel Hanson and Lynch Carpenter
In re DentaQuest Group Data Incident Litigation
D. Mass. · No. 1:26-cv-12458-AK · October 7, 2026
What the record says
The newly appointed interim class counsel, Klinger, Siegel, and Wells, with Leviton as liaison counsel are hereby ORDERED to submit a proposed Order regarding their appointment as interim class counsel on or before October 14, 2026.
Court orderClass Counsel, with three other firms
Wayne County Circuit Court, Mich. · No. 25-000801-CZ
Fees requested: up to $1,900,000 · Class counsel jointly · Paid separately by the defendant
What the record says
The Court has appointed lawyers Emily E. Hughes of The Miller Law Firm, P.C., David S. Almeida of Almeida Law Group LLC, Gary M. Klinger of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC, and Nicholas A. Coulson of Coulson P.C. to be the attorneys representing the Settlement Class.
Official settlement websiteClass Counsel’s attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses will be paid separately by Defendant and awarded by the Court. Class Counsel is entitled to seek no more than $1,900,000.00, but the Court may award less than this amount.
Fee sourceClass Counsel
L.A. County Superior Court, Calif. · No. 24STCV32626
Fees requested: up to 33.33% of the settlement fund · Class counsel jointly
What the record says
The Court appointed the following attorneys as “Class Counsel” to represent the Settlement Class: Class Counsel Jonathan B. Cohen Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC
Official settlement websiteClass Counsel will ask the Court to approve a Fee and Expense Award in an amount not to exceed one-third (33.33%) of the Settlement Fund.
Fee source
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
Founded 1993 · Offices in Seattle, Berkeley, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix and San Diego
Lead Counsel and Class Counsel
N.D. Cal. · No. 3:21-cv-03269-VC · May 28, 2025
Fees awarded: $7,937,500 (25% of the fund) · Hagens Berman
What the record says
appoint Lead Counsel Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP as Class Counsel for the Settlement Class pursuant to Rule 23(g) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Court orderClass Counsel Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is awarded attorneys’ fees of $7,937,500.00
Fee sourceOne of the Class Counsel firms
In re Kia Hyundai Vehicle Theft Litigation
C.D. Cal. · No. 8:22-ml-03052-JVS-KES · October 1, 2024
Fees awarded: $13,403,485.60 · Class counsel jointly
What the record says
And Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, one of the Class Counsel’s law firms,
Court orderAccordingly, the Court GRANTS Class Counsel the proposed award fee of $13,403,485.60 from the common fund.
Fee source
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
Founded 1972 · Offices in San Francisco, New York, Nashville and Munich
Class Counsel
N.D. Cal. · No. 3:22-cv-04792-RS · October 31, 2024
Fees awarded: $28,750,000 (25% of the fund) · Class Counsel (Lieff Cabraser)
What the record says
The Court appointed as “Class Counsel” the law firm of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP to represent Settlement Class Members.
Court-approved class noticeClass Counsel is awarded 25 percent of the total Settlement Fund, or $28.75 million, in attorneys’ fees and $211,350.52 in expenses.
Fee sourceSettlement Class Counsel, with Dilworth Paxson and The Kick Law Firm
Capp, Inc. v. Discover Financial Services (merchant class)
N.D. Ill. · No. 1:23-cv-04676 · May 20, 2026
Fees awarded: $25,000,000 · Class counsel jointly
What the record says
appoints Roger N. Heller of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP, Catherine Pratsinakis of Dilworth Paxson LLP, and Taras Kick of The Kick Law Firm, APC as Settlement Class Counsel.
Court orderSettlement Class Counsel request an award of attorneys’ fees in the amount of $25,000,000.00. Based on the record as a whole, the Court finds that this amount is reasonable under applicable standards and the circumstances of this litigation, and hereby awards the requested amount.
Fee source
Hausfeld LLP
U.S. offices in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, DC; offices across Europe
Class Counsel for the settlement class, with Scott+Scott and Robins Kaplan
In re RealPage Rental Software Antitrust Litigation (MDL 3071)
M.D. Tenn. · No. 3:23-md-03071 · November 21, 2025
What the record says
Patrick Coughlin of Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law, LLP; Stacey Slaughter of Robins Kaplan LLP; and Swathi Bojedla of Hausfeld, LLP appointed as Class Counsel for the Settlement Class.
Court orderInterim co-lead counsel, individual users track
In re Instructure Data Breach Litigation (Canvas)
D. Utah · No. 2:26-cv-00374-RJS-CMR · August 24, 2026
What the record says
the court hereby appoints the following interim leadership structure for Plaintiffs: I. Track 1 Leadership a. Co-Lead Counsel. The following counsel shall serve as co-lead counsel for the Individual Users Track, in no particular order: i. James J. Pizzirusso of Hausfeld LLP
Court order (Case Management Order No. 3)
Bursor & Fisher, P.A.
Offices in Florida, New York and California
Class Counsel, with four other firms
Sen v. Vesync (US) Corp. (Levoit)
N.Y. Supreme Court, Kings County · No. Index No. 510627/2026
Fees requested: up to $5,244,500 · Class counsel jointly · Paid separately by Vesync; does not reduce payments to class members
What the record says
The Court has appointed lawyers from the following law firms as Class Counsel to represent you and the other Settlement Class Members: Bursor & Fisher, P.A.; Sinderbrand Law Group, P.C.; Migliaccio & Rathod LLP; Hecht Partners LLP; and Taus, Cebulash & Landau, LLP.
Official settlement websiteClass Counsel will ask the Court to approve an award of attorneys’ fees and costs not to exceed $5,244,500. If approved, these amounts will be paid separately by Vesync and will not reduce Settlement Awards to Settlement Class Members.
Fee sourceClass Counsel, with Drury Legal
Mohr v. Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Medicine)
Pennsylvania state court · No. 230102149
Fees requested: up to $3,700,000 · Class counsel jointly
What the record says
The Court has appointed Philip L. Fraietta and Alec M. Leslie of Bursor & Fisher, P.A. and Scott R. Drury of Drury Legal, LLC to be the attorneys representing the Settlement Class.
Official settlement websiteClass Counsel is entitled to seek no more than $3,700,000, but the Court may award less than this amount.
Fee source
Almeida Law Group LLC
Class Counsel, with three other firms
Wayne County Circuit Court, Mich. · No. 25-000801-CZ
Fees requested: up to $1,900,000 · Class counsel jointly · Paid separately by the defendant
What the record says
The Court has appointed lawyers Emily E. Hughes of The Miller Law Firm, P.C., David S. Almeida of Almeida Law Group LLC, Gary M. Klinger of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC
Official settlement websiteClass Counsel’s attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses will be paid separately by Defendant and awarded by the Court. Class Counsel is entitled to seek no more than $1,900,000.00, but the Court may award less than this amount.
Fee sourceClass Counsel, with Tycko & Zavareei
Garner v. Aramark Management Services (Capital One Arena)
D.C. Superior Court · No. 2025-CAB-007444
Fees requested: up to 33.33% of the settlement fund · Class counsel jointly
What the record says
For this settlement, the Court has appointed the following individuals and lawyers. Your lawyers: Katherine Aizpuru and Peter Silva, Tycko & Zavareei LLP; and Wes Griffith and David McGee, Almeida Law Group LLC.
Official settlement websiteyour lawyers will request, as part of the final approval of this Settlement, that the Court approve a payment of up to one-third (33.33%) of the $4,500,000 settlement fund in attorneys’ fees plus the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.
Fee source
Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC
Offices in Washington, DC, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Palm Beach Gardens and Raleigh
Interim lead class counsel for the consumer class
In re Valve Antitrust Litigation (Steam)
W.D. Wash. · No. 2:21-cv-00563 · May 2, 2025
What the record says
ORDER Granting Helper Plaintiffs' 407 Motion to Appoint Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC as Interim Lead. The Court ORDERS that Cohen Milestein's motion to appoint interim class counsel is GRANTED.
Court docket entry
DiCello Levitt LLP
Offices in Birmingham, Chicago, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Santa Fe and Washington, DC
Class Counsel, with Beasley Allen
N.D. Cal. · No. 3:16-cv-07244-EMC · June 10, 2025
Fees awarded: $55,763,397 · Class counsel jointly · Plus $1,236,603 in expenses; together 38% of the $150 million settlement fund
What the record says
The Court confirms its appointment of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C. and DiCello Levitt, LLP as Class Counsel.
Court orderClass Counsel’s requested fees in the amount of $55,763,397 and reimbursement of expenses in the amount of $1,236,603, totaling thirty-eight percent (38%) of the One Hundred Fifty Million ($150,000,000) Settlement Fund, is appropriate, fair, and reasonable.
Fee sourceProposed, not yet appointed: Proposed as counsel for the settlement class, with Caplan Cobb, Gibbs Mura and Girard Sharp
In re Equifax Fair Credit Reporting Act Litigation
N.D. Ga. · No. 1:22-cv-03072-LMM · August 12, 2026
Fees requested: up to $33,333,333 (33.3% of the fund) · Class counsel jointly
What the record says
The Preliminary Approval Motion shall seek appointment of the following as counsel for the Settlement Class: Caplan Cobb LLC, DiCello Levitt LLP, Gibbs Mura LLP, and Girard Sharp LLP.
Settlement agreementThey will ask the Court to award attorneys’ fees of up to one-third of the Settlement Fund ($33,333,333), plus reimbursement of litigation expenses of up to $500,000.
Fee source
Seeger Weiss LLP
Founded 1999 · Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey; office in New York
Lead Counsel (Christopher Seeger)
In re Depo-Provera Products Liability Litigation (MDL 3140)
N.D. Fla. · No. 3:25-md-03140-MCR-HTC · March 16, 2025
What the record says
Lead Counsel Christopher Seeger Seeger Weiss Co-Lead Counsel Bryan Aylstock Ellen Relkin Aylstock, Witkin, Weitz & Luxenberg Kreis & Overholtz
Court order (Pretrial Order No. 18)
Lynch Carpenter, LLP
Offices in Pittsburgh, San Diego, Los Angeles and Philadelphia
Interim co-lead class counsel (Gerald D. Wells III), with Milberg and Stueve Siegel Hanson
In re DentaQuest Group Data Incident Litigation
D. Mass. · No. 1:26-cv-12458-AK · October 7, 2026
What the record says
The newly appointed interim class counsel, Klinger, Siegel, and Wells, with Leviton as liaison counsel are hereby ORDERED to submit a proposed Order regarding their appointment as interim class counsel on or before October 14, 2026.
Court order
How Much Do Class Action Lawyers Get Paid?
A judge must approve every fee. These are the awards and requests in the cases above, each from the court record.
Awarded by the court
- Siqueiros v. General Motors$55,763,397awarded October 8, 2025 · class counsel incl. DiCello Levitt · Plus $1,236,603 in expenses; together 38% of the $150 million settlement fund
- Katz-Lacabe v. Oracle America$28,750,00025% of the fund · awarded November 15, 2024 · class counsel incl. Lieff Cabraser
- Capp, Inc. v. Discover Financial Services (merchant class)$25,000,000awarded May 20, 2026 · class counsel incl. Lieff Cabraser
- In re Kia Hyundai Vehicle Theft Litigation$13,403,485.60awarded September 30, 2024 · class counsel incl. Hagens Berman
- Snow v. Align Technology$7,937,50025% of the fund · awarded November 21, 2025 · class counsel incl. Hagens Berman
Requested, not yet decided
- In re Equifax Fair Credit Reporting Act Litigationup to $33,333,333class counsel incl. DiCello Levitt
- Sen v. Vesync (US) Corp. (Levoit)up to $5,244,500class counsel incl. Bursor & Fisher · Paid separately by Vesync; does not reduce payments to class members
- Mohr v. Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Medicine)up to $3,700,000class counsel incl. Bursor & Fisher
- McClain v. Henry Ford Healthup to $1,900,000class counsel incl. Milberg and Almeida Law Group · Paid separately by the defendant
- Barcelo v. Papaya Gamingup to 33.33%class counsel incl. Milberg
- Garner v. Aramark Management Services (Capital One Arena)up to 33.33%class counsel incl. Almeida Law Group
How Does a Court Choose Class Counsel?
Under Rule 23(g) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the judge — not the plaintiffs — decides who leads.
The court must consider the work the lawyers have done identifying and investigating the claims, their experience with class actions and similar cases, their knowledge of the law, and the resources they will commit to the class.
Before a class is certified, the court can appoint interim class counsel — several entries above are interim appointments. When competing teams apply, the judge picks one; in the DentaQuest data breach case, the court granted one team’s motion and denied the other’s on October 7, 2026.
How We Built This List
Counted from our own case pages, confirmed in the court record.
We counted which firms our case pages name as class counsel, picked the ten named most often or searched for most, and kept only appointments we could confirm in a court order, a court-approved notice or the official settlement website. Every quote was checked against a second, independent download of its source.
We do not rate firms, no firm paid to be listed, and none was contacted. Firms are ordered by the number of appointments on record. The list covers only cases on our site — these firms have many more.
Class Action Lawyers: FAQ
Fees, choosing a lawyer, and letters from law firms.
Do I have to pay a class action lawyer?
Not out of pocket. Class counsel is paid from the settlement fund, or separately by the defendant, and only the amount the court approves. In some of the settlements on this page the fees are paid separately and do not reduce what class members receive.
How much do class action lawyers make?
Whatever the court awards, usually a share of the settlement. In the cases on this page, the court awarded 25% of the fund in the Oracle and Invisalign settlements and 38% including expenses in the GM engine settlement; fee requests often ask for up to one-third. For the wider picture, see our study of class action attorney fees.
Can I hire my own lawyer in a class action?
Yes, at your own cost. If you stay in the class, class counsel already represents you; you may also appear through a lawyer of your own, for example to object to a settlement. If you exclude yourself (opt out), you can bring your own case with your own lawyer.
How do I find a class action lawyer for a new case?
If no case exists yet, contact a firm that brings class actions in that area; most work on contingency, meaning they are paid only if the case recovers money. Once cases are filed, the court decides which lawyers lead them.
Is a letter about a class action settlement from a law firm legit?
Court-approved settlement notices come from the settlement administrator and name class counsel. If anyone contacts you about joining a case, look the case up yourself, file only on the official settlement website, and never pay a fee. Our administrator directory shows which firm usually mails these letters.
Related Tools
Find your settlement, check a letter, and see where fees go.