Class Action Attorney Fees: What Lawyers Really Get Paid From Settlements
Original analysis of 155 records from U.S. federal court filings, 2019–2026. Published October 12, 2026.
We read 31 court documents from 18 federal class actions, from fee orders to claims reports: what judges awarded the lawyers, how many class members filed a claim and what claimants were expected to get.
What the court records show
In the 9 federal class action settlements where the judge stated the fee as a percentage of the fund, class counsel received a median 25%, from 13.1% to 33%. Few class members came forward: in the 7 settlements that reported a claims count, a median 2.6% filed a claim, which put the lawyers' fee at a median $14.61 for every claim filed.
- 25%Median fee share set by the court
- 2.6%Median share of class members who filed a claim
- $14.61Median lawyers' fee per claim filed
A quarter of the fund is the middle
In the 9 settlements where the judge stated the fee as a percentage, the median was 25% of the fund. 4 awards were higher, up to 33% in the AT&T data breach settlement ($59.0 million of $177.0 million), and 3 were lower.
Against the cash, the share runs higher
Dividing each fee by the cash fund it was paid from gives a median of 27% across 10 settlements, against 25% for the percentages courts stated. In the Experian data breach settlement the court stated no percentage; the $10.5 million fee was 48% of the $22.0 million fund.
Percent of what?
In the Cash App data breach case the court approved 25% of the settlement amount, which class counsel valued at $20 million including security changes. Measured against the $15.0 million cash fund alone, the $5.0 million fee was 33%.
The biggest funds paid the smallest shares
The three largest cash funds in our data had the three lowest fee shares: 7.5% of Capital One's $425.0 million, 13.1% of T-Mobile's $350.0 million and 23.5% of the $2.8 billion Blue Cross Blue Shield providers' fund.
Most class members never claim
In the 7 settlements with a claims count, a median 2.6% of class members filed a claim, about 1 in 38. The rate ran from 0.4% in the Cash App case to 5.7% for Kaiser Permanente.
What the fee comes to per claim
Divided by the claims received, the fee was a median $14.61 per claim. In the Kaiser Permanente case that was $17.21 per claim, while each claimant was expected to get about $40; in the Google Referrer Header case, $2.24 against an estimated $7.16.
What Percentage of a Class Action Settlement Goes to the Lawyers
Judges decide class counsel's fee, in the final approval order or in a separate fee order. These are the settlements in our data where the order states the fee as a percentage.
The median was 25%, from 13.1% for T-Mobile to 33% for AT&T.
Courts measure the request against a benchmark. In the Ninth Circuit, which includes California, the benchmark is 25% of the fund; courts in the Eleventh Circuit refer to a benchmark range of 20% to 30%. The AT&T court in Texas quoted the Manual for Complex Litigation, which says percentage fees are often between 25% and 30% of the fund, and found that the results favored a higher fee.
Judges do not always grant what counsel ask for. In the Comcast and Kaiser Permanente cases the lawyers asked for about one third of the fund; the courts awarded 27% and 27.4%. In the Capital One case the court granted the objections to the fee in part and awarded a reduced amount.
Fee as a percentage, as stated by the court
- AT&T data breach33.0%$59.0M of $177.0M
- Natera prenatal testing30.0%$2.5M of $8.3M
- Comcast Xfinity data breach27.0%$31.7M of $117.5M
- Kaiser Permanente online tracking27.0%$13.0M of $47.5M
- Cash App (Block) data breach25.0%$5.0M of $15.0M
- Google Referrer Header privacy25.0%$5.8M of $23.0M
- USAA Casualty Insurance24.5%$561K of $2.3M
- Blue Cross Blue Shield antitrust (providers)23.5%$657.2M of $2.8B
- T-Mobile data breach (2021)13.1%$45.8M of $350.0M
T-Mobile: the court states the share of the cash fund. USAA: a claims-made settlement; the court compares the fee with the cash benefit paid to the class.
How Much of the Cash Fund Went to the Lawyers
Dividing each fee by the cash fund it was paid from puts the settlements on the same footing, including those where the court stated no percentage.
The median was 27% across 10 settlements, from 7.5% for Capital One to 48% for Experian.
The percentage a court approves depends on what it is measured against. In the Cash App case the court approved 25% of the settlement amount, which class counsel valued at $20 million: the $15 million cash fund plus $5 million in security changes. In the Experian case class counsel valued the settlement at $160.8 million, counting credit monitoring; the court awarded $10.5 million out of the $22.0 million cash fund without stating a percentage.
Class counsel fee as a share of the cash fund
| Settlement | Fee | Cash fund | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experian data breach (2015) | $10.5M | $22.0M | 47.7% |
| AT&T data breach | $59.0M | $177.0M | 33.3% |
| Cash App (Block) data breach | $5.0M | $15.0M | 33.3% |
| Natera prenatal testing | $2.5M | $8.3M | 30.0% |
| Kaiser Permanente online tracking | $13.0M | $47.5M | 27.4% |
| Comcast Xfinity data breach | $31.7M | $117.5M | 27.0% |
| Google Referrer Header privacy | $5.8M | $23.0M | 25.0% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield antitrust (providers) | $657.2M | $2.8B | 23.5% |
| T-Mobile data breach (2021) | $45.8M | $350.0M | 13.1% |
| Capital One 360 Savings | $32.0M | $425.0M | 7.5% |
Claims-made settlements (USAA, State Farm) have no cash fund to divide by and are not included.
How Many Class Members Actually File a Claim
The claims rate is the share of class members who submitted a claim. Where the record states it, we use that figure; otherwise we divide claims received by class members.
A median 2.6% filed a claim, about 1 in 38, from 0.4% in the Cash App case to 5.7% for Kaiser Permanente.
Of the settlements in this table, 5 report how many class members the notice reached: between 83% and 98% of the class.
Share of class members who filed a claim
- Kaiser Permanente online tracking5.7%756K claims, 13.1M class members
- AT&T data breach4.8%4.92M claims, 99.8M class members
- Experian data breach (2015)2.9%479K claims, 14.9M class members
- T-Mobile data breach (2021)2.6%2M claims, 76.6M class members
- Google Referrer Header privacy1.3%2.56M claims, 193M class members
- AMCA data breach (LabCorp)1.3%153K claims, 11.8M class members
- Cash App (Block) data breach0.4%668K claims, 158M class members
T-Mobile: the record gives a minimum count of claims, so the rate is a lower bound. AMCA: interim count before the claims deadline. Experian: the stated rate counts unique claims. Class member counts are as reported, in some cases notice records or potential class members.
What Lawyers Earned for Each Claim Filed
Dividing the fee by the number of claims received shows what the lawyers were paid for each person who came forward.
The median was $14.61 per claim, from $2.24 in the Google Referrer Header case to $22.89 for T-Mobile.
For comparison, in the Kaiser Permanente case the court expected each claimant to get about $40, against a fee of $17.21 per claim. In the AT&T case the fee came to $12.00 per claim.
Class counsel fee per claim received
- T-Mobile data breach (2021)$22.89$45.8M for 2M claims
- Experian data breach (2015)$21.92$10.5M for 479K claims
- Kaiser Permanente online tracking$17.21$13.0M for 756K claims
- AT&T data breach$12.00$59.0M for 4.92M claims
- Cash App (Block) data breach$7.49$5.0M for 668K claims
- Google Referrer Header privacy$2.24$5.8M for 2.56M claims
T-Mobile: the record gives a minimum count of claims, so the fee per claim is an upper bound. Experian: claims received three days before the deadline, duplicates included. Settlements without an awarded fee in the documents we hold are not shown.
What Class Members Were Expected to Receive
Court papers and administrator reports name the cash amounts claimants could expect. Most are estimates made before the final distribution.
11 of the 16 amounts we found were below $50, from $2 to $489.
Cash payment per claimant named in the record
- State Farm (E.D. Ark.): average payment per claim$489.00estimated
- USAA Casualty Insurance: average cash payment$252.00estimated
- T-Mobile data breach (2021): alternative cash payment (California subclass)$100.00set by the settlement
- AMCA data breach (LabCorp): alternative cash payment$50.00estimated
- Comcast Xfinity data breach: alternative cash payment$50.00estimated
- Experian data breach (2015): default time payment (no documentation)$40.00set by the settlement
- Kaiser Permanente online tracking: estimated cash payment$40.00estimated
- AT&T data breach: AT&T 1, tier 1 cash payment$39.00estimated
All payment amounts
- Flo Health app privacy: estimated payment per claimant$31.94estimated
- Natera prenatal testing: no-proof claim maximum$30.00requested
- T-Mobile data breach (2021): alternative cash payment$25.00set by the settlement
- Google Assistant privacy: purchaser class payment$18.00estimated
- AT&T data breach: AT&T 2, tier 2 cash payment$7.50estimated
- Google Referrer Header privacy: estimated payment per claimant$7.16estimated
- AT&T data breach: AT&T 2, tier 3 cash payment$6.50estimated
- Google Assistant privacy: privacy class payment$2.00estimated
Estimated amounts change with the final number of valid claims. Alternative cash payments go to claimants who do not claim documented losses.
Download the Data and Cite This Study
Every table on this page as a CSV file, free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0).
- Claims ratesClass members, claims received and the claims rate per settlement, stated or computed, with the source PDF. · 7 rows · CSV, 2 KB
- Court-approved fees with a stated percentageClass counsel fee awards where the court states the fee as a percentage, with fund, award and the source PDF. · 9 rows · CSV, 2 KB
- Other fee awardsClass counsel fee awards without a court-stated percentage, with notes on how the fee was paid. · 4 rows · CSV, 1 KB
- Fee per claim receivedClass counsel fee award divided by the number of claims received. · 6 rows · CSV, 1 KB
- Fee as a share of the cash fundClass counsel fee award divided by the cash settlement fund it was paid from, next to the percentage the court stated, with the source PDF. · 10 rows · CSV, 2 KB
- Payments per claimantCash payment amounts per claimant named in the court record, with their status. · 16 rows · CSV, 4 KB
- Service awards to class representativesService (incentive) awards the court granted to each named class representative, with the source PDF. · 10 rows · CSV, 2 KB
How to cite
Goldberg, L. (2026). Class Action Attorney Fees, Claims Rates and Payments per Claimant: Court Records From 18 Federal Class Action Settlements [Data set]. Settlement Insight. https://settlementinsight.com/research/class-action-attorney-fees
BibTeX
@dataset{goldberg_2026_class_action_attorney_fees,
author = {Goldberg, Leonard},
title = {Class Action Attorney Fees, Claims Rates and Payments per Claimant: Court Records From 18 Federal Class Action Settlements},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Settlement Insight},
url = {https://settlementinsight.com/research/class-action-attorney-fees}
}How We Measured
Checked against published figures
- Fee share, Blue Cross Blue Shield antitrust (providers): awarded fee ÷ fund vs. the percentage stated by the court: published 23.5%, our count 23.5% (exact match).Order Awarding Attorneys' Fees (ECF No. 3347), N.D. Ala. No. 13-cv-20000
- Fee share, Google Referrer Header privacy: awarded fee ÷ fund vs. the percentage stated by the court: published 25%, our count 25.0% (exact match).Order Awarding Attorneys' Fees (ECF No. 193), N.D. Cal. No. 10-cv-04809
- Fee share, Kaiser Permanente online tracking: awarded fee ÷ fund vs. the percentage stated by the court: published 27%, our count 27.4% (0.4 percentage points apart).Final Approval Order (ECF No. 454), N.D. Cal. No. 23-cv-02865
- Fee share, USAA Casualty Insurance: awarded fee ÷ fund vs. the percentage stated by the court: published 24.5%, our count 24.5% (0.01 percentage points apart).Final Approval Order and Judgment (ECF No. 69), N.D. Ga. No. 21-cv-01363
- Fee share, T-Mobile data breach (2021): awarded fee ÷ fund vs. the percentage stated by the court: published 13.1%, our count 13.1% (exact match).Order Awarding Attorneys' Fees (ECF No. 263), W.D. Mo. No. 21-md-03019
- Fee share, Comcast Xfinity data breach: awarded fee ÷ fund vs. the percentage stated by the court: published 27%, our count 27.0% (exact match).Final Approval Order (ECF No. 322), E.D. Pa. No. 23-cv-05039
- Fee share, AT&T data breach: awarded fee ÷ fund vs. the percentage stated by the court: published 33%, our count 33.3% (0.3 percentage points apart).Final Approval Order (ECF No. 85), N.D. Tex. No. 24-md-03114
- Claims rate, Google Referrer Header privacy: claims ÷ class members vs. the rate stated in the record: published 1.3%, our count 1.3% (exact match).Motion for Final Approval of Settlement (ECF No. 186), N.D. Cal. No. 10-cv-04809
- Claims rate, Kaiser Permanente online tracking: claims ÷ class members vs. the rate stated in the record: published 5.7%, our count 5.8% (0.1 percentage points apart).Final Approval Order (ECF No. 454), N.D. Cal. No. 23-cv-02865
- Claims rate, AT&T data breach: claims ÷ class members vs. the rate stated in the record: published 4.8%, our count 4.9% (0.1 percentage points apart).Final Approval Order (ECF No. 85), N.D. Tex. No. 24-md-03114
Full method and limits of the data
Extraction: one reader recorded 155 values, each with its page and the sentence it comes from. A second reader checked every value against the document and corrected or removed those that did not hold. Each quoted sentence was then matched against the text of the PDF: it had to appear word for word and contain the recorded number.
Calculations: the fee share is the percentage the court states. The cash-fund share divides the awarded fee by the cash fund it was paid from. The claims rate is the rate stated in the record, otherwise claims received divided by class members. Fee per claim divides the awarded fee by claims received, not by valid claims. Fees awarded to objectors' lawyers are not counted. To check the arithmetic, we recomputed 10 figures that the courts or administrators state themselves.
What this data cannot tell you
- This is not a random sample of class actions. The 18 cases are those whose documents we host because we cover them, most of them data breach and privacy settlements. The medians describe these cases, not class actions in general.
- Class member counts differ in kind: some records count notice records or potential class members, so computed claims rates are approximate. Claims counts taken before the deadline understate the final number.
- Payments per claimant are estimates or fixed amounts named before distribution; final payments can be higher or lower. Fee figures exclude litigation expenses unless the court combined the two.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage do class action lawyers get?
In the 9 federal settlements we reviewed where the judge stated a percentage, class counsel received a median 25% of the fund, from 13.1% to 33%. Courts in the Ninth Circuit use 25% of the fund as a benchmark; courts in the Eleventh Circuit refer to a range of 20% to 30%.
How much do class action lawyers make from a settlement?
The 13 fee awards in our data range from $561,358 in the USAA case to $657.2 million for the providers' lawyers in the Blue Cross Blue Shield antitrust settlement, which had a $2.8 billion fund. Per claim filed, the fee came to a median $14.61.
How many people file a claim in a class action settlement?
Few. In the 7 settlements with a claims count, a median 2.6% of class members filed a claim, from 0.4% to 5.7%.
Are attorney fees taken out of the settlement fund?
In 10 of the 13 cases with a fee award, the record shows the fee was paid out of the cash fund, which leaves less for class members. In claims-made settlements such as the State Farm case, the defendant paid the fee separately.
How much does the lead plaintiff get in a class action?
Judges awarded each named class representative between $1,500 and $15,000 in the cases we reviewed. $2,500 was the most common amount (4 of 10 awards).
Can I read the court documents?
Yes. All 31 documents are in our class action court documents library, and every row of the CSV files links to the PDF it comes from.
Sources
- Order Awarding Attorneys' Fees (ECF No. 3347), Blue Cross Blue Shield antitrust (providers), No. 2:13-cv-20000 — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
- Final Approval Order (ECF No. 300), State Farm (E.D. Ark.), No. 4:21-cv-01161 — U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
- Order Granting Preliminary Approval of Settlement (ECF No. 288), State Farm (E.D. Ark.), No. 4:21-cv-01161 — U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
- Motion for Final Approval of Settlement (ECF No. 309), Experian data breach (2015), No. 8:15-cv-01592 — U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- Final Approval Order and Judgment (ECF No. 329), Experian data breach (2015), No. 8:15-cv-01592 — U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- Motion for Final Approval of Settlement (ECF No. 842), Flo Health app privacy, No. 3:21-cv-00757 — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Motion for Attorneys' Fees, Costs and Service Awards (ECF No. 100), Cash App (Block) data breach, No. 3:22-cv-04823 — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Order Granting in Part a Motion for Attorneys' Fees (ECF No. 157), Cash App (Block) data breach, No. 3:22-cv-04823 — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Final Approval Order (ECF No. 454), Kaiser Permanente online tracking, No. 3:23-cv-02865 — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Settlement Administrator's Declaration on Notice and Claims (ECF No. 159), Natera prenatal testing, No. 4:22-cv-00985 — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Order Awarding Attorneys' Fees (ECF No. 191), Natera prenatal testing, No. 4:22-cv-00985 — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Order Awarding Attorneys' Fees (ECF No. 193), Google Referrer Header privacy, No. 5:10-cv-04809 — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Motion for Final Approval of Settlement (ECF No. 186), Google Referrer Header privacy, No. 5:10-cv-04809 — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Motion for Final Approval of Settlement (ECF No. 567), Google Assistant privacy, No. 5:19-cv-04286 — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Final Approval Order and Judgment (ECF No. 69), USAA Casualty Insurance, No. 1:21-cv-01363 — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
- Final Approval Order (ECF No. 81), Infosys McCamish data breach, No. 1:24-cv-00995 — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
- Order Awarding Attorneys' Fees (ECF No. 263), T-Mobile data breach (2021), No. 4:21-md-03019 — U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri
- Final Approval Order and Judgment (ECF No. 235), T-Mobile data breach (2021), No. 4:21-md-03019 — U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri
- Settlement Administrator's Declaration on Notice and Claims (ECF No. 925), AMCA data breach (LabCorp), No. 19-md-02904 — U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- Settlement Administrator's Declaration on Notice and Claims (ECF No. 275), Comcast Xfinity data breach, No. 2:23-cv-05039 — U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- Final Approval Order (ECF No. 322), Comcast Xfinity data breach, No. 2:23-cv-05039 — U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- Final Approval Order (ECF No. 85), AT&T data breach, No. 3:24-md-03114 — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- Final Approval Order (ECF No. 348), Capital One 360 Savings, No. 1:24-md-03111 — U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- RECAP Archive — Free Law Project
- Independent analysis. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and not affiliated with any agency named here. Analysis by Leonard Goldberg, Editor. How we work: methodology, our data.
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