Weisburgh v. Fidelity Magellan

Case Date: 02/23/1999
Court: United States Court of Appeals
Docket No: 98-1902

United States Court of Appeals
For the First Circuit






No. 98-1902


IN RE: FIDELITY/MICRON SECURITIES LITIGATION

[DIANE WEISBURGH, ETC., ET AL. v. FIDELITY MAGELLAN FUND, ET AL.].
____________________

BERGER & MONTAGUE, P.C., ET AL.,

Appellants.



APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

[Hon. Richard G. Stearns, U.S. District Judge]



Before

Selya, Circuit Judge,

Bownes, Senior Circuit Judge,

and Lipez, Circuit Judge.



Glen DeValerio, with whom Kathleen M. Donovan-Maher, Berman,
DeValerio & Pease LLP, Stuart H. Savett, Barbara A. Podell, Savett
Frutkin Podell & Ryan, P.C., Sherrie R. Savett, Gary E. Cantor,
Berger & Montague, P.C., Stephen T. Rodd, and Abbey, Gardy &
Squitieri, LLP were on brief, for appellants.




February 23, 1999




SELYA, Circuit Judge. In certain types of complex
litigation, the lawyers' monetary interests often comprise a tail
that wags the dog. So it is here: this dispute over the
reimbursement of certain payments fronted by the lawyers is what
remains of a consolidated class action (actually, an amalgam of
some 16 suits) asserting claims of securities fraud. After the
district court approved a global $10,000,000 settlement, the
plaintiffs' attorneys filed a petition seeking 30% of the common
fund in fees and approximately $277,000 in out-of-pocket expenses.
The district court awarded the movants 17