Gonzalez v. Healthy Market Place Corp.

Background

On March 3, 2022, the parties filed a settlement agreement and a joint letter explaining why they believed the court should approve it as fair and reasonable. The agreement included payment of attorneys’ fees. The court reviewed counsel’s contemporaneous time records and the breakdown of counsel’s fees.

Rulings

The court approved the settlement agreement as fair and reasonable. It based that decision on the nature and scope of Javier Gonzalez’s claims and the risks and expenses involved in continuing the litigation.

The court granted Plaintiff’s counsel’s request for $5,433.30. The opinion states that this amount included costs and a settlement payment to Plaintiff’s counsel, was below the lodestar amount, and was approximately one-third of the settlement. A lodestar is the reasonable hourly rate multiplied by the reasonable number of hours required for the case. The court found the requested amount fair and reasonable in light of counsel’s quality, the risks of litigation, and the litigation’s magnitude and complexity.

Disposition

The court directed that the remainder of the settlement be distributed to Javier Gonzalez and directed the Clerk of Court to close the case. The opinion does not state the underlying claims or the total settlement amount.