Opinion ID: 2828914
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Use of the Lodestar Method

Text: The more difficult issue is whether § 1712 allowed the district court to use the lodestar method to calculate the fee award for class counsel. Objector Markow contends that § 1712(a) prohibited use of the lodestar method and that the only permissible basis for a fee award here would be the value of the new coupons actually redeemed by class members. Under this view, use of the lodestar method in a coupon set- 8 Nos. 13-3264, 13-3462, 14-2591, 14-2602 and 14-2495 tlement is not permissible (except to compensate counsel for obtaining injunctive relief, which had minimal value here). That view was adopted by a divided Ninth Circuit panel