On the opposing front, the class urged Judge Snyder to base fee calculations on their maximum estimated recovery of $20.6 million, a sum born from the $15 million value of the settlement fund coupled with the $5.6 million in potential payments to a benefit plan within the SAG-AFTRA Health Fund.
SAG-AFTRA Deal In Benefits Suit : The Ruling
Judge Snyder, displaying her keen analytical prowess, rejected both arguments. She held that contributions to the so-called HRA Plan should indeed be considered in the fee calculations. The settlement mandates the health fund to allocate up to $700,000 in contributions to the HRA Plan each year for eight years. Judge Snyder observed, “Even if class members do not end up receiving the entirety of the $5.6 million in allocations over the next eight years, it appears that they will receive some amount of the potential allocation. Defendants concede that, based on current enrollment numbers, class members will receive around $450,000 in 2023 alone.”
With this revelation, she declared $450,000 to be the appropriate sum to factor into the fee calculations.
The Background Battle
This epic legal saga began in December 2020 when senior performers confronted the SAG-AFTRA Health Fund over changes implemented in August 2020. The alterations had raised the eligibility standards for health coverage, leading to a contentious battle in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund argued that these changes were necessary due to projected financial shortfalls caused by the pandemic, a rationale vehemently contested by the performers, who accused the fund of planning to implement cost-cutting measures long before the pandemic’s arrival. The suit further alleged that the fund and its trustees had violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
SAG-AFTRA Deal In Benefits Suit : Silent Response
As this courtroom drama unfolded, representatives of the involved parties remained enigmatic and did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
SAG-AFTRA Deal In Benefits Suit : Legal Titans
The seasoned performers were represented by the formidable legal duo of Steven A. Schwartz, Robert J. Kriner Jr, Neville L. Johnson, and Douglas L. Johnson, who championed their cause with unwavering determination.
