Payment of Counsel and Litigation Expenses. 1. The Litigating Local Governments have incurred attorneys’ fees and litigation expenses relating to their prosecution of claims against the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Participants, and this prosecution has inured to the benefit of all Participating Local Governments. Accordingly, a Washington Government Fee Fund (“GFF”) shall be established that ensures that all Parties that receive Opioid Funds contribute to the payment of fees and expenses incurred to prosecute the claims against the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Participants, regardless of whether they are litigating or non-litigating entities. 2. The amount of the GFF shall be based as follows: the funds to be deposited in the GFF shall be equal to 15% of the total cash value of the Opioid Funds. 3. The maximum percentage of any contingency fee agreement permitted for compensation shall be 15% of the portion of the Opioid Funds allocated to the Litigating Local Government that is a party to the contingency fee agreement, plus expenses attributable to that Litigating Local Government. Under no circumstances may counsel collect more for its work on behalf of a Litigating Local Government than it would under its contingency agreement with that Litigating Local Government. 4. Payments from the GFF shall be overseen by a committee (the “Opioid Fee and Expense Committee”) consisting of one representative of the following law firms: (a) Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx L.LP.; (b) Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP; (c) Xxxxxxxx & Xxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx, PLLC; and (d) Napoli Xxxxxxxx PLLC. The role of the Opioid Fee and Expense Committee shall be limited to ensuring that the GFF is administered in accordance with this Section. 5. In the event that settling Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Participants do not pay the fees and expenses of the Participating Local Governments directly at the time settlement is achieved, payments to counsel for Participating Local Governments shall be made from the GFF over not more than three years, with 50% paid within 12 months of the date of Settlement and 25% paid in each subsequent year, or at the time the total Settlement amount is paid to the Trustee by the Defendants, whichever is sooner. 6. Any funds remaining in the GFF in excess of: (i) the amounts needed to cover Litigating Local Governments’ private counsel’s representation agreements, and (ii) the amounts needed to cover the common benefit tax discussed in Section C.8 below (if not paid directly by the Defendants in connection with future settlement(s), shall revert to the Participating Local Governments pro rata according to the percentages set forth in Exhibits B, to be used for Approved Purposes as set forth herein and in Exhibit A. 7. In the event that funds in the GFF are not sufficient to pay all fees and expenses owed under this Section, payments to counsel for all Litigating Local Governments shall be reduced on a pro rata basis. The Litigating Local Governments will not be responsible for any of these reduced amounts. 8. The Parties anticipate that any Opioid Funds they receive will be subject to a common benefit “tax” imposed by the court in In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Case No. 1:17-md-02804-DAP (“Common Benefit Tax”). If this occurs, the Participating Local Governments shall first seek to have the settling defendants pay the Common Benefit Tax. If the settling defendants do not agree to pay the Common Benefit Tax, then the Common Benefit Tax shall be paid from the Opioid Funds and by both litigating and non-litigating Local Governments. This payment shall occur prior to allocation and distribution of funds to the Participating Local Governments. In the event that GFF is not fully exhausted to pay the Litigating Local Governments’ private counsel’s representation agreements, excess funds in the GFF shall be applied to pay the Common Benefit Tax (if any).
Appears in 15 contracts
Samples: Interlocal Agreement, Interlocal Agreement, Allocation Agreement
Payment of Counsel and Litigation Expenses. 1. The Litigating Local Governments have incurred attorneys’ fees and litigation expenses relating to their prosecution of claims against the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Participants, and this prosecution has inured to the benefit of all Participating Local Governments. Accordingly, a Washington Government Fee Fund (“GFF”) shall be established that ensures that all Parties that receive Opioid Funds contribute to the payment of fees and expenses incurred to prosecute the claims against the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Participants, regardless of whether they are litigating or non-litigating entities.
2. The amount of the GFF shall be based as follows: the funds to be deposited in the GFF shall be equal to 15% of the total cash value of the Opioid Funds.
3. The maximum percentage of any contingency fee agreement permitted for compensation shall be 15% of the portion of the Opioid Funds allocated to the Litigating Local Government that is a party to the contingency fee agreement, plus expenses attributable to that Litigating Local Government. Under no circumstances may counsel collect more for its work on behalf of a Litigating Local Government than it would under its contingency agreement with that Litigating Local Government.
4. Payments from the GFF shall be overseen by a committee (the “Opioid Fee and Expense Committee”) consisting of one representative of the following law firms: (a) Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx L.LP.; (b) Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx Sobol Xxxxxxx LLP; (c) Xxxxxxxx & Xxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx, PLLC; and (d) Napoli Xxxxxxxx PLLC. The role of the Opioid Fee and Expense Committee shall be limited to ensuring that the GFF is administered in accordance with this Section.
5. In the event that settling Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Participants do not pay the fees and expenses of the Participating Local Governments directly at the time settlement is achieved, payments to counsel for Participating Local Governments shall be made from the GFF over not more than three years, with 50% paid within 12 months of the date of Settlement and 25% paid in each subsequent year, or at the time the total Settlement amount is paid to the Trustee by the Defendants, whichever is sooner.
6. Any funds remaining in the GFF in excess of: (i) the amounts needed to cover Litigating Local Governments’ private counsel’s representation agreements, and (ii) the amounts needed to cover the common benefit tax discussed in Section C.8 below (if not paid directly by the Defendants in connection with future settlement(s), shall revert to the Participating Local Governments pro rata according to the percentages set forth in Exhibits B, to be used for Approved Purposes as set forth herein and in Exhibit A.
7. In the event that funds in the GFF are not sufficient to pay all fees and expenses owed under this Section, payments to counsel for all Litigating Local Governments shall be reduced on a pro rata basis. The Litigating Local Governments will not be responsible for any of these reduced amounts.
8. The Parties anticipate that any Opioid Funds they receive will be subject to a common benefit “tax” imposed by the court in In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Case No. 1:17-md-02804-DAP (“Common Benefit Tax”). If this occurs, the Participating Local Governments shall first seek to have the settling defendants pay the Common Benefit Tax. If the settling defendants do not agree to pay the Common Benefit Tax, then the Common Benefit Tax shall be paid from the Opioid Funds and by both litigating and non-litigating Local Governments. This payment shall occur prior to allocation and distribution of funds to the Participating Local Governments. In the event that GFF is not fully exhausted to pay the Litigating Local Governments’ private counsel’s representation agreements, excess funds in the GFF shall be applied to pay the Common Benefit Tax (if any).
Appears in 4 contracts
Samples: Interlocal Agreement, Memorandum of Understanding, Allocation Agreement
Payment of Counsel and Litigation Expenses. 1. The Litigating Local Governments have incurred attorneys’ fees and litigation expenses relating to their prosecution of claims against the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Participants, and this prosecution has inured to the benefit of all Participating Local Governments. Accordingly, a Washington Government Fee Fund (“GFF”) shall be established that ensures that all Parties that receive Opioid Funds contribute to the payment of fees and expenses incurred to prosecute the claims against the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Participants, regardless of whether they are litigating or non-litigating entities.
2. The amount of the GFF shall be based as follows: the funds to be deposited in the GFF shall be equal to 15% of the total cash value of the Opioid Funds.
3. The maximum percentage of any contingency fee agreement permitted for compensation shall be 15% of the portion of the Opioid Funds allocated to the Litigating Local Government that is a party to the contingency fee agreement, plus expenses attributable to that Litigating Local Government. Under no circumstances may counsel collect more for its work on behalf of a Litigating Local Government than it would under its contingency agreement with that Litigating Local Government.
4. Payments from the GFF shall be overseen by a committee (the “Opioid Fee and Expense Committee”) consisting of one representative of the following law firms: (a) Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx L.LP.; (b) Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP; (c) Xxxxxxxx & Xxxx Huck Xxxx Xxxxxx, PLLC; and (d) Napoli Xxxxxxxx PLLC. The role of the Opioid Fee and Expense Committee shall be limited to ensuring that the GFF is administered in accordance with this Section.
5. In the event that settling Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Participants do not pay the fees and expenses of the Participating Local Governments directly at the time settlement is achieved, payments to counsel for Participating Local Governments shall be made from the GFF over not more than three years, with 50% paid within 12 months of the date of Settlement and 25% paid in each subsequent year, or at the time the total Settlement amount is paid to the Trustee by the Defendants, whichever is sooner.
6. Any funds remaining in the GFF in excess of: (i) the amounts needed to cover Litigating Local Governments’ private counsel’s representation agreements, and (ii) the amounts needed to cover the common benefit tax discussed in Section C.8 below (if not paid directly by the Defendants in connection with future settlement(s), shall revert to the Participating Local Governments pro rata according to the percentages set forth in Exhibits B, to be used for Approved Purposes as set forth herein and in Exhibit A.
7. In the event that funds in the GFF are not sufficient to pay all fees and expenses owed under this Section, payments to counsel for all Litigating Local Governments shall be reduced on a pro rata basis. The Litigating Local Governments will not be responsible for any of these reduced amounts.
8. The Parties anticipate that any Opioid Funds they receive will be subject to a common benefit “tax” imposed by the court in In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Case No. 1:17-md-02804-DAP (“Common Benefit Tax”). If this occurs, the Participating Local Governments shall first seek to have the settling defendants pay the Common Benefit Tax. If the settling defendants do not agree to pay the Common Benefit Tax, then the Common Benefit Tax shall be paid from the Opioid Funds and by both litigating and non-litigating Local Governments. This payment shall occur prior to allocation and distribution of funds to the Participating Local Governments. In the event that GFF is not fully exhausted to pay the Litigating Local Governments’ private counsel’s representation agreements, excess funds in the GFF shall be applied to pay the Common Benefit Tax (if any).
Appears in 1 contract
Samples: Allocation Agreement