NCAA College-Athletes Move to Secure Settlement

On January 31, 2018, a class of college-athletes, suing the NCAA over the alleged anti-competition cap benefits, asked Judge Claudia J. Wilken to issue an appeal bond. As we have previously covered, the class secured a court approved settlement of over $209 million, the second largest settlement in NCAA history. However, Darrin Duncan was the only member of the class of 53,748 that objected to the $209 million settlement. Mr. Duncan has since appealed the court approved settlement. Now, the rest of the class …

November 8, 2017 NCAA

Student-Athletes Square Up Against Lone Objector to Attorneys Fee Award in $209 Million NCAA Settlement

The fight over legal fees from the second-largest class-action settlement in NCAA history continues. One sole student-athlete objected to the $41 million attorneys’ fee award, which is 20 percent of the $208.7 million settlement. NCAA Division I football player, Darrin Duncan, called the fee award unfair and wanted to apply to the “mega fund rule,” which decreases fee awards as the settlement total increases.

Plaintiffs’ class counsel had argued back in September that the fee request was reasonable considering the Ninth Circuit’s 25 percent fee …

October 20, 2015 NCAA

EA, NCAA Class Action: Plaintiffs Want Settlement Objectors to Post Bond

On Thursday, October 15, 2015, the plaintiffs in the Electronic Arts, Inc., NCAA right of publicity class action insisted that a federal court impose an appeal bond on settlement objectors.

The lawsuit — a class action alleging unauthorized use of former and current student-athletes’ names and likeness — ended in a $60 million settlement in June. However, two student athletes — Nathan Harris and Darrin Duncan — have appealed the court’s denial of their objections to the settlement. The class members in support of the …