Court Lacks Jurisdiction Over NFL Concussion Attorney Fee Brawl, 3rd Cir. Affirms

PHILADELPHIA — A federal appeals court has refused to hear an attorney fee dispute arising from the National Football League players’ concussion litigation, agreeing with a lower court that jurisdiction is lacking because the lawyer’s claim was not interdependent with the underlying claims in the MDL.

In an Oct. 31 opinion, the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals noted that the attorney was not class counsel in the MDL, nor was he seeking an award of common benefit fees. Rather, he alleges class counsel breached an agreement to share their common benefit fee award.

John Lorentz, a lawyer who represents …