In a recent legal dispute between Qualcomm and the European Commission, a ruling dated February 29, posted on the court’s website, revealed a stark difference in opinion regarding legal fees.
The Commission contested Qualcomm’s initial claim of 12,041,755.80 euros, advocating instead for a significantly reduced sum of 405,315 euros, reported Reuters.
Qualcomm defended its substantial bill, attributing it to the complexity and significance of the case, supported by the extensive efforts of a 19-member legal team.
However, the judges overseeing the case dismissed Qualcomm’s arguments, emphasizing that courts assess fees based solely on the total hours necessary for legal proceedings, regardless of the number of attorneys involved.
Read more: In A Win For Qualcomm, EU Will Not Appeal Court Ruling In $991B Fine
Moreover, the judges criticized Qualcomm’s lack of specificity in presenting hourly rates linked to distinct tasks. They deemed the amount of research and analysis insufficient to substantiate the sums claimed, emphasizing the necessity of clear documentation to support fee requests.
Consequently, the court determined the total fee, including expenses for law firm Quinn Emanuel, at 754,190 euros, and 31,667.54 euros for economic consultancy Compass Lexecon/FTI.
However, a request for 302,658.10 euros for legal services from law firm Cravath Swaine & Moore was rejected. The court reasoned that these fees pertained to documents obtained in U.S. proceedings and subsequently introduced as evidence in the EU litigation, thus not warranting additional compensation.
In their ruling, the judges characterized Qualcomm’s fee request as “insufficiently substantiated and manifestly excessive,” signaling a clear departure from Qualcomm’s initial claim.
Source: Reuters
Featured News
Justice Department Moves to End NCAA Transfer Rule
May 30, 2024 by
CPI
Kenya’s Competition Authority Proposes Tougher Regulations on Big Tech
May 30, 2024 by
CPI
KKR Secures EU Antitrust Approval for $24 Billion Acquisition of Telecom Italia’s Fixed-Line Network
May 30, 2024 by
CPI
European Court Sides with Tech Giants in Italian Regulatory Dispute
May 30, 2024 by
CPI
US Steel and Nippon Steel Secure International Approvals for $14.9B Merger
May 30, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Merger Guidelines Retrospective
May 21, 2024 by
CPI
Mergers of Complements
May 21, 2024 by
CPI
Personality Traits, Private Equity, and Merger Analysis
May 21, 2024 by
CPI
The 2023 Merger Guidelines: Lessons in the Importance of Incipiency, Modern Economics, and Monopsony
May 21, 2024 by
CPI
The 2023 Merger Guidelines: Sharpening Merger Analysis
May 21, 2024 by
CPI