In a significant turn of events, Apple and Amazon are now seeking a combined $2 million in legal fees from the plaintiffs’ law firm Hagens Berman. This move, reported by Reuters, comes after a U.S. federal judge dismissed a consumer antitrust lawsuit filed against the two tech giants.
The original case, filed in 2022, accused Apple and Amazon of violating antitrust law. The lawsuit alleged that the companies had a business agreement that improperly restricted the number of competitive resellers for products like the iPhone and iPad on Amazon’s platform. Both Apple and Amazon have consistently denied any wrongdoing in this matter.
The lawsuit hit a major wall in September when U.S. District Judge Kymberly Evanson dismissed the proposed class action. In her ruling, the judge faulted the plaintiffs’ lawyers for dragging out the litigation even after the original plaintiff had sought to withdraw from the case back in January 2024.
According to a court filing on Monday, the request for fees is based on alleged misconduct by the law firm. Apple and Amazon claim that Hagens Berman, the prominent Seattle-based firm, showed a “lack of candor” during the proceedings.
The tech companies argue that the firm misled the court and opposing counsel for months about the original plaintiff’s status. This, they claim, spurred “unnecessary litigation and expenses.” Amazon is asking for approximately $1.4 million, while Apple is seeking around $540,000.
Hagens Berman has denied misleading the court. It is also actively attempting to revive the case by asking Judge Evanson to reconsider her ruling dismissing the lawsuit. In a previous filing, the firm had stated that, with hindsight, “the situation could have been handled better” and vowed to proceed with professionalism.
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