The United States women’s soccer team has asked a federal court to finally approve their $24 million pay discrimination settlement with the US Soccer Federation Inc., despite objections from the former team member Hope Solo.
The filing in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Tuesday includes estimates of how much each of the 72 class members will receive under the pact, which was pre-approved Aug. 11.
Former team co-captains Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe are set to receive $594,233, $639,273 and $565,917, respectively, according to the statement. They are three of 12 class members who are expected to receive more than $500,000 under the pact, with a maximum payout of $643,873.
According to the statement, 22 other women are expected to receive amounts ranging from $242,350 to $371,964, and the other 38 class members are expected to receive between $0 and $54,739. The women who planned to receive no money either maintained their amateur status while playing for the team or only attended camps and never made a match slate, according to the filing.
Solo is expected to receive $339,999, according to a statement attached to the motion for final approval. This renders moot his objection that the class settlement notice did not state the amount each player would receive, according to the motion.
Individual settlement shares will be calculated based on the types of games a team member has played and the team’s win-loss rate during the player’s tenure, the filing said. The final class fund the women will split into is estimated at just over $14 million after subtracting attorney fees and related costs, according to the filing.
A second motion filed Tuesday seeks approval of $6.6 million in class counsel fees and expenses. This amount represents 30% of the $22 million portion of the settlement dedicated to monetary rewards and does not take into account the additional $2 million fund established to benefit women’s post-play career goals, the filing said.
The motion for attorneys’ fees and expenses should be approved because it represents less than 60% of the approximately $11.5 million that class attorneys could receive under the traditional fee method, the filing said. And class attorneys have committed more than $12 million in attorney time and disbursements to litigate the case, according to the filing.
Solo’s objection to the $6.6 million costs award “is without merit” and fails to meet the relevant standard, according to the filing.
Final approval of the settlement is warranted because the rest of the class members reacted favorably to the settlement, including the distribution of attorney’s fees, according to the filing.
The pact, which also led to US Soccer equalizing women’s future pay terms with its men’s team, achieved the “historic goal” of the lawsuit, the players said.
Winston & Strawn LLP represents gamers. Latham & Watkins LLP represents American football.
The case is Morgan v. US Soccer Fed’n, Inc., CD Cal., No. 2:19-cv-01717, Motion for Final Settlement Approval 11/1/22.