Coughlin Stoia settlements averaged 3.2% of estimated damages, according to Cornerstone, while Milberg averaged 2.4%.

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Lerach's old firm, now named Coughlin Stoia, handled 24% of the settled cases, down from 37%.

FORBES: Legal

Stoia added that in some cases, federal courts can get backed up as much as four or five years before they hand down a decision on a class-action case.

FORBES: Class-Action Law Gums Up Courts

"This is taxing the federal courts, as we predicted, " says John Stoia, a member of the panel and attorney who has represented insurance policyholders in more than 40 cases against such companies as Prudential (nyse: PRU - news - people ), New York Life and Transamerica Life Insurance.

FORBES: Class-Action Law Gums Up Courts