The EU's second-highest court has mandated that EU regulators pay Qualcomm $851,634 in legal fees, a figure representing less than 10% of the U.S. chipmaker's $12 million claim. This decision follows Qualcomm's successful appeal in 2022 against a more than $1 billion antitrust fine.
In a ruling issued on February 29, the General Court in Luxembourg stated that Qualcomm's (QCOM) cited quantity of work and associated costs were not sufficiently justified, leading to the reduction in compensation.
"The applicant's request lacks proper substantiation and is deemed excessively high in both claimed amounts and the reported hours and hourly rates," wrote the judges.
This case revolves around the General Court's support for Qualcomm (QCOM) in its appeal against a €997 million EU antitrust fine imposed in 2018. Initially, the court had instructed EU regulators to cover the company's legal expenses, which Qualcomm asserted amounted to €12 million. The European Commission contested this, proposing a figure of €405,315. Qualcomm (QCOM) defended its claim, citing the involvement of 19 professionals in its effort to overturn the fine.
However, the judges dismissed Qualcomm's arguments, emphasizing that the courts only considered the necessary hours for legal work, not the number of professionals engaged in the process.
English (US)