A Pennsylvania lawyer who performed research and writing services for a class action attorney is not entitled to split the more than $5.5 million in fees eventually awarded to class counsel, a federal appeals court has ruled.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled Monday in Langer v. Capital One Auto Finance that Pittsburgh attorney Rudy Fabian of Fabian Legal Services cannot recover a portion of the $5.52 million that Michigan attorney Richard Shenkan obtained for his role as lead class counsel in two class action lawsuits. The decision, which affirms a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, leaves Fabian with $315,426 for the contracting work he performed on the cases.