Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, a plaintiffs firm that has a track record of partnering with public sector clients, earned $5.4 million for its work on behalf of Chicago in a suit looking to collect higher taxes from Expedia Inc.

The fees for Cohen Milstein, whose partner Carol Gilden served as outside counsel for the city of Chicago, come in connection with an $18 million settlement that Expedia and two subsidiaries—Hotwire and Hotels.com—paid to resolve tax-related litigation in Illinois' Cook County Circuit Court. Sidley Austin represented Expedia in the case.

The company made the settlement payment in May, according to the Chicago Tribune, which first noted the agreement and Cohen Milstein's fee in a report that cited information received through a public records request. A spokesman for Chicago's law department confirmed the settlement and Gilden's role on Wednesday, but did not immediately provide further comment on the matter.