Johnny Depp (Courtesy photo)

Actor Johnny Depp this week reached a settlement in the $30 million lawsuit he filed against his former lawyers at Bloom Hergott for allegedly collecting millions of dollars in attorney fees without a formal agreement.

Bloom Hergott—now reportedly known as Goodman Schenkman & Brecheen—will pay Depp an "eight-figure" amount to settle the lawsuit, according to Benjamin Chew, a Washington, D.C., partner at Brown Rudnick who represented Depp in the case against Bloom Hergott. Chew declined to discuss the settlement in more detail.

Depp's lawsuit against his former lawyers set an important precedent for artists and lawyers in California, Chew said.

When Depp first hired Jake Bloom in 1999, they did not put the arrangement in writing, even though California law requires a written agreement spelling out how much in fees Depp would pay for Bloom's legal services. In addition to alleging the illegal fee arrangement, Depp accused Bloom of duping him into signing a predatory loan in which Bloom had a conflict of interest.

A California state judge agreed with Depp that Bloom Hergott should be disgorged of the $30 million in fees it took from the actor over the years, finding in August 2018 that the law firm violated state law.

"Johnny had the courage to stand up to the way business was done in Hollywood, and he changed it for the better," Chew said. Other artists, including rappers Cardi B and Lil Wayne, have filed similar lawsuits since Depp made his claims, Chew noted.

Attorneys who represented Bloom Hergott in the dispute did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. However, Bryan Freedman, a partner at Freedman + Taitelman and one of Bloom Hergott's attorneys, told The Wrap on Wednesday: "While the firm was confident it would prevail at trial, we are nonetheless pleased with this resolution as it expedites the firm's winding down process and allows it to get off the endless Johnny Depp litigation train."

Adam Waldman, an attorney at Endeavor Law Firm who represented Depp along with Chew, shot back at Freedman in the same publication, saying Depp sued Bloom Hergott "out of existence … for a multi-decade fraud and malfeasance spree."

Depp's lawsuit against Bloom Hergott led to further law firm litigation. Am Law 200 firm Buckley sued Depp earlier this year, accusing the actor of failing to pay nearly $350,000 in attorney fees for their work on the case. That case is still ongoing.