A federal judge on Wednesday endorsed a proposed settlement in which Holland & Knight and one of its partners will pay $25 million to settle claims filed by hedge-fund investors duped by Sarasota Ponzi schemer Arthur Nadel.

U.S. District Judge Richard Lazzara in Tampa signed off on the proposal a day after the law firm and Burton Wiand, the court-appointed receiver for the hedge funds, announced the deal, which contains no admission of wrongdoing by the firm.