Sharper Image Class Action Defense Cases-Figueroa v. Sharper Image: Florida Federal Court Rejects Class Action Settlement Because Class Counsel Negotiated From Position Of Weakness

Defense Negotiated Class Action Settlement with Florida Class Action Counsel Instead of California Class Action Counsel because of Leverage Over Class Counsel and Class Action Settlement Procedurally and Substantively Unfair Florida Federal Court Holds

Numerous class action and individual lawsuits were filed against Sharper Image alleging that its Ionic Breeze air purifier does not clean and purify the air as advertised and is harmful in that it omits excessive ozone; one such class action was filed in the Florida federal court and ultimately the parties sought court approval of a settlement of the class action. Figueroa v. Sharper Image Corp., ___ F.Supp.2d ___ [Slip Opn., at 1] (S.D. Fla. October 11, 2007). In broad terms, the class action settlement provided for $19 Sharper Image coupons or merchandise credits, an OzoneGuard “to protect against ozone emission,” injunctive relief, and $2 million for class counsel. _Id._, at 1-2. Defense attorneys stressed that the coupon represented the primary financial benefit to the class, not the OzoneGuard, _id._, at 2 n.2. The settlement provided to the court for final approval was the third amended class action settlement; the district court had given preliminary approval to an earlier version of the settlement agreement in January 2007, and a hearing on final approval of the proposed settlement was held in August 2007. _Id._, at 1. The federal court refused to approve the settlement.

The lawsuit was filed in May 2005 as a nationwide class action on behalf of purchasers of Sharper Image “ionizing air purifiers,” including the Ionic Breeze®, and sought damages for breach of contract, breach of warranty, money had and received, and unjust enrichment. Figueroa, at 2. In essence, the class action alleged that Sharper Image engaged in the “unlawful conduct of marketing and selling ionizing air purifiers that do not remove impurities from the air and that fail to perform as advertised and sold” and that “the ionizing air purifiers exposed consumers to hazardous levels of ozone.” Id. Defense attorneys moved to stay, dismiss or transfer the class action on the grounds that it simply copied several class action lawsuits filed in California; in response, plaintiffs’ lawyer sought leave to amend the complaint to add the inventor, Zenion Industries, as a party defendant, so the district court denied the defense motion as moot and granted plaintiffs leave to amend. Id., at 2-3. The federal court subsequently dismissed Zenion from the class action for lack of jurisdiction, id., at 5.

Before the district court ruled on plaintiffs’ motion to certify the lawsuit as a class action, the parties advised the court that “an agreement on all aspects of the class claims on a nationwide basis, and that what remained to be resolved was the issue of attorney’s fees.” Figueroa, at 5. The court therefore continued the hearing on the class certification motion in order to allow the parties to present a “complete package” for approval by the court. Id. Soon thereafter, however, class counsel for the certified nationwide class action pending in California contacted the district court and advised that he had “reason to believe that the parties here are attempting to settle the claims belonging to the California Actions class, without the knowledge or consent of the class representatives or Class Counsel” and that the parties to the Florida class action had refused voluntarily to provide information in this regard. Id., at 5-6. California counsel also sought discovery of documents filed under seal with the Florida district court, id., at 5, and, following a hearing and over defense objection, the federal court ordered defense counsel to produce certain documents, id., at 6. At that time, the court expressed concern “with the parties’ practice of filing documents under seal in a purported class action lawsuit.” Id., at 6.

The parties filed a proposed class action settlement that, which the district court summarized at pages 6 and 7 as follows: “The essence of this first Settlement Agreement was to provide to class members, limit one per household, a $19 merchandise credit, valid for one year, for use at Sharper Image retail stores on Sharper Image branded products. The first Agreement also provided class members the ability to purchase (during a six-month period of time) an OzoneGuard attachment, for Ionic Breeze® floor models only, for $7. Sharper Image also agreed to make modifications with respect to its advertisements of the Ionic Breeze®, for example, to not state that the Ionic Breeze® is a medical device and to remove the British Allergy Foundation and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America seals from its advertising.” The parties also represented to the court that the Florida class action was “significantly broader” than the California class action, particularly as the California class actions were “limited to claims under California state law,” and jointly moved the court to enjoin competing class actions from proceeding “in order to facilitate an efficient and expeditious settlement and approval process, and to preserve the Court’s jurisdiction to adjudicate the settlement.” Id., at 7. The federal court characterized as a “consistent theme” the argument that Sharper Image “was on the verge of bankruptcy, and that the proposal then under consideration was the best deal that could be arranged.” Id., at 30.

Class Action Court Decisions Uncategorized

Plaintiff Class Action Lawyer Melvyn Weiss Released On $1.5 Million Bond

Following Guilty Pleas of Former Partners, Weiss Vows to Fight Criminal Charges Noted class action plaintiff lawyer Melvyn Weiss, co-founder of the Milberg Weiss securities fraud class action firm, has been released after depositing $1,000,000 in cash with the court, posting a $500,000 bond and surrendering his passport, Michael Parrish of the New York Times reports today. According to Parrish’s report, Weiss intends to fight the federal criminal charges of conspiracy, racketeering, obstruction of justice and making false statements under oath arising out of his alleged payment of millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks to various individuals in return for their agreement to serve as plaintiffs in shareholder class action lawsuits.

Class Actions In The News Uncategorized

Weekly Class Action Lawsuit Filings Drop But Labor Law Class Action Cases Remain In Top Spot Of Class Actions Filed In California State And Federal Courts

In order to assist class action defense attorneys anticipate the cases against which they will have to defend in California, we provide weekly, unofficial summaries of the legal categories for new class action lawsuits filed in California state and federal courts in the Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, San Diego, San Mateo, Oakland/Alameda and Orange County areas. We include only those categories that include 10% or more of the class action filings during the relevant timeframe.

Class Actions In The News Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases-In re Pet Food: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Motions To Centralize Class Action Litigation And Selects New Jersey As Transferee Court

Judicial Panel Grants Request, Unopposed by Defense, for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 and Transfers Class Actions to District of New Jersey Thirteen (13) lawsuits putative class actions were filed against Menu Foods asserting products liability claims arising out of the sale of allegedly tainted pet food products. In re Pet Food Products Liab. Litig., 499 F.Supp.2d 1346, 1346-47 (Jud.Pan.Mult.Lit. 2007). Three motions were filed with the Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) requesting centralization with the class action lawsuits pursuant to 28 U.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

UCL Class Action Defense Issues-Buckland v. Threshold Enterprises: Plaintiff Who Buys Products For Purpose Of Filing Class Action Has Not Suffered Loss Supporting Dismissal Of UCL/CLRA Class Action California Court Holds

California Court Holds that Putative Class Action Alleging Violations of State’s Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law and Consumers Legal Remedies Act Fails for Lack of Actual Reliance and Lack of Standing Where Plaintiff Purchased Products for the Purpose of Filing Class Action

In a case with broad implications to class action lawsuits, plaintiffs filed an individual lawsuit in California state court against Threshold Enterprises and more than 30 other defendants alleging violations of the state’s unfair competition law (UCL), false advertising law (FAL) and Consumers Legal Remedies Act (CLRA) because its skin cream was a “misbranded or mislabeled drug.” Buckland v. Threshold Enterprises, Ltd., ___ Cal.App.4th ___, 2007 WL 2773497 (Cal.App. September 25, 2007) [Slip Opn., at 2]. Defense attorneys demurred to the complaint on the grounds that plaintiffs lacked standing to assert the various UCL, FAL and CLRA claims, _id._ at 3. The trial court sustained the defense demurrer to the complaint but granted plaintiffs leave to amend; plaintiffs refused to amend the complaint so the court entered judgments of dismissal and plaintiffs appealed. _Id._, at 2. The Court of Appeal affirmed, holding that .

Plaintiffs California Women’s Law Center and its executive director, Katherine Buckland, “seek[] to advance the civil rights of women and girls” and allege that the some skin creams and lotions sold by defendants contain progesterone or other chemicals regulated by the FDA but that defendants failed to provide adequate warnings in violation of FDA regulations. Buckland, at 2-3. Plaintiffs sought a preliminary injunction to enjoin Threshold from selling skin cream, id. at 3. Buckland admitted, however, that she did not suffer any personal injury but rather purchased the items for the express purpose of determining whether lawsuits could be filed based on the chemicals contained in them. Id. Threshold opposed the injunction on the grounds that plaintiff would not likely prevail on the merits and that the “balance of hardships” weighed against such relief. Id., at 3-4.

Certification of Class Actions Class Action Court Decisions Uncategorized

Plaintiff Class Action Lawyer Steven Schulman Of Milberg Weiss Pleads Guilty To Federal Racketeering Charge

Michael Parrish of the New York Times reports that class action plaintiff lawyer Steven Schulman, formerly a named-partner at the plaintiff class action law firm now known as Milberg Weiss, has pleaded guilty to a federal racketeering conspiracy charge. According to Parrish’s article, Schulman “admitted in federal court to being part of a scheme in which the firm, known for its class-action lawsuits against companies, gave secret kickbacks to individuals who remained on call to act as lead plaintiffs.

Class Actions In The News Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases-Clark v. First Union: California Appellate Court Affirms Trial Court Order Vacating Referral Of Certain Class Action Claims To Arbitration And Staying Other Class Action Claims

Inherent Powers of Trial Court Include Power to Reconsider Interim Rulings Long After the Statutory Time Period for Motions for Reconsideration has Lapsed California Appellate Court Holds

Plaintiffs filed a putative class action against their employer, First Union Securities, and its successor, Wachovia Securities for alleged violations of state labor laws. Clark v. First Union Securities, Inc., ___ Cal.App.4th ___, 64 Cal.Rptr.3d 313, 315 (Cal.App. 2007). Defense attorneys moved to compel arbitration before the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and to stay proceedings on the class action claims for injunctive or declaratory relief, which are not subject to arbitration, _see Broughton v. Cigna Healthplans_, 21 Cal.4th 1066, 1079-80 (Cal. 1999); the trial court granted the motion. _Id._ , at 314. After the arbitrators ruled that the class action claims were “not eligible for arbitration,” the trial court _sua sponte_ reconsidered its ruling on the defense motion and ruled that the class action would proceed in state court. _Id._, at 314-15. Defense attorneys appealed, and the California court of appeal affirmed. The appellate court held that the trial court had the inherent authority to reconsider its ruling referring class action claims to arbitration, that the employment contract did not preclude state court jurisdiction over the putative class action complaint, and that the dismissal of the class action claims by the arbitrators did not constitute a class action waiver.

Plaintiff Clark was hired by First Union as an investment consultant candidate, which required that he hold a license from the NASD and to execute the SEC-approved Uniform Application for Securities Industry Registration or Transfer Form U-4 (Form U-4), which contains an arbitration clause that states “I agree to arbitrate any dispute, claim or controversy that may arise between me and my firm, or a customer, or any other person, that is required to be arbitrated under the rules, constitutions, or by-laws of the [NASD] as may be amended from time to time and that any arbitration award rendered against me may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.” Clark, at 315. Plaintiff executed the form in October 1998 and began working for First Union in November 1998, id. The SEC promulgated several rules directly implicated by this case, including Rule 10301(d) which addresses investor class action lawsuits filed under FRCP Rule 23. Id., at 316. As the Court of Appeal noted at page 316, “The SEC issued a public notice in connection with the approval of Rule 10301(d). In this 1992 approval order, the SEC gave notice that under the new provision class actions were excluded from arbitration.”

The class action complaint alleged numerous labor law violations based on an array of alleged misconduct ranging “from misrepresentations regarding the sale of securities, to the failure to pay wages and to reimburse for business expenses.” Clark, at 317-18. Defense attorneys moved to compel arbitration of each cause of action in the class action complaint except the claims seeking injunctive and declaratory relief; the defense argued that “because all allegations arose out of Clark’s employment or termination of employment, they must be resolved in arbitration pursuant to the arbitration provision in the Form U-4 and the NASD Code.” Id., at 318. The appellate court noted that defense attorneys did not cite Rule 10301(d) in support of the motion, id. Plaintiff countered that the NASD arbitration procedures were unconscionable – an issue the Court of Appeal found unnecessary to address – and that because the class action claim for unfair practices was asserted on behalf of all Wachovia employees it was not subject to arbitration. Id. Plaintiff’s lawyer argued, “The only forum for the unfair practice claims is a civil lawsuit. The NASD arbitration rules do not even permit putative or class claims to be arbitrated.” Id.

Arbitration Class Action Court Decisions Employment Law Class Actions Uncategorized

Court Approves $7 Million Class Action Settlement Ending 5-Year Class Action Against CP Rail Based On Train Derailment And Chemical Spill

The Associated Press reports that a North Dakota federal court has approved $7 million class action settlement, bringing to a close a 5-year-old class action against CP Rail arising from a January 2002 derailment and chemical spill that “sent a deadly cloud” into the air and killed a man. AP reports that more than 40% of the class action settlement proceeds will go to the plaintiffs’ lawyers, who will get $2.

Class Actions In The News Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases-Gruer v. Merck-Medco: Second Circuit Reverses District Court Order Approving Class Action Settlement Holding Class Action Plaintiffs Were Not Representative Of Class

Interests of Plaintiffs in Class Action Conflicted with other Class Members, Warranting Certification of Subclass and new Hearing on Approval of Class Acton Settlement Second Circuit Holds

Plaintiffs filed a class action Merck-Medco managed Case, L.L.C., a/k/a Medco Health Solutions, Inc., a pharmaceutical benefits manager (PBM), and its former parent company Merck & Co. Inc. (collectively Medco) alleging violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) for breach of fiduciary duties. Gruer v. Merck-Medco Managed Care, LLC, ___ F. 3d ___ (2d Cir. October 4, 2007) [Slip Opn., at 6]. Ultimately, the parties reached a tentative settlement of the class action. Important to our discussion, the class action settlement required Medco pay $42.5 million to class members, allocated primarily on a pro rata share of monies spent by each plan but reducing by 55% the share of certain plans because those plans could not have been injured directly by the conduct of Medco. _Id._, at 8. The district court approved the class action settlement, but the Second Circuit reversed and remanded holding that the lower court erred in failing to consider the conflict of interest between the purported representatives of the class action and other members of the class.

In very broad terms, plaintiffs in the class action complaint consisted of individuals, as beneficiaries of certain welfare benefit plans, and of trustees of welfare benefit plans. Gruer, at 4. The class action complaint alleged that Medco breached fiduciary duties under ERISA by “failing to act in their best interest in its capacity as a pharmaceutical benefits manager for the plans,” id., as set forth in the Note. A class action settlement was proposed, at which time certain entities sought leave to intervene and/or objected to the settlement. Id. The district court certified a class action, approved the settlement, awarded legal fees, and severed those cases in which ERISA plans opted out of the class action settlement, id.

Certification of Class Actions Class Action Court Decisions Uncategorized

FLSA Class Action Defense Cases-Zhong v. August August: New York Federal Court Partially Grants Defense Motion To Dismiss Overtime/Minimum Wage Class Action Claims

Class Action Complaint Alleging Violations of Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and State Law Equivalent Failed to Adequately Plead Overtime Violations New York Federal Court Holds

Plaintiff filed a putative class action against his employer, August August Corp. (doing business as “River Vietnamese and Thai Restaurant”) alleging failure to pay overtime and minimum wages required by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and New York’s Minimum Wage Act (NYMWA). Zhong v. August August Corp., 498 F.Supp.2d 625, 627 (S.D.N.Y. 2007). The class action complaint asserted that federal court jurisdiction exists under 28 U.S.C. § 1337 as to the FLSA §§ 206 and 207 claims (the first and second claims for relief), and under 28 U.S.C. §1367 (supplemental jurisdiction) over the third claim for relief brought under New York state law, id. Defense attorneys moved to dismiss the class action on several grounds; the district court granted the motion in part.

Preliminarily, the district court rejected defense claims that the class action complaint failed to adequately plead that defendant was plaintiff’s “employer” within the meaning of the FLSA, holding that under the liberal standards applicable to a motion to dismiss, the allegations that plaintiff was “an employee” and was “employed by” sufficiently placed defendant on notice of the claims against it. Zhong, at 628-29. The next question was whether defendant was “engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce” within the meaning of the FLSA, id., at 629. Again, the federal court held that the class action complaint adequately alleged this element of an FLSA claim, id. Similarly, the allegation that plaintiff earned only $10 per day but worked 3 or 4 hours a day adequately pleaded a breach of the FLSA’s minimum wage requirement. Id., at 629. In this regard, while the district court acknowledged that plaintiff had not demanded any specific amount in damages, “he has provided enough information to give August sufficient notice from which to calculate the alleged damages” because he alleged that he worked “twenty hours per week, spread out over six days per week, at a wage of $10.00 per day, for a total of (roughly) twenty weeks.” Id., at 629-30.

Class Action Court Decisions Employment Law Class Actions Uncategorized