SCOTUSblog: HLLI objects to distribution of settlement funds to nonprofits
SCOTUSblog's Kalvis Golde highlighted the pair of cert petitions filed by HLLI in St. John v. Jones and Yeatman v. Hyland.
1st Circuit Backs Sanctions Against Lieff Cabraser
Law360 covered the First Circuit's decision upholding sanctions against Class Counsel Firm Lieff Cabraser in the State Street case.
Judge Awards Fees in Flint Water Cases
Kelly House at Bridge Michigan covered the decision awarding fees in the In re: Flint Water Cases case and quotes HLLI attorney Frank Bednarz on the award.
Court delays $1.1 million payment to lawyers until class redeems coupons
Daniel Fisher at Legal Newsline covered the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute's objection to the settlement in Rael v. The Children’s Place, Inc., which resulted in an order delaying attorneys fees until after the coupon redemption rate is known. A federal judge in California approved the settlement of lawsuit against The Children’s Place for allegedly misleading consumers about the value of “sale” items. But U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel in California…
Pennsylvania Bar Dismisses 3rd Circuit Appeal in Rule 8.4(g) Challenge
Josh Blackman of the Volokh Conspiracy at Reason.com congratulated HLLI for its free speech victory in Greenberg v. Haggerty. In December, a federal district court declared unconstitutional Pennsylvania's version of ABA Model Rule 8.4(g). The judge reiterated points that Eugene Volokh and I have been making for years: this rule may be well intentioned, but it violates the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. In January, the Pennsylvania Bar filed a…
7th Circ. Says Class Objectors Must Repay Side Deals
“I’m confident that one day this decade a different court of appeals will disagree with one of those Posner opinions, the Supreme Court will take up the circuit split, and then tell us that Posner was right all along,” Frank said.
Equifax judge orders disclosure of class counsel’s draft ‘opinion’
Frankel: Judge Thrash called on class counsel to file the draft opinion in the Equifax docket “as soon as reasonably possible.” Class action watchdog Ted Frank of the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute contends that the draft opinion may show that the trial judge improperly adopted accusations by class counsel.
Ted Frank wants to see class counsel’s ex parte draft opinion in Equifax case
Judge Thrash’s written opinion in January was much more extensive than his oral opinion at the end of the fairness hearing. It was also much more critical of objectors to the settlement, including Frank.
Judge orders Boston law firm to repay millions in inflated legal fees
“We’re gratified that the court recognized the problems we identified and went beyond the special master’s proposal to return millions of dollars to class members," said Frank.
Class action watchdog Ted Frank files objection to Equifax deal
The most promising of those arguments seems to me to be CCAF’s assertion that Equifax and class counsel failed to acknowledge and address potential conflicts among class members. The brief uses Frank and Watkins, the named objectors, to illustrate that point. In Watkins’ home state of Utah, he might be entitled to statutory damages of as much as $2,000 in claims arising from the Equifax breach. Frank, who lived in Washington, could have claimed statutory damages of $1,500. But New Yorkers in the Equifax class would be permitted only $50 for claims under New York general business law.