AUSTIN – The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California has rejected a proposed settlement of a class action lawsuit filed against Similasan Corp. that alleges false and deceptive labeling of Similasan’s homeopathic products. Under the proposed settlement in Allen v. Similasan Corp., class attorneys and two plaintiffs would have been paid, but affected consumers would not have …
Calif. Supreme Court rubber stamps excessive class action attorneys’ fees By Lawrence W. Schonbrun Class actions are a judicially created mechanism to protect the “little guys” from abuse by powerful institutions, corporations, and governments. In a regrettable decision, however, the California Supreme Court has refused to protect the rights and interests of class members by allowing the very …
The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a $450,000 settlement of a lawsuit by USC students who alleged that LAPD officers in riot gear used excessive force and falsely arrested attendees at a predominantly black off-campus student party. The six students who sued over the raid during the early hours of May 4, 2013, accused Los Angeles police of racial bias because they allowed a …
Did you look at Peter Thiel’s systematic destruction of Gawker via the American legal system and think “Wow, it’s too difficult to extract money from corporations and people using the courts?” Did you think, “Why don’t I try that?” If you answered yes to either question, there’s a startup you should meet. Legalist is a Silicon Valley startup that was developed in the Y Combinator incubator offering …
Uber is now offering drivers in select cities free financial planning through a partnership with a robo-advisor called Betterment. This announcement is coming on the heels of two huge headlines in Uber-land: the imminent rollout of the ride-hail startup’s first self-driving car, and a federal judge’s rejection of a proposed $100 million settlement with drivers in California in a worker …
India’s largest IT firm Tata Consultancy Services and its US affiliate have paid Orange County, Calfornia, $26 million to settle a lawsuit over what the latter termed as a “failed replacement” to the county’s automated property tax system. “TCS and Orange County have agreed to settle an ongoing dispute regarding the joint development of a Property Tax Management System,” a TCS spokesperson …
Universal Orlando’s highly anticipated Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen just hit a major legal snag prior to its grand opening. The Willy Wonka-inspired eatery has been slapped with a hefty $40 million lawsuit. Ohio resident Adam Limle claimed the chocolate factory and restaurant attraction was his original idea and that he had met with Universal …
Canadian gold miner Rusoro Mining Ltd. (TSXV: RML) has been awarded more than $1 billion after a World Bank tribunal said Venezuela unlawfully seized the company’s gold mine, according to news reports and a news release from Rusoro. The company says it was awarded damages of $967.77 million plus interest, taking the total above $1.2 billion. Rusoro says it filed an arbitration request in July …
The federal judge overseeing a proposed class action settlement involving millions of allegedly defective Remington firearms says the parties can go ahead with a revised plan to notify gun owners of their right to get the triggers replaced. But in a unique twist, the judge is delaying final approval of the settlement until he sees how many people file claims. The case involves Remington’s …
Governments, investors and car owners around the world are gaining ground in efforts to pressure Volkswagen AGVLKAY -0.82 % for settlements over its emissions-cheating scandal, aiming for terms similar to a $15 billion U.S. agreement. From Australia to South Korea to Ireland, governments and consumers are ratcheting up legal and regulatory demands in part because such moves in the U.S. yielded …