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Opinion: Courts Should Stop Approving Unfair Class Action Settlements

Class actions play a vital role in our legal system. These lawsuits are often the only vehicle for injured plaintiffs to receive compensation when a defendant’s wrongs are widely disbursed and it would be impractical for a single individual to sue. Yet the process of settling these suits is subject to perverse incentives on the part of the lawyers representing the injured parties.


Trump Appears to Admit Using Charity Money to Settle Lawsuit

When The Washington Post’s David A. Fahrenthold first reported that Donald Trump has used money contributed to the foundation that bears his name to help settle two lawsuits, Trump and his surrogates repeatedly said the charge was untrue. Not Wednesday. At the third presidential debate with Hillary Clinton, Trump essentially acknowledged he had used Trump Foundation money to settle a lawsuit …


Samsung May Face Class Action Suits in S Korea, US for Note 7

The problems of Samsung Electronics are far from over as disgruntled customers plan to file class action lawsuits in South Korea and the US over exploding Galaxy Note 7s, reports said on Wednesday. Whi le three US customers from Nevada, Pennsylvania and California have already complained about the fire-prone devices, 38 owners of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in South Korea plan …


Former University of Virginia Receiver Alleges Hazing, Abusive Culture in Football Program

University of Virginia football players staged a gladiator-style fight between a pair of incoming freshmen, a dangerous hazing incident that resulted in a concussion and jeopardized the career of a promising young receiver, according to a federal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. For weeks this past the summer, upperclassmen had taunted, …


Rob Reiner Speaks on $125 Million ‘Spinal Tap’ Lawsuit

One day after This Is Spinal Tap star and co-creator Harry Shearer sued Vivendi for accounting misappropriation, fraud and breach of contract over the film and its soundtrack, Spinal Tap actor – director Rob Reiner has thrown his support behind Shearer. In the suit, Shearer alleged that he earned only $81 in merchandising income over a 22-year period and $98 for his contributions to the …


Canada’s VW Owners in the Dark as U.S. Settlement Talks Advance

As the months-old US$14.7-billion settlement reached between Volkswagen and nearly half a million Americans who purchased their emissions-cheating cars nears court approval, Canadian VW drivers remain entirely in the dark about their own deal. More than 100,000 Canadians own diesel-powered VW cars purchased on the belief they were environmentally friendly, producing less emissions than …



Fighting Voting Rights Lawsuit Could Cost West Covina Millions. Will the City Council Take the Gamble?

Under pressure of a lawsuit challenging the city’s at-large electoral system , the City Council will soon decide whether to fight the suit in court or relent and change the way West Covina residents vote in city elections. It could also potentially be very expensive. “It is roughly a $4 (million) to $5 million gamble for the city to take,” said attorney James Touchstone, a lawyer …


Wage-Fixing Scheme Will Cost DreamWorks $50M

Hollywood heavyweight DreamWorks said it’s willing to pay $50 million to settle claims that it colluded with other studios to fix the wages of animators. DreamWorks filed a motion for a preliminary settlement in Federal Court on Monday, agreeing to pay a class of animation workers the largest sum to date in a case that implicates nearly all of the studios that create …


VW Seeks Final Emissions Deal Approval Without Fix in Hand

Volkswagen AG is asking for a final sign-off on its $14.7 billion settlement with drivers as it continues to seek regulators’ approval of a fix for 482,000 pollution-spewing vehicles still on U.S. roads. Without an approved repair, VW may be left with only one option: buy back the cars with so-called defeat devices from the owners. And the German automaker might have to do the same for a …