Verdicts & Settlements

Sharper Image Purifier Settlement Nixed

A proposal to settle a class action against Sharper Image with $19 coupons for buyers of its Ionic Breeze purifers has been rejected by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga rejected the proposal as inadequate, the Daily Business Review reports. The legal publication calls the decision a…

Oct 12, 2007 11:06 AM CDT

Insurer Settles Senior Annuity Suit

Allianz Life Insurance Co. of North America has agreed to settle a lawsuit that contended the company sold annuities to senior citizens that locked up their money for as long as 15 years. The suit by Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson contended the company did not tell seniors they could…

Oct 9, 2007 6:38 PM CDT

DOJ Cuts Billion $$ Emissions Deal

A utility company has reached a pollution agreement that will be one of the largest environmental settlements in the history of the Justice Department. The deal is expected to be announced today. CNN and the Associated Press reported that American Electric Power agreed to install $4.6 billion in equipment to…

Oct 9, 2007 1:25 PM CDT

Sidley ‘Partner’ Payout: Up to $1.8 M

The 32 former partners of Sidley Austin who were demoted in 1999 will receive a payment of between $122,000 and $1.8 million under an age discrimination settlement approved yesterday by a federal judge. “The amount to be paid to each of the 32 former Sidley [partners] was placed under seal,”…

Oct 6, 2007 12:39 AM CDT

Sidley to Pay $27.5 M in EEOC Partner Case

Updated: In a settlement that should send shock waves throughout many of the nation’s major law firms, Sidley Austin has agreed to pay $27.5 million to resolve a landmark federal case alleging that the law firm discriminated against 32 of its own partners. The 1,700-lawyer Chicago-based firm also agreed in…

Oct 5, 2007 5:17 PM CDT

Paintball Suit Seeks Warnings

A man whose wife was killed in a paintball accident says a successor manufacturer has not lived up to a promise to publicize the dangers of older equipment. Mark Contois plans to file a complaint today in a California court seeking to force KEE Action Sports to do more to…

Oct 5, 2007 4:30 PM CDT

NY Admits Strip Searches Violated Settlement

New York’s Department of Corrections has agreed to settle a lawsuit that contended as many as 150,000 inmates at Rikers Island were improperly strip-searched in violation of a 2002 settlement. The inmates were nonviolent and had been charged with misdemeanors, the New York Times reports. The city will stop the…

Oct 5, 2007 3:47 PM CDT

Nuns Evicted, Gagged in Pedophile Priest Settlement

The Catholic Church has obtained a gag order to prevent disgruntled nuns in California from talking about their evictions. The church is ousting nuns from five convents so it can sell the buildings to help fund a $660 million pedophile priest settlement, the Washington Post reports. One of those who…

Oct 5, 2007 3:15 PM CDT

Record Labels Win Anti-Piracy Verdict

In a huge win for the recording industry, a federal jury in Minnesota decided that a woman who illegally downloaded music owes a whopping $222,000 for copyright infringement. The Los Angeles Times reports that Thursday’s victory could embolden the industry to target consumers in its four-year battle against rampant Internet…

Oct 5, 2007 9:52 AM CDT

Judge: Sen. Craig Can’t Withdraw Guilty Plea

Updated: In a ruling that could sound the death knell for Sen. Larry Craig’s career in office, a Minnesota judge has ruled that the Idaho Republican can’t withdraw his guilty plea to a disorderly conduct charge. However, Craig reportedly says he won’t resign, despite the urgings of many members of…

Oct 4, 2007 6:16 PM CDT

Exploding OT Claims for Many Employers

Wage-and-hour class action claims brought over unpaid overtime are a hot practice area—and, as today’s $62 million judgment against Wal-Mart illustrates, one that can be extremely costly to employers. “Multiplaintiff wage-and-hour lawsuits pose the greatest employment litigation threat to American businesses today,” says Seyfarth Shaw, a law firm known for…

Oct 3, 2007 11:54 PM CDT

Wal-Mart Workers Win $141 M in OT Case

In the latest judgment in ongoing class actions against the world’s largest retailer, a Pennsylvania judge is requiring Wal-Mart to pay $62.3 million to 125,000 workers who didn’t receive required overtime pay for overtime work. The award today by Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Mark Bernstein supplements a previous $78.5 million…

Oct 3, 2007 11:06 PM CDT

Settling It Online: ODR is the New ADR

OK, OK, take it online. That could foreseeably be a 21st-century mantra for dispute resolution, as enhanced technology and lower costs make it easier, faster and cheaper to use the Internet to settle disagreements. However, online dispute resolution, although increasingly popular among attorneys and large organizations, is still used in…

Oct 3, 2007 2:29 AM CDT

In-House DuPont Lawyers Post Profit

Like many corporations, DuPont Co. spends a lot of money on its in-house law department. The department’s annual budget was about $230 million last year. However, unlike most corporations, the Wilmington, Del.-based chemical giant has been getting more than it pays for. The company’s in-house counsel brought in $290 million…

Oct 2, 2007 7:50 PM CDT

Isiah Thomas Liable for Harassment, But Not Punitives

Updated: A federal jury has found that New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas sexually harassed a team executive. Jurors also found that Madison Square Garden was liable for the harassment and will have to pay punitive damages, the New York Times reports. Jurors could not decide whether Thomas should pay…

Oct 2, 2007 5:50 PM CDT