Unfair settlements generally serve self-interested lawyers and third parties at the expense of absent class members, the group of people whose rights are traded away to settle a class action. Lawyers have an interest in their fees, defendants have an interest in cheaply disposing of a lawsuit, and the class’ interests can take a back seat in the process. CCAF seeks to solve these problems by representing such class members pro bono and presenting judges with the other side of the argument. When CCAF prevails, lawyers get less, class members get more, and the rule of law is strengthened.
The New York Times says CCAF’s Ted Frank is “the leading critic of abusive class action settlements,” while Reuters called him a “class action maverick” and “among class action lawyers’ most feared objectors.”
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Reason
Photos Show the Transformation of Great Britain
Not so long ago, Great Britain was deemed “the sick man of Europe.” The 1970s were plagued by inflation, labor union strikes, and a rise…

News Release
CEI Disappointed in Outcome of Supreme Court Decision in Class Action Settlement Case, Frank v. Gaos, but Hopeful for Future Resolution
In Frank v. Gaos, a class action-related case initiated by former CEI attorneys, the U.S. Supreme Court today decided to send the case back to…

News Release
CEI Congratulates Ted Frank and CCAF on the Launch of the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute
Since merging with CEI in 2015, the Center for Class Action Fairness (CCAF) has continued the mission Ted Frank began nearly a decade ago. CCAF has…
Search Posts
Law 360
Pella Window Deal Leaves Class In The Cold, 7th Circ. Told
Law 360 mentions Ted Frank's comments on whether the Pella Window settlement benefit class members. Theodore Frank, who represents a separate objector, added…
Blog
Wasserman on cy pres
University of Pittsburgh Law Professor Rhonda Wasserman has a paper on cy pres forthcoming in the USC Law Review, “Cy Pres in Class Action…
Blog
Opening brief in Pearson v. NBTY, Inc., No. 14-1198 (7th Cir.)
In a settlement of several class actions over the labeling of glucosamine supplements, class counsel settled for a claims process that paid the class under…
Blog
In re Apple MagSafe Power Adapter Litigation oral argument in the Ninth Circuit Tuesday
Class counsel collected $3.1 million in the Apple MagSafe Power Adapter Litigation, but their putative clients received less than $900,000, and perhaps even less than $500,000—the…
Blog
Interested in co-authoring a law review article?
I keep a list of law review articles I’d like to write. That list has grown to thirteen, ten of which are about class action…
Blog
“Muscle Milk Magnificence”
A former CCAF intern files an entertaining objection to a bad lawyer-driven settlement that doesn’t comply with Ninth Circuit Law, and Above the…
Class Action Countermeasures
Guest Post – The Opt-Out Refund
Class Action Countermeasures features Adam Shulman's and his solution for settlements called the "Opt Out Refund." Adam Schulman of the Center for Class Action Fairness…
Blog
Wherein thousands of insomniacs watching C-SPAN learn my thoughts about class action settlements
Ninety minutes of panel discussion about class-action-settlement conflicts of interest? Who could possibly resist?…
Law 360
Netflix-Walmart Deal Hurt Competition, 9th Circ. Hears
Law 360 reports on the objection to the Netflix-Wal-Mart Settlement in which Ted Frank claims that the settlement was not fair for class members.
Blog
Abusive appeal bonds
Over at Public Citizen’s blog, Scott Michelman posts about the attempt by class attorneys in the Facebook Sponsored Stories settlement to impose $32,000 appeal…
Class Defense Blog
Justice Alito Addresses A Federal District Judge’s Policy Of Requiring Race- and Gender-Conscious Selection of Class Counsel
Class Defense Blog discusses Ted Frank's objections to the staffing race and gender requirements for the class' counsel in the case Martin v. Blessings. One…
Blog
Urban Active Fitness class action settlement
The class in Gascho v. Global Fitness Holdings LLC, Case No. 2:11-cv-436 (S.D. Ohio), consists of the 606,246 individuals who signed a gym membership or…
Wall Street Journal
Justice Alito Slams Judge for Imposing Race Requirements
The Wall Street Journal discusses a judge who imposed race and gender staffing requirements for law firms representing clients in class action lawsuits. Ted Frank discusses the…
Wall Street Journal
How Lawsuits Fund Lobbyists
The Wall Street Journal discusses how privacy groups that file class-action lawsuits against companies such as Facebook are the real benificiaries, while users may recieve…
Reuters
How to end pointless class actions, redux
Reuters reports on L'Oreal's class action settlement and the Center for Class Action's objection to the large fees paid to the lawyers and monetary damages to the…
Blog
November 4 Press Release
US SUPREME COURT DENIES FACEBOOK USERS CY PRES SETTLEMENT CHALLENGE OPPORTUNITY OPENS DOOR FOR FUTURE CHALLENGES WASHINGTON, D.C. – The US Supreme…
San Francisco Chronicle
Facebook Prviacy Deal OKd With Justice’s Warning
The San Francisco Chronicle discusses the issue of class-action suits where attorneys get large fees and users are left with little. Center for Class Action…
Law 360
Chief Justice Roberts Turns Up The Heat On Cy Pres Pacts
Law 360 reports on Justice Roberts' comments on the issue of cy pres settlements which Center for Class Action Fairness objected to in the Facebook…
Law 360
Justices Won’t Touch Facebook’s $9.5M ‘Beacon’ Privacy Deal
Law 360 reports on teh case where Cheif Justice Roberts agreed with Center for Class Action Fairness that the problem of cy pres solutions for…
Blog
October 15
Tomorrow morning, the Supreme Court will announce orders relating to two cert petitions we filed (with substantial and critically necessary pro bono assistance) that it…
Blog
Marek v. Lane cert petition in the Wall Street Journal
In The Wall Street Journal, David Rivkin and Lee Casey write about Marek v. Lane, arguing that it’s time to end class-action settlements…
National Review
Public Citizen’s Unfair Attack on Arbitration
The National Review discusses with Ted Frank how class action suits benefit the lawyers rather than the class member. In reality, as Ted…
Blog
Mid-September update
Procter & Gamble (but not the plaintiffs) filed an en banc petition seeking further review of the 2-1 decision striking down the ludicrous attorney-benefit-only settlement…
Blog
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines coupon settlement
At first glance, the Korean Air Passenger Settlement looks pretty good: $50 million in cash for class members. You have to dive very deep…
Blog
August and September update
We’ve been very busy! In Fraley v. Facebook, the district court adopted our theory of attorneys’ fees (zero value for injunctive relief and…
Reuters
No circuit split on charity-only settlements: Facebook, Public Citizen
Reuters discusses CCAF's case which objects to a settlement from a class action lawsuit against Facebook. In a brief filed Thursday with the Supreme Court,…
Reuters
Diamond, Shareholders Reach Unusual Deal: Class to Receive Stock
Reuters reports on the Diamond Foods class action settlement that is compensating millions of dollars in shares. Reuters asks Ted Frank to share his insights…
ABA Journal
Facebook Settlement That Awarded Zilch to Class Members is Challenged in Cert Petition
ABA Journal discusses Center for Class Action's objection to the Facebook privacy settlement because it does not benefit absentee class members or guaruntee that it…
Blog
CCAF in today’s New York Times
The Adam Liptak article also generously cites my Congressional testimony on cy pres. Earlier: Marek v. Lane; Dry Max Pampers.
New York Times
When Lawyers Cut Their Clients Out of the Deal
The New York Times reports on Ted Frank's objection to the Facebook privacy settlement. The leading critic of abusive class-action settlements is Ted…
Blog
Some updates
The Ninth Circuit rejected en banc review of our victory in HP Inkjet. Here, for the record, is our successful opposition to the…
Blog
Sixth Circuit victory: In re Dry Max Pampers Litigation
A great opinion protecting class members against predatory attorneys. Congratulations to CCAF attorney Adam Schulman (Georgetown Law ’10), who won his first appellate oral…
ABA Journal
Diaper deal that gave $2.73M to lawyers, one-box refund to customers is nixed by 6th Circuit
ABA Journal details the class action settlement against Proctor & Gamble, which the Center for Class Action Fairness objected to, and was later overturned. A…
The Wall Street Journal
Appeals Court Says Legal Fees in Diaper Suit are Ir-rashional
The Wall Street Journal's Law Blog discusses the Center for Class Action Fairness' In re Dry Max Papers Litigation case. A U.S. appeals…
Law 360
Lessons From CCAF On Designing Class Action Settlements
Law 360 reports on Center for Class Action Fairness' win in the In re Dry Max Pampers case. The recent decision by the…
Cincinnati Business Courier
P&G’s diaper rash settlement flushed by court
The Cincinnati Business Courier describes the In re Dry Max Pampers Litigations case and Center for Class Action Fairness' objection to the Proctor & Gamble…
Cincinnati Business Courier
P&G’s diaper rash settlement flushed by court
The Cincinnati Business Courier discusses with Ted Frank why the Center for Class Action Fairness is challenging a settlement which paid large sums to the…
Forbes
Appeals Court Flushes Papers Settlement That Paid Lawyers $2.73 Million, Clients Zero
Forbes discusses Center for Class Action Fairness' case objecting to the Procter & Gamble settlement that benefited the plaintiffs' lawyers far more than the class members they…
Blog
$26.7 million victory for CCAF in Citigroup Securities case
Details at Point of Law.
Overlawyered
Big Ted Frank victory on attorney fee markups
Overlawyered features Ted Frank's victory on behalf of class members in a case objecting to a Citigroup settlement. Longtime Overlawyered blogger Ted Frank…
Reuters
Judge approves Citigroup $590 million settlement
Reuters reports on Center for Class Action Fairness' victory in the case In re: Citigroup Inc Securities Litigation. A federal judge gave final…
Forbes
Judge Cuts Fees In Citigroup Settlement, Citing `Waste And Inefficiency’
Forbes reports on Center for Class Action Fairness' In re Citigroup Inc. Securities Litigation case. A federal judge approved a $590 million settlement…
Wall Street Jourtnal
Judge: Plaintiff’s Firms Inflated Contract Lawyer Rates
The Wall Street Journal reports how Judge Stein sided with Ted Frank's argument that lawyers in class action lawsuits place large markups on their frees.
Law 360
Facebook User Pushes High Court To Nix ‘Beacon’ Pact
Law 360 reports on CCAF's work to challenge cy pres awards which do not benefit class members in their objection to the Facebook privacy settlement.
Blog
Our first cert petition, challenging Facebook Beacon cy pres settlement
We weren’t involved in the 2-1 Lane v. Facebook cy pres decision disadvantaging consumers, and jumped at the…
Bloomberg BNA
Google Agrees to Pay $8.5 Million to Settle Claims It Disclosed Internet Search Queries
Bloomberg BNA discusses Center for Class Action Fairness' case In re Google Referrer Header Privacy Litigation. Google Inc. has agreed to establish an…
Reuters
Class Action Activist asks SCOTUS to Review Charity-Only Settlements
Reuters reports on Ted Frank and the Center for Class Action Fairness' move to bring the Facebook Beacon case to the Supreame Court to object the…
Legal Newsline
Federal Judge Closes Portion of Garlock Bankruptcy Trial
Legal Newsline quotes Ted Frank on the Garlock Sealing Technologies bankruptcy trial. "The closure violates the Bankruptcy Code's provisions for public access, and…
Daily Online Examiner
Facebook User Wants The Supreme Court To Nix Beacon Settlement
The Daily Online Examiner details the Center for Class Action Fairness' objections to the Facebook privacy settlement which did not benefit class members and set…
Blog
Redman v. Radio Shack
Redman v. Radio Shack Corp., No. 11-cv-06741 (N.D. Ill.) is a class action alleging a right to statutory recovery for Radio Shack’s practice of…