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…
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Blog
Online DVD Rental Antitrust Litigation / Wal-Mart/Netflix Settlement
Class members (including me) are getting email notice of a class action settlement with Wal-Mart in the Online DVD Rental Antitrust Litigation, No. M…
Above The Law
Attorneys Fees in Class Actions: Too Low, Too High, or Just Right?
Above The Law features Ted Frank alongside other lawyers who spoke on a pannel at the National Lawyers Covention of the Federalist Society.
Blog
Barber Auto Sales v. UPS
The Center has objected to a settlement that would pay $2 million to class members (without even telling them how much of their claims…
Blog
Working through the email
As you might expect, I got a lot of email from the October 31 Wall Street Journal story. Between an October 31 Ninth Circuit deadline,…
Blog
Some updates
Yesterday, we filed the opening brief in our HP Inkjet Ninth Circuit appeal. Details at Point of Law. The district court approved the $0…
The Wall Street Journal
Ted Frank: A Conscientious Objector
The Wall Street Journal's Law Blog highlights Center for Class Action Fairness' founder Ted Frank. [Ted Frank] tends to stay and fight settlements…
Wall Street Journal
A Class-Action Settlement’s Value Isn’t Always Clear Cut
Wall Street Journal reports on Ted Frank's objection to the Sirius XM settlement because it would have no benefits to the class members who were…
Wall Street Journal
A Litigator Fights Class-Action Suits
The Wall Street journal writes a profile on Center for Class Action Fairness' founder Ted Frank and his efforts to fight settlements that give the…
Blog
Welcome, Wall Street Journal readers
Welcome to those of you who found this page after reading the Wall Street Journal profile. The Journal also discussed our Sirius XM…
Blog
Franklin Templeton mutual fund settlement
The attorneys have asked the court to approve a settlement that would give the attorneys $2.142 million and the class $2.27 million. (Good luck finding…
Legal Newsline
Attorney: Voucher redemption in AG Hood case not surprising
Legal Newsline discusses the Microsoft class action settlement case with Ted Frank. The 2009 settlement provided $40 million for the State, $10 million…
Cronkite News
Judge removes hurdle to challenge of $3.4 billion Indian lands settlement
Cronkite News reports on a case in which Kimberly Craven, represented by Ted Frank, objects to the process in which a settlement will be distributed…
Blog
Brazil v. Dell
The class attorneys in Brazil v. Dell are asking for $6 million for themselves, but it is a claims-made settlement that will almost certainly pay a…
Cronkite News
Legal Wrangling to Delay Payout in Massive Indian Class-Action Lawsuit
Cronkite News discusses Ted Frank's objection to a settlement, on behalf of Kimberly Craven, because the class members who suffered the most were paid the…
Cincinatti Business Courier
P&G’s Papmers deal pooh-poohed
The Cincinnati Business Courier reports on the objections to the P&G and Bluetooth settlements which gave plantiff lawyers far more in fees than the class…
Blog
Pampers Dry Max class action settlement objection
This week, we objected to a $0 settlement of the Pampers Dry Max class action that proposes paying $2.7 million to the lawyers. More…
Blog
Sirius XM settlement approved
Judge Baer approved the $0 Blessing v. Sirius XM settlement and $13 million fee award yesterday. The decision contradicts (and ignores) Bluetooth,…
Blog
Classmates.com class action settlement (again)
I’m getting lots of emails about the Classmates.com class action settlement notice. We’re aware of it, because we’re already in the case: we earlier…
Blog
CCAF wins in Ninth Circuit
WASHINGTON, DC – The Center for…
Blog
Georgia investigation into judge’s use of cy pres
I’m quoted in a newspaper’s investigation into a Georgia judge’s seemingly self-serving use of cy pres awards. More details at Point of Law.
LegalNewsline
Ninth Circuit rejects class action settlement
Legal Newsline quotes Ted Frank's commentary on the class action over Apple Ipods which was dismissed in 2008. The Center for Class Action…
Ledger-Enquirer
Judge Doug Pullen’s ‘Gifts’: Records reveal judge directed millions to Mercer and Morehouse, gained recognition
The Ledger-Enquirer discusses the issue of distributing settlement money to plaintiffs and mentions Ted Frank's insights on the subject. Critics say the potential…
Blog
I’m kind of annoyed at the Los Angeles Daily Journal
CCAF, a non-profit project unaffiliated with and unsupported by any corporate funding, does not lobby. But the LA Daily Journal says that they don’t need…
Forbes
Headset Settlement That Paid Lawyers, Not Clients, Is Rejected
Forbes reports on Center for Class Action Fairness' victory in a case blocking a settlement that resulted in large benefits for lawyers and much smaller benefits for…
Courthouse News Service
Court Vacates Predatory Bluetooth Headset Deal
Courthouse News Service reports on Center for Class Action Fairness' objection to a settlement set to benefit the plaintiffs' lawyers but not the class members…
Law 360
9th Circ. Chucks Bluetooth Deal Due To High Atty Fees
Law 360 discusses with Ted Frank the result of Bluetooth makers settlement case objection. Theodore Frank of the Center for Class Action Fairness,…
Blog
Opening brief filed in appeal of Volkswagen class action settlement approval
We filed our opening brief last Friday. Details at Point of Law. It’s still unclear to me why the Third Circuit waited a…
Blog
Objection in Trombley v. National City Bank
The D.C. Circuit is correct, I think, in holding that an attorneys’ fee in a class action should be calculated as a percentage as the…
Blog
On KOGO (San Diego) 1:05 pm today
I will be on the LaDona Live program on KOGO (San Diego), 600 AM at 1:05 PM Pacific, talking about CCAF’s objection in…
Blog
CCAF objection in Blessing v. Sirius XM Radio
The Center for Class Action Fairness LLC objected today to a valueless class action settlement: the objection, filed in the Southern District of New…
Blog
June 20 was a busy day
The growth of the Center for Class Action Fairness LLC can be shown just by the breadth of its activities on Monday, June 20: There…
Blog
Weeks v. Kellogg – Rice Krispies class action settlement
In 2009, the state of Oregon complained to Kellogg that they said Rice Krispies and Cocoa Krispies were fortified with antioxidants, and Kellogg changed the…
Blog
Bankruptcy creditor objections: “Hipster Battles Funds”
A bankruptcy court reorganization approval has some similarities to a class action settlement fairness hearing, as the court engages in an equitable inquiry to determine…
Blog
Baby products objection
As discussed at Point of Law, CCAF has filed an objection to the Babies “R” Us settlement in McDonough v. Toys “R” Us,…
Blog
Briefing in Cobell v. Salazar Indian trust class action
Details at Point of Law.
Forbes
Appeals Court Approves $21 Million Fee In A.G. Edwards Case
Forbes reports on Ted Frank's objection to the A.G. Edwards coupon settlements that may provide little to no benefits to plaintiffs. Ted Frank’s…
Blog
AOL cy pres Ninth Circuit appeal oral argument set
I’ll be arguing the AOL cy pres case June 7 in Pasadena. (My record in Ninth Circuit oral arguments to date: 2-0, with…
Blog
Stetson v. West Publishing Corp. – BarBri Class Action Settlement
Because the 170,000 class members are law students and lawyers, I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about this case and its coupon settlement. Stay…
Blog
Court rules for NVIDIA
Details at the Point of Law blog. I’m sorry, as well as angry. Update: I won’t be filing an appeal, though my clients are…
Blog
Illegal coupon settlement in Nevada
Daniel Greenberg of the Center for Class Action Fairness LLC has filed an objection on behalf of two class members to a coupon settlement…
Blog
Reply brief in Bachman v. A.G. Edwards coupon settlement appeal
Milberg and several other law firms collected $21 million in quick-pay fees for a Missouri state-court class action settlement that provided face value of $39…
Blog
Gittin v. KCI USA and Calloway v. CashNetUSA class action settlements
In these two California class action settlements over debt-collection practices, one strongly suspects the attorneys are trying to rip off their clients: notwithstanding the clear…
Blog
Cobell v. Salazar
Today the Center for Class Action Fairness filed an objection to the $3.4 billion taxpayer-funded Cobell Indian trust settlement on behalf of Sisseton-Wahpeton Ovate…
Blog
April 18 press release
CENTER FOR CLASS ACTION FAIRNESS ANNOUNCES MULTIPLE VICTORIES WASHINGTON, DC – Today the Center for Class Action Fairness LLC announced multiple…
Blog
Babies “R” Us baby products antitrust class action settlement: McDonough v. Toys “R” Us
A class action against Babies “R” Us and manufacturers of upscale baby products—BabyBjorns, Britax car seats, Kids Line and Peg Perego products, Maclaren strollers, Medela…
Blog
Objectors and fee requests
We recently had two victories in two cases in front of the same judge; the question then becomes whether to submit a fee request. There’s…
Blog
EA Sports Litigation (Pecover v. Electronic Arts Inc.)
Class members getting a notice for this case have been writing me. Dudes: I made my name in the Grand Theft Auto class action,…
Blog
Court reduces fees after CCAF objection to HP settlement
In January, we discussed a Center for Class Action Fairness objection to a coupon settlement involving HP inkjet printers. That settlement turned out to…
Blog
April Fools Day and the New York Times
I recently treated myself to the new iPad, which arrived this week, and was looking forward to reading the NY Times this morning with that…
Blog
Speaking at University of Cincinnati April 1
I’m apparently a “leading advocate for class action reform.” An impressive roster of speakers is going to have to sit through my lunchtime…