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
Blog
Consumers Win as House Votes to Overturn Credit Card Arbitration Ban
The Senate must follow the House in passing this resolution of disapproval and in passing the Financial CHOICE Act to bring constitutional accountability to the…
News Release
CEI Opposes Unfair Art.com Settlement
Class Attorneys Poised to Rake in $745k while class gets $10 coupons Objecting today to the class action settlement in Knapp v. Art.com, the Competitive…
Litigation
Knapp v. Art.com Inc.
In this class action, plaintiffs allege that Art.com violated consumer protection laws and committed unlawful business practices by offering items on “sale” but at prices…
The New York Times
After N.F.L. Concussion Settlement, Feeding Frenzy of Lawyers and Lenders
The New York Times discusses the NFL settlement with Ted Frank. The sales pitches were filled with urgency and emphasized familiarity. Act now…
Blog
Finance Regulators Reject All Critiques, Plow Ahead with Arbitration Rule
CEI will continue to work to overturn the CFPB's arbitration rule and restore the ability of consumers to enter into arbitration agreements, saving them time…
News Release
CEI Asks 9th Circuit to Rehear Transpacific Antitrust Class Action Case
On Monday, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) filed a petition for rehearing in In Re: Transpacific Passenger Air Transportation Antitrust Litigation. This is a class action…
Washington Examiner
Shift to E-Commerce Is Saving Time, Creating Jobs
Washington Examiner cites Anna St. John’s piece on a class action suit involving the Metropolitan Museum of Art and how similar suits can harm cultural…
News Release
Thirteen State Attorneys General Support CEI’s Objection to Google Consumer Privacy Class Action Settlement
This case is an important test of whether courts will stand up against abusive cy pres settlements.
Law360
3rd Circ. Asked To Nix Approval of $5.5M Google Privacy Deal
Law360 discusses CCAF’s objection to the $5.5 million Google settlement with Ted Frank. The Center for Class Action Fairness’ director urged the Third…
Blog
Seven Reasons to Object in Campbell v. Facebook
Last week, CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness’ (CCAF) Anna St. John objected to an unfair class action settlement in Campbell v. Facebook. This…
Blog
Metropolitan Museum of Art Class Action Ends in Counter-Productive Settlement
It is up to courts to scrutinize the actual benefit achieved by class-action litigation before signing off on a settlement.
News Release
CEI Challenges Google Privacy Settlement that Pays Lawyers, Third Parties $5.5 Million and Consumers Nothing
On Wednesday evening, the Competitive Enterprise Institute Center for Class Action Fairness (CCAF) filed its opening brief challenging a class action settlement in a consumer privacy…
The Recorder
Objectors Slam No-Cash Settlement in Facebook Message-Scanning Suit
The Recorder covers the Facebook privacy suit and an objection filed by the Center for Class Action Fairness. “Cynical.” That’s the…
Law360
Facebook User Says Privacy Deal Gives Class Nothing
Law360 covers the privacy case with a statement by Anna St. John of the Center for Class Action Fairness. A Facebook user urged…
News Release
CEI Wins More Than $4 Million for Consumers in Dairy Products Class Action
Another $4.3 million will now go where it belongs, to the class members, and not to further enrich the attorneys.
News Release
CEI Objects to Facebook Class Action Settlement that Pays Lawyers Nearly $4 Million While Consumers Get 22 Words of Nothing
On Monday evening, the Competitive Enterprise Institute Center for Class Action Fairness (CCAF) filed an objection arguing against a cynical settlement in a Facebook…
Litigation
Campbell v. Facebook, Inc.
CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness objected to a cynical class action settlement in Campbell v. Facebook, Inc. This class action arose from Facebook’s…
Litigation
Gordon v. Verizon Communications, Inc., et al.
On behalf of Jonathan M. Crist, CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness objected to plaintiff’s renewed motion for attorneys’ fees and expenses in a shareholder…
Blog
CEI Seeks to Extend Landmark Walgreen Ruling in Favor of Shareholder Class Members
Over 90% of merger deals over $100 million have at least one thing in common: They are challenged in a strike suit—or subject to what…
Blog
Justice Department Ends Diversion of Federal Settlements to Left-Wing Groups
Attorney General Session Sessions has prohibited Justice Department lawyers from diverting legal settlement funds to special interest groups outside the government.
News Release
CEI Praises Department of Justice Announcement Ending Third Party Payments
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday that it will end third party payments by banks and other companies, to outside groups that were neither parties…
News Release
CEI Fights Merger Tax and Abusive Strike Suit in Fifth Circuit
This morning, the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s (CEI) Ted Frank argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in its challenge to the…
News Release
Attorneys Target Holographic Weapons Owners for Million-Dollar Windfall
This week, the Competitive Enterprise Institute Center for Class Action Fairness (CCAF) filed an amicus brief in Foster v. L-3 Communications EOTech, a class-action…
Legal Brief
Brief of Amicus Curiae in Foster v. EOTech
View Full Document as PDF Like the target reticle superimposed in EOTech’s sights, the proposed settlement is a holographic illusion. Class counsel…
Blog
Olive Oil Settlement Uses Slippery Tactics to Reward Attorneys at Consumers’ Expense
When companies deceive consumers, the class action device provides a way to compensate those harmed.
Law360
Objector to $10M Target Breach Deal Fails to Sway Judge
Law360 discusses the Target data breach case with Melissa A. Holyoak. A Minnesota federal judge held Wednesday that a $10 million deal resolving…
News Release
Bi-Partisan Group of Attorneys General File Brief Supporting CEI’s Challenge of ProFlowers’ Worthless Coupon Settlement
Attorneys general from 13 states filed an amicus brief supporting the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Class Action Fairness (CCAF) in its challenge…
Blog
Center for Class Action Fairness Changes Landscape of ‘Cy Pres’ Settlements
The CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness (CCAF) has long opposed abusive “cy pres” settlements that benefit third-party beneficiaries instead of compensating class members…
News Release
CEI Objects to Settlement Where Lawyers Make $1 Million, Class Gets Changes to Olive Oil Bottles
WASHINGTON, May 15, 2017 — The Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Class Action Fairness (CCAF) recently objected to the proposed class action settlement, class…
Blog
A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell Just as Sweet, but These Flower-Delivery Settlement Coupons Are Noisome Even When You Call Them “E-Credits”
Of the actual $12.5 million of real money changing hands in this settlement, somehow only $225,000 is making its way to the class members for…
Blog
Attorneys Targeting Holographic Weapon Sight Owners For Excessive Fees
Attorneys can create the illusion of relief to rationalize excessive attorneys’ fees that ultimately come at the expense of consumers.
Law 360
Era of Mammoth Cases Tests Remedy of Last Resort
Law 360 discusses a Google class action settlement and cy pres class actions with teh director of CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness Ted Frank.
Litigation
Kumar v. Salov North America Corp., et al.
On May 2, 2017, CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness (CCAF) filed an objection on behalf of a class member to the proposed settlement in Kumar v.
Bloomberg BNA
Objector: Flight Fare Conspiracy Settlement Unfair
Bloomberg BNA reports on CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness’ objection to the settlement in Transpacific Passenger Air Trans. Antitrust Litig. This is…
Blog
Class Action Lawyers in Target Case Hoard the Settlement Pie
It’s time to restore justice and fairness in our nation’s legal system, and the Target case would be a valuable step in the right direction.
News Release
Ninth Circuit Hears Transpacific Antitrust Case that Costs Class Members $11 Million
On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco heard argument in In Re: Transpacific Passenger Air Transportation Antitrust Litigation.
News Release
CEI Wins $500,000 for Consumers in Similasan Corp. Class Action
The U.S. District Court of the Southern District of California recently granted preliminary approval of a much improved class action settlement in Allen v. Similasan.
Blog
Separating Financial Interest from Clients Backfires for Class Action Attorneys
If class action lawyers tie their fate to their clients’, there will be ups and downs. But if they jump ship, few people will be…
Citation
AUDIO: Rush Limbaugh Highlights Ted Frank’s Work On Department of Justice Slush Fund
Listen to Rush Limbaugh’s mention of Center for Class Action Fairness founder Ted Frank’s work. …
Bloomberg BNA
Senate Prospects for Class Action Bill Still Murky
Bloomberg BNA discusses the future of the Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2017 with CEI’s Center for Class…
Boston Globe
Lawyer in Dunkin’ butter case: $90,000 payout ‘not actually profitable’
“In general, this is a systemic issue with class actions, where lawyers structure settlements to benefit themselves rather than the class,” said Ted Frank…
Blog
Non-Profits and Litigation: When Ideas Get Judged
If you support nonprofit policy groups, you understand that ideas matter. They matter in education, in public discourse, and in the halls of government. But…
News Release
CEI Gets $405,000 Win for Class in Citigroup Case
In a victory for class action fairness, Citigroup Inc. shareholders will now receive an additional $405,000 in settlement funds thanks to an objection by the…
Litigation
Arkansas Teacher Retirement System v. State Street
In November 2016, a Boston Globe’s Spotlight team reporter contacted Theodore H. Frank, director of CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness (CCAF) concerning double-billing the…
Litigation
Birbrower v. Quorn Foods, Inc.
The CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness (CCAF) represents an objector to a settlement over allegedly mislabeled food that proposes to pay class counsel over…
Law360
Judge Will Allow Class To Object To $75M State Street Fees
A Massachusetts federal judge credits CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness with helping him “evolve” his thinking on a complicated and controversial class action case.
National Law Journal
This Factor Is Drawing Increasing Scrutiny in Class Action Settlements
National Law Journal discusses poor claims rates in class action lawsuits with CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness founder Ted Frank. Dismal claims…
Law.com
Ninth Circuit Hears Critique of Cy Pres in Google Privacy Settlement
Law.com discusses the Google privacy settlement The case alleged that Google was illegally sending personal information to third parties about users of its…
MediaPost
Google ‘Safari Hack’ Settlement Faces New Challenge
MediaPost reports on CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness founder Ted Frank’s appeal to the Google “Safari hack” class action settlement. Class-action activist…
The Boston Globe
Thornton Law, others to pay $2m for probe of their bills
The Boston Globe reports on Ted Frank’s request to intervene in a case with an unfair class-action settlement. At a hearing Tuesday on…