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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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…
Northern California Record
Appeals Court Returns Class Action To Lower Court After Only $225,000 Paid Out To Class Members, But $12M Awarded To Attorneys And Third-Party Universities
Northern California Record cited CEI’s Attorney Adam Schulman on Ninth Circuit Frank v. Gaos decision. In its decision based on the objection by…
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Mealy's
Google Privacy Class Objectors Tell High Court Cy Pres-Only Settlement is Unfair
Mealy’s covers CEI’s Supreme Court case Frank v. Gaos. CEI Director of Litigation Ted Frank will be arguing the case before the court and representing…
Westlaw
‘Fool for a client’? Ted Frank Goes Pro Se at SCOTUS to Pan Cy Pres Settlements
Westlaw covers CEI’s Supreme Court case Frank v. Gaos. CEI Director of Litigation Ted Frank will be arguing the case before the court and representing…
News Release
CEI Files Supreme Court Brief in Case Challenging Abuse of Class Action System
Today the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) filed its opening brief in Frank v. Gaos, a case before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging a class action settlement that provided…
News Release
CEI Wins Appeal, Heads Back to Court to Challenge Bad-Faith Objectors in Pearson Class Action
Today, the Seventh Circuit overturned the district court’s decision that prevented CEI from challenging the bad-faith objectors. The court agreed that courts must ensure that class…
News Release
CEI Objection Wins Nearly $100 million for Class Members in Petrobras Settlement
This week, Judge Jed Rakoff of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York agreed with the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s (CEI) objection…
Reuters
State Street Class Action Fee Probe Enmeshes Pension Fund Official
Reuters cited Ted Frank on the implications of the State Street class action case. In an ominous order on Friday, U.S. District Judge…