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.”
Featured Posts

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…
Search Posts
Bloomberg Law
$3B Petrobras Deal Has Conflicts, Excessive Fees: Objector
Bloomberg Law cited the CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness objection to an unfair settlement and an excessive attorneys’ fees request in In re Petrobras Securities…
Law360
Google Privacy Case To Test Limits Of Novel Settlements
Law360 cited CEI attorney Anna St. John and Director of Litigation Ted Frank after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear CEI’s case, Frank v.
The National Law Journal
Anthem Data Breach Attorney Fees Report Faulted by Plaintiffs Lawyers and Objector
The National Law Journal cited Ted Frank’s objections to the special master report that was supposed to analyze the attorneys’ billing practices and class action settlement resulting from the…
Litigation
Frank v. Gaos
On October 31, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the case Frank v. Gaos. On appeal from the Ninth Circuit, this case…
News Release
CEI Objects to Unfair Petrobras Settlement that Groups U.S. and Foreign Purchasers Together, Attorneys Overbill Class by $100M
Yesterday evening, the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s (CEI) Center for Class Action Fairness objected on behalf of a class member to an unfair settlement and an excessive attorneys’…
Litigation
In re Petrobras Securities Litigation
In this class action plaintiffs alleged violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Securities Act of 1933 arising from allegedly material misstatements…