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| In 2007, Lieff Cabraser attorneys,
with local co-counsel, obtained a $50
million verdict against Daimler Chrysler in a wrongful death
action. Our firm has participated in over forty-two $100 million-plus
settlements and verdicts, including eleven
cases in excess of $1 billion. |
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| For updates
on lawsuits of widespread public interest and settlements in class
actions, please click here
to sign up for our Consumer Law Newsletter. |
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| Elizabeth J. Cabraser
Keynote Speaker At Lawyers' Club Luncheon |
 May
6, 2008, San Francisco, CA -- With all justices in attendance,
Elizabeth J. Cabraser delivered the keynote address at
the annual California Supreme Court luncheon hosted by
the Lawyers' Club of San Francisco. In an address entitled, "Loving
the Law When the Law Won't Love You Back," Ms. Cabraser
observed that the law sometimes "moves too slowly
to reflect the wisdom of the age." It can appear
that the law is "dragging us forward against our
preferences, against our wills and probably before we're
ready." Yet it is through the law that the most
important conflicts in our society are resolved civilly
and, at its best, in the pursuit of "evolving ideas
of justice and equality." |
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| Settlement Reached In
Smith Barney Gender Discrimination Suit |
 May
1, 2008, San Francisco, CA -- U.S. District Court Judge
Phyllis Hamilton granted preliminary approval to a $33
million settlement by Citigroup, Inc. to resolve claims
by as many as 2,500 current and former female Financial
Advisors at its Smith Barney branch offices that the
company discriminated against them on the basis of their
gender. "The settlement mandates substantial changes
in Smith Barney’s system for awarding compensation
and business opportunities in its branch offices for
the next four years," stated Kelly
M. Dermody of
Lieff Cabraser. Learn
more about the Smith Barney settlement. |
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| City of Oakland Sues Major Financial Firms For Antitrust Violations |
 April
23, 2008, Oakland, CA -- The City of Oakland filed an
antitrust lawsuit in federal court against several of
the nation’s largest financial institutions alleging
illegal price-fixing and bid rigging. The class action
complaint charges that AIG Financial Products, Bank of
America, Bear Stearns, JPMorgan Chase, Wachovia Bank
and others conspired to set artificially low interest
rates on Guaranteed Investment Contracts, which public
entities use to earn interest on bond funds. Lieff Cabraser
is serving as co-counsel for the City of Oakland. Learn more... |
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| Nationwide Furnace Settlement With Carrier Corporation
Approved |
 April
20, 2008, Seattle, Washington -- U.S. District Court
Judge Ronald B. Leighton granted final approval to a
nationwide settlement in a class action lawsuit on behalf
of approximately 3 million current and past owners of
high-efficiency furnaces manufactured and sold by Carrier
Corporation starting in 1989. “It is an outstanding
outcome for consumers, and we commend Carrier for stepping
forward and taking care of its customers,” stated
plaintiffs’ counsel Jonathan
D. Selbin of Lieff
Cabraser. Visit www.furnaceclaims.com for
a claim form and a list of the models covered under the
settlement. |
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| California Court Approves Settlement in Ford Explorer Consumer Class Action |
 April 15, 2008, Sacramento, CA -- Sacramento
Superior Court Judge David DeAlba granted final approval
to a settlement in class action lawsuits by owners of
model year 1990-2001 Ford Explorers in four states --
California, Illinois, Texas and Connecticut -- against
Ford Motor Company. In addition to providing class members
discounts towards the lease or purchase of new Ford,
Lincoln and Mercury vehicles, the agreement requires
Ford to make widely available important safety information
concerning its SUVs. Learn more at www.ExplorerClaims.com. |
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| Federal Court Approves De Beers Antitrust Class Action Settlement |
 April
14, 2008, Newark, N.J. -- U.S. District Court Judge Stanley
R. Chesler stated he will grant final approval to the
settlement of class action lawsuits against the De Beers
group of companies. The settlement provides $295 million
to purchasers of diamonds and diamond jewelry and prevents
De Beers from continuing its illegal business practices.
Claim forms must be submitted by May 19, 2008, and can
be obtained from www.diamondsclassaction.com. |
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| Jury Finds Transmission Defect In Chrysler Vehicle Caused Death Of Infant |
 April
8, 2008, Chalmette, Louisiana -- A Louisiana state jury
has found DaimlerChrysler liable for the death
of infant Collin Guillot and injuries to his parents
Juli and August Guillot and their then 3 year old daughter
Madison. The jury returned a unanimous verdict of $5,080,000
in compensatory damages. The jury found that a defect
in the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s transmission, called
a park-to-reverse defect, led to the death of the infant
and injuries the family suffered. Lieff Cabraser served
as co-counsel in the trial. Learn
more... |
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| Nicholas Diamand Appointed To Board of Human Rights USA |
 March
31, 2008, Washington, D.C. -- Lieff Cabraser attorney Nicholas
Diamand has
been appointed to the Board of Human Rights USA. Based
in Washington, D.C. and an affiliate of the World Organization
Against Torture, Human Rights USA is dedicated to preventing
torture and other major human rights abuses through bold
and innovative litigation in U.S. courts. Human Rights
USA seeks to hold the U.S. government and corporations
accountable for not following international human rights
standards. |
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| Sharmila Murthy Discusses Predatory Lending Practices
on Nashville TV |
 March
26, 2008, Nashville, TN -- In an investigative report
on predatory lending practices, Nashville's Newschannel
5 interviewed Lieff Cabraser attorney Sharmila
Murthy about families who are unknowingly signing away their
homes. "I think
we are going to see more of these scams," said Ms.
Murthy, who has represented several clients who unknowingly
signed away the deed to their homes in an effort to avoid
foreclosure. Read the news story or watch the video here... |
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| Lieff Cabraser Attorneys
Speak at Conference on Class Actions |
 March
28, 2008, New York, NY -- Lieff Cabraser attorneys Elizabeth
J. Cabraser and Steven
E. Fineman spoke at
a conference at Benjamin N.
Cardozo School of Law in New York City. The conference,
entitled "Justice and the Role of Class Actions,"
presented a series of panels focusing on the historic value
of class actions and their contemporary application,
as well as the threats and opportunities facing the class
action system today and in the future. The conference
was sponsored by the Jacob
Burns Institute for Advanced Legal Studies, the American
Constitution Society for Law and Policy and Public
Justice. |
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| Robert J. Nelson and Scott
P. Nealey Receive California Lawyer Attorneys of the
Year (CLAY) Awards |
 February
15, 2008, San Francisco, CA -- For the second consecutive
year California Lawyer Magazine has
recognized Lieff Cabraser attorneys as California lawyers
of the year. Robert J. Nelson and Scott
P. Nealey received
CLAY awards in the category of personal injury. In a
press release, California Lawyer magazine stated: "In
one of the year’s largest personal injury verdicts,
[the attorneys] won $50 million in punitive damages,
as well as $5.2 million in compensatory damages, against
DaimlerChrysler for the wrongful death of a 38-year-old
longshoreman who suffered fatal injuries when the Dodge
Dakota he was driving ran him over after he left the
vehicle. The accident was blamed on a 'park to
reverse' defect in the automatic transmission." Learn
more about the Mraz case... |
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| Nationwide SRAM Antitrust
Lawsuits Proceed in Federal Court |
 February
14, 2008, Oakland, CA -- U.S. District Judge Claudia
Wilken denied most aspects of defendants' motions to
dismiss plaintiffs' complaints in the Static Random Access
Memory (SRAM) antitrust litigation. Plaintiffs allege
that beginning in the mid-1990's and continuing until
2006, the defendant manufacturers conspired to fix and
maintain artificially high prices for SRAM. The Court
held that the complaints contained sufficient facts to
support the allegations that defendants engaged in a
price-fixing conspiracy. Lieff Cabraser is class counsel
for indirect purchasers of SRAM. Click
here to read a copy of the Court's Order. |
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| Court Grants Preliminary Approval to Settlement in Scripps Uninsured Pricing Class Action |
 February
1, 2008, San Diego, CA -- Superior Court Judge Steven
R. Denton granted preliminary approval to the settlement
of a class action lawsuit against Scripps Health regarding
pricing and collection practices for uninsured patients
at its affiliate hospitals. "The settlement achieves
the goals of the lawsuit: a fair system of pricing for
Scripps’s uninsured patients during the Class period,
and maintenance of policies and practices designed to
ensure that this vulnerable population is treated fairly
going forward. We commend Scripps for taking a leadership
role on this important issue," stated Plaintiff's
counsel and Lieff Cabraser partner Kelly
M. Dermody. Learn
more... |
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| Lieff Cabraser maintains a network of
over twenty-five websites, including Vehicle
Injuries.com and Personal
Injury Lawyer America.com. To see the complete list
of our case- and practice area-specific websites, click
here. |
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LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN, LLP |
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| Notice: Lieff Cabraser attorneys provide legal advice and practice law for clients in federal district courts throughout the United States and in state courts where we are licensed to practice. Please read our disclaimer. |
| Copyright © 2008
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP.
No persons pictured on this website are clients
of Lieff Cabraser. |
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We are committed to advancing the rights of investors. Learn
more. |
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Learn about cases
involving price-fixing and anti-competitive conduct. |
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We
represent families of loved ones who died in airplane accidents.
Learn more. |
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We uphold civil and human rights in the U.S. and worldwide.
Learn
more. |
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We seek to halt unfair business practices that harm consumers nationwide.
Learn more. |
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Read
how we hold employers liable for discrimination and other unfair workplace practices. |
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We protect consumers and homeowners against faulty products, including
building products. Learn more. |
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We are committed to protecting our communities from exposure to
toxic materials.
Learn more. |
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