Florida Consumers and Business that Purchased Microsoft Products May Still Submit Claims for Compensation

Miami, FL -- With approval granted to a $202 million settlement of the private antitrust class action against Microsoft, Florida businesses and consumers may now submit their claims. The settlement constitutes one of the largest antitrust settlements in Florida history. Under terms of the deal, Florida consumers and businesses who purchased Microsoft products between November 16, 1995 and December 31, 2002 will be able to recoup a portion of the money they spent. The vouchers are good for four years. Please click here to obtain a claim form.

New University (UC Irvine), "Students Win A&F Discrimination Case"

          Abercrombie & Fitch, one of the nation’s largest clothing retailers, settled a $40 million race and discrimination class action lawsuit on Nov. 16 with lawyers on behalf of 16 named plaintiffs representing African-Americans, Hispanics and Asian-Americans. Among the 16 were three UCI students and one alumna, Jennifer Lu, who claims to be satisfied with the settlement. More...

The New York Times, "Abercrombie & Fitch Bias Case Is Settled"

San Francisco Chronicle, "Abercrombie & Fitch to pay $40 million to settle discrimination case"

Washington Monthly, "False Alarm: How the media helps the insurance industry and the GOP promote the myth of America's 'lawsuit crisis'"

          Last December, Newsweek featured a cover package by Stuart Taylor and Evan Thomas that blared: "Lawsuit Hell: Doctors. Teachers. Coaches. Ministers. They all share a common fear: being sued on the job." Paired with a weeklong tie-in on NBC News and online chats on MSNBC.com, the article claimed that because "Americans will sue each other at the slightest provocation," the country is suffering from an "onslaught of litigation" that costs Americans $200 billion a year. The story as published, though, lacks a few critical details. More...

Settlement Reached with Toshiba for Notebook Screen Flicker

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP announced today that it has negotiated a settlement with Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. to provide relief for owners of certain Toshiba Notebook computers with screens that tend to flicker or dim. The relief includes a cash refund for those who had the problem fixed by Toshiba or a Toshiba authorized dealer and an extension of the warranty for the computers subject to the settlement. For more detailed information on the settlement, click here.

The Recorder, "Blood Feud"

          Two decades after hemophiliacs first accused four drug makers of intentionally selling them HIV-contaminated blood products, lawyers from Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein are seeking class status for at least 2,000 U.S. and foreign plaintiffs who say they suffered similar damages. More...

Vioxx Recalled Due to Heart Attack and Stroke Risk

The international prescription drug company Merck announced the recall of its arthritis and pain medication Vioxx because of evidence of an increased risk of heart attack and stroke in long-term users. Vioxx (sold in some countries under the name Ceoxx) has been prescribed to over two million patients worldwide. Persons that have suffered serious injuries after being prescribed Vioxx should visit www.vioxxlegalresources.com to learn about their legal rights and contact a Lieff Cabraser attorney.

The Daily Journal Selects Elizabeth J. Cabraser as One of California’s Top 100 Lawyers

The statewide legal publication The Daily Journal honored Elizabeth J. Cabraser again as one of the top 100 lawyers in California. The Daily Journal, which collected 1,500 votes from the California legal community to make its selections, noted Ms. Cabraser’s work in 2004 as Lead Counsel for persons with hemophilia from around the world infected with HIV and hepatitis and pursuing class actions against non-profit hospitals for allegedly charging indigent patients higher rates than insured patients.

San Francisco Chronicle, "Charity care flareup; Pressure mounts on hospitals over health billings"

          Pressure on California hospitals to offer discounted care to patients without health insurance increased this week with the filing of a lawsuit against a major hospital system and release of a study on charity care practices. The suit, filed in San Francisco County Superior Court, accuses Sutter Health of gouging the uninsured by charging them "unfair, unreasonable and inflated" prices. The suit is similar to one filed against Sutter in Alameda County Superior Court in June. More...

Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Selected as "Super Lawyers"

Surpassing all other plaintiffs’ law firms in Northern California, eight Lieff Cabraser attorneys were designated as "Super Lawyers" by the publishers of Law & Politics. Awardees were selected based on a survey of 50,000 attorneys in Northern California followed by review by a blue ribbon panel. Robert L. Lieff commented, “While all of our attorneys provide outstanding service to our clients, we are proud to have such a significant representation in the list of Northern California Super Lawyers.” The Lieff Cabraser attorneys receiving the award were Donald C. Arbitblit, William Bernstein, Elizabeth J. Cabraser, Kelly M. Dermody, James M. Finberg, Richard M. Heimann, Bill Lann Lee and Robert J. Nelson.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Families settle crematory suit for $80 million"

          Operators of the Tri-State Crematory agreed Thursday that $80 million should be paid to families of the hundreds of uncremated bodies found strewn around the facility more than two years ago. Representatives of crematory operator Ray Brent Marsh, his father's estate and about 1,700 plaintiff family members agreed to an out-of-court-settlement in a civil trial over the Walker County facility, where 334 uncremated bodies were found in the winter of 2002. More...

Los Angeles Times, "Crematory Ignored 'Sacred' Obligation, Court Told"

          The onetime operators of the Tri-State Crematory -- where hundreds of rotting bodies were discovered in 2002 -- ignored their "sacred obligation" of caring for the dead, a plaintiffs' attorney said Wednesday as a civil trial got underway. "Duty, responsibility and respect -- that's what the case boils down to," said [Lieff Cabraser attorney] Kathryn Barnett, who is representing nearly 1,700 family members. The Marsh family, which ran the now-closed facility, "treated the remains as no more special than a piece of gravel or a blade of grass," Barnett said. More...

Associated Press, "Lawyer Slams Crematory Operators at Trial"

          The former operators of a Georgia crematory where hundreds of bodies were improperly disposed showed no respect for the dead, attorneys for nearly 1,700 family members said at the start of a civil trial in the case. "These bodies were buried in mass graves, dumped in vaults" and "strewn across the grounds," said Kathryn Barnett, an attorney for the families. More...

The American Banker, "First Data, Banks Facing Calif. Suit Over ATM Charges"

          Cities and states have tried banning them. Consumer groups have mounted legal and moral challenges. Grassroots protests against them have failed. But that has not deterred a handful of Californians from filing what they hope will become a class action against automated teller machine interchange -- specifically, against six large banks and First Data Corp. More...

Washington Post, "Costco Is the Latest Class-Action Target"

          In a case filed yesterday in San Francisco, a Costco assistant warehouse manager alleged that the Issaquah, Wash., retailer did not announce openings for higher-paying managerial jobs, relying instead on a "tap on the shoulder" by top-level male executives to pick other men for higher-level positions. Although Costco's U.S. workforce of 78,000 is nearly 50 percent female, fewer than 1 in 6 senior managers are women, according to the lawsuit, which seeks to represent about 650 women. More...

National Gender Bias Class Action Suit Filed Against Costco

          On behalf of Shirley “Rae” Ellis, an assistant manager with Costco, The Impact Fund, Lieff Cabraser and co-counsel filed a nationwide class action lawsuit against Costco Wholesale Corporation. More...

Reuters, "Costco Target of Sex Bias Lawsuit"

          Lawyers leading a record-setting sex discrimination case against Wal-Mart Stores said on Tuesday they filed a lawsuit against Costco Wholesale Corp., claiming the company kept women out of top store management posts. More...

Philadelphia Inquirer, "Lawsuits against hospitals spiking"

          Mississippi plaintiff lawyer Richard Scruggs says he is trying to solve the nation's crisis of uninsured patients. In recent months, more than 350 hospitals - including 15 in this area - have been sued in state and federal courts for allegedly overcharging uninsured patients and using aggressive tactics to collect the bills. More...

To learn more this litigation, click here.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Uninsured win $150 million pact"

          A large Mississippi-based hospital system announced Thursday that it reached a landmark agreement, valued at up to $150 million, with a group of attorneys to provide free and discounted care for patients without health insurance. The agreement could put pressure on at least 40 other nonprofit hospital systems, including seven in Georgia, which have been sued for allegedly overcharging uninsured patients and then aggressively seeking payment. More...

Tri-City Herald (Washington), "Large vans focus of lawsuit"

          Tim and Frances Bardessono couldn't help but notice the large number of 15-passenger vans on the road as the Prosser couple drove to Seattle. Their daughter, Corinne Bardessono, 15, was killed in December when the 15-passenger Ford van she was riding in hit black ice on Highway 395 near Ritzville and rolled. Belen Campos, 17, also died in the accident. The two girls were classmates at Prosser High School. More...

Note: Lieff Cabraser maintains a stand-alone website devoted to vehicle injuries and legal issues relating thereto. To visit this site, click here.

San Jose Mercury News, "Honda lending bias reported; Study: Blacks Paid More for Car Loans"

          American Honda Finance discriminated against African-American and Latino car buyers from 1999 to 2003 by allowing Honda dealers to charge them higher car loan costs than they charged comparable white buyers, according to a study by a Vanderbilt University business professor. American Honda Motor, of Torrance, denied the allegations in a statement issued Tuesday on behalf of its lending subsidiary, American Honda Finance. More...

National Law Journal Again Selects Lieff Cabraser As One Of The Nation's Top Plaintiffs' Firms

In its second annual list of exemplary plaintiffs’ litigation firms, the National Law Journal selected Lieff Cabraser as one of the nation’s top 20 plaintiffs’ firms. Lieff Cabraser was also selected last year. Over the past year, Lieff Cabraser has achieved a series of remarkable settlements and trial victories on behalf of consumers, businesses, employees, patients and homeowners. In 2004, our firm has already taken two class action lawsuits to trial, entering into favorable settlements after the presentation of evidence in each case, and is in trial in a third case. To learn more about Lieff Cabraser, click here.

Lieff Cabraser Obtains Awards for Victims of September 11th Terrorist Attacks

Lieff Cabraser represented pro bono seven victims and their decedents in hearings before the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, obtaining compensatory awards totaling over $5 million. The Fund was established by Congress as an alternative to traditional state and federal court remedies. "In the aftermath of the attacks, each one of us searched for ways to lend a hand. We were honored to use our legal skills to help secure awards for these individuals who had been through so much," stated Lieff Cabraser partner Paulina do Amaral. To read more about this effort and Lieff Cabraser's pro bono cases, click here.

Appellate Court Permits Cipro Antitrust Litigation to Proceed as Class Action

          The California Court of Appeal upheld in main part the trial court's grant of class certification of an antitrust and unfair competition action against Bayer Corporation, Barr Laboratories, two other generic drug companies, and other defendants involving Cipro, the top selling antibiotic in the world. Plaintiffs, all purchasers of Cipro, assert that Bayer, the maker of Cipro, and the other defendants colluded to block access to adequate supplies of Cipro and bring cheaper, generic versions of the drug to the market. More...

Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Trial lawyers suffer a lack of respect -- until they're needed"

          Bush campaign spinners have been bashing trial lawyers as a bunch of "ambulance chasers" since John Kerry picked former trial lawyer John Edwards as his vice-presidential nominee. And that doesn't surprise attorneys like Seattle's Jan Eric Peterson. But it sure steams one of his young clients who wonders, without trial lawyers, how many other kids like himself would have dive-boarded into too-shallow pools and come up paralyzed for life? Or how many babies would have died from overly aggressive auto air bags? Or awakened as amputees from defective lap seat belts? More...

San Francisco Chronicle, "$72,000 bill for 38 hours; Hospital tab for uninsured often several times the insured rate"

          When Barry Kushner got into a car accident last year that fractured his arm and left him unconscious, he didn't realize his bad break was just beginning. About four months shy of the Medicare-eligible age of 65 and without health insurance, Kushner underwent head trauma evaluation and surgery to repair his arm at Marin General Hospital, where he spent about 38 hours. More...

Courthouse News, "Suit Says Banks Overcharge ATM Users"

          Several of the nation's largest banks and automatic teller machine (ATM) network companies have been hit with a class action antitrust lawsuit in California Federal Court that claims the banks have conspired to double-charge ATM patrons when they withdraw funds from ATMs not owned by the users' bank. More...

Elizabeth Cabraser Joins Lawyers Committee of National Court Reform Organization

Elizabeth J. Cabraser, partner at Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, has joined the National Center for State Courts' Lawyers Committee, which involves prominent practicing attorneys in the National Center's work and programs. Committee members serve in a leadership role with a commitment to support the National Center's mission to actively participate in outreach to the bench, bar and the legal community, and to encourage support for the National Center's programs and initiatives. For more information, click here.

The Recorder, "Plaintiffs bar checking in to hospitals"

          In the past two weeks, plaintiffs firms have filed 19 class actions against not-for-profit hospitals, claiming they are charging uninsured patients as much as 300 percent more than they charge their insured patients. Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein and the Scruggs Law Firm filed the most recent suit Wednesday against Sutter Health. The complaint, filed in the Northern District of California, alleges that Sutter is breaching its obligation to provide charitable health care to uninsured patients in return for substantial tax exemptions. More...

Alameda Times-Star, "Sutter Health accused of overcharging"

          An uninsured Berkeley man is the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday against Sutter Health that alleges the hospital system overcharges the uninsured. The suit contends that nonprofit Sutter Health, with hospitals across Northern California, has breached its obligation to provide charitable care to the uninsured -- a condition of its tax-exempt status. The complaint also alleges that Sutter Health aggressively pursues uninsured patients to collect fees, such as taking legal action that results in garnished wages and bankruptcies. More...

Lawsuit Alleges Sutter Health Charges Uninsured Patients Unfair and Unreasonable Prices

An uninsured patient has filed suit on behalf of Sutter Health's uninsured patients against Sutter Health, one of the largest nonprofit healthcare systems in the United States, for breaching its obligations to provide healthcare at fair and reasonable cost to uninsured patients in return for substantial tax exemptions. The complaint alleges that Sutter Health charges uninsured patients prices for medical care that are far in excess of those charged to its insured patients. Lieff Cabraser serves as co-counsel for the plaintiff. To learn more about the class action lawsuit, click here.

Associated Press, "Sutter Health accused of billing uninsured more than insured"

          California hospital chain Sutter Health was the target of a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday alleging it charges the uninsured more than insured patients. The suit, one of dozens challenging industry billing practices nationwide, says the Sacramento-based chain does not live up to its nonprofit, charitable tax-exempt status. More...

New York Times, "Cooking up a [medical malpractice] crisis"

          If you hear something enough times from people in authority, you tend to believe it. The tort reform zealots -- including doctors, insurance company executives and legions of politicians across the country -- have been hammering away at the idea that crackpot jury awards and lawsuits from undeserving patients are driving up the costs of health care and driving good doctors out of their profession. More...

Employees Charge A&P, The Food Emporium and Waldbaum’s With Failing to Pay Overtime Wages

New York, NY, June 24, 2004 – Lieff Cabraser, with co-counsel, filed a class action lawsuit against the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc., which operates A&P, The Food Emporium and Waldbaum’s. The plaintiffs, former employees of the supermarkets, charge that the chains fail to pay employees overtime wages and delete hours actually worked from time records in violation of New York labor law. To learn more, click here.

Forbes, "Hedge Hell"

          Alex Brown likes to steep itself in its two centuries of history, proud to have financed the nation's first water utilities and railroads. But two new lawsuits paint a disturbingly different picture of America's oldest investment bank, alleging fraud, mismanagement, inept options trading and conflicts of interest. Even more surprising is the source of the suits: several dozen executives at Yahoo, Ask Jeeves and other big-name firms. More...

New York Times, "Malpractice Myths" [Op-Ed]

          The power brokers obsessed with tort reform really have the jargon down. They travel the country with overheated stories about runaway juries and jackpot justice. The way they tell it, sinister lawyers and opportunistic plaintiffs are on the hunt, preying on virtuous corporations, hospitals and doctors in search of that big payout from the lawsuit lottery. So it's interesting to hear the following from the Center for Justice and Democracy, a consumer advocacy group... More....

New York Times, "Malpractice Suits Not So Frivolous"

          President Bush traveled to Youngstown, Ohio, a few weeks ago to talk about health care, and before long he was reprising his complaint about "junk and frivolous" malpractice suits, which he said are discouraging good doctors from practicing medicine. If Mr. Bush was looking for an example of a doctor who was victimized by frivolous lawsuits, Dr. Girdharry was not a great choice. Since the early 1990s, he has settled lawsuits and agreed to the payment of damages in a number of malpractice cases in which patients suffered horrible injuries. More...

Chattanooga Times Free Press, "Microsoft gives rebates as part of settlement"

          A $64 million state settlement with Microsoft over antitrust charges gives residents a chance at $5 to $10 rebates on the purchase of new products, authorities said. More...

Los Angeles Times, "Longs to Settle Two Overtime Lawsuits"

          Longs Drug Stores Corp. said Tuesday that it expected to pay $11 million to settle two lawsuits involving alleged underpayment of store managers in California, a move that would eliminate much of the company's expected second-quarter profit. The lawsuits, which seek class-action status, were filed on behalf of managers and assistant managers who claimed that they were unfairly categorized as exempt from overtime pay when, for the most part, they performed the same duties as workers who were paid by the hour, attorneys for the plaintiffs said. More...

Federal Regulators Issue New Safety Warning for 15-Passenger Vans

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued its third consumer advisory on large vans in four years. The new warning shows far greater risks than previous government research suggested. When filled with passengers or driven above 50 miles an hour, the vehicles become substantially more unstable than SUVs or pickup trucks. Lieff Cabraser represents injured persons and families of loved ones who have died in accidents involving 15 seat vans. To learn more about the safety risks of large vans and this litigation, click here.

Investors Allege Fraudulent Conduct by Deutsche Bank and DC Investment Partners

May 25, 2004, Wilmington, DE -- On behalf of investors in two investment funds controlled, managed and operated by Deutsche Bank and advised by DC Investment Partners, Lieff Cabraser filed lawsuits for alleged fraudulent conduct that resulted in an aggregate loss of hundreds of millions of dollars. The suits name as defendants Deutsche Bank and its subsidiaries Alex. Brown Management Services and Deutsche Bank Securities, members of the funds’ management committee, as well as DC Investment Partners and two of its principals. Among the plaintiff-investors are a number of founders and CEOs of prominent private and publicly traded companies.

Wall Street Journal, "Investor Suit Alleges Deutsche Bank Failed To Diversify"

          A number of investors in two former Deutsche Bank AG investment funds filed suit against the company and several of its units, alleging mismanagement and concealment of material adverse information. The lawsuits, which seek compensatory and punitive damages, name Deutsche Bank and its units Alex.Brown Management Services and Deutsche Bank Securities, as well as members of the funds' management committee. In addition, the suits name the sub-adviser to the funds, DC Investment Partners, and two of its managing members and part owners. More...

$45 Million Settlement Approved in Louisiana Crawfish Farmers’ Pesticide Suit

Judge James T. Genovese, of the 27th Judicial District Court, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, granted final approval to a $45 million settlement in a class action lawsuit by over 1,500 crawfish farmers in Louisiana. The farmers filed suit against Bayer CropScience LP and sellers of the pesticide ICON (active ingredient "fipronil") for losses in their pond-grown crawfish crops allegedly caused by the pesticide. The settlement was reached after the parties had presented nearly a month’s worth of evidence at trial, and were on the verge of making closing arguments to the jury. To learn more about this case, please click here.

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Leading Employment Staffing Firm

With co-counsel, Lieff Cabraser filed a class action complaint against Adecco USA, Inc., one of the nation’s largest employment staffing agencies. The complaint charges that Adecco utilizes an illegal "use-it-or-lose-it" vacation policy, whereby it refuses to pay its workers vacation time that they accrue but do not use prior to the end of each calendar year, in violation of the California Labor Code. To learn more about this lawsuit, click here.

The Wall Street Journal, "New Rules for Overtime Pay Are Based on Salaries, Duties"

          Are you entitled to overtime pay? For many workers, the answer could change over the next few months. Last week, the U.S. Labor Department announced the first major reworking of the Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime-exemption rules in 50 years. The new rules provide guidance for overtime eligibility -- one of the most tangled employment issues in recent years -- based on salary levels as well as the duties that workers regularly perform on the job. More...

Consumer Fraud Case Against Abbott Laboratories Returned to State Court

East St. Louis, Ill -- Consumers obtained a significant procedural victory in a proposed class action lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories, Inc. The plaintiffs, disabled patients who cannot feed themselves, allege that Abbott and its division Ross Products schemed to inflate the price paid by Medicare for feeding pumps and other feeding equipment which resulted in tens of thousands of patients nationwide paying higher co-payments for the medical devices. U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. Reagan ruled that the lawsuit was properly filed in Illinois state court and improperly removed to federal court by Abbott. Lieff Cabraser serves as co-lead counsel in the litigation.

Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho), "Slender at a price... Diet Drugs Users Seek Compensation for Heart Damage"

          After a lifetime of battling her weight, Shannon Stromberg was finally free from the 100 excess pounds that once bound her. Eight sizes smaller, she no longer had to shop for clothes in the large women's department. Lighter on her feet, she could do things that before she could only imagine. She kept up with two active toddlers and still had energy to spare. Exercise was no longer drudgery, but something she looked forward to. She even joined a gym. At 25, Stromberg felt as though she had started a whole new life. With the help of a popular diet drug cocktail called "Fen-Phen," Stromberg had finally won the war. "I felt wonderful," she said. "My whole attitude changed. I had more self-confidence." More...

Alaska Attorney General and Lieff Cabraser File Securities Fraud Lawsuit Against America Online and Time Warner

Alaska Attorney General Gregg Renkes filed a complaint in Alaska state court against America Online, Inc. ("AOL"), Time Warner, Inc. (formerly known as AOL Time Warner ("AOLTW")) and several other defendants. The complaint alleges that various State of Alaska funds incurred substantial losses in their investments in AOL, Time Warner, and AOLTW stock because the defendants misrepresented AOL's and AOLTW's revenues and subscriber numbers before and after the merger of AOL and Time Warner. "We are no longer going to rely on the federal courts located in far flung jurisdictions to protect our interests," stated Attorney General Gregg Renkes. "The defendants' actions violated Alaska’s state law and so we are seeking recovery right here in the Juneau Superior Court." Lieff Cabraser is serving as co-counsel for the Alaska Department of Law. To learn more about this litigation, click here.

James M. Finberg and Kelly M. Dermody Included in List of Top Bay Area Employment Attorneys

San Francisco, CA -- In its survey of top employment law attorneys, based on interviews with attorneys, mediators and corporate clients exceptionally knowledgeable about employment litigation, the San Francisco Bay Area legal newspaper The Recorder stated that Lieff Cabraser partners James M. Finberg and Kelly M. Dermody “have earned respect for their class action successes.” Mr. Finberg also was identified by The Recorder in November 2003 as the Bay Area's top plaintiffs' securities litigator. To learn more about Lieff Cabraser’s work on behalf of employees nationwide, please click here.

Contra Costa Times, "Longs slapped with overtime lawsuit"

          Three Alameda County store managers contend Longs Drug Stores Corp. improperly denied them overtime pay -- the latest in a spate of such lawsuits to hit California retailers. Darien Goddard, William Swift and Michael Anselmo allege Longs misclassified them as exempt from overtime pay when they spent more than half of their time performing basic duties, from stocking shelves to manning the cash register. More...

Note: To read more about the Long Drugs overtime pay lawsuit, click here.

Court Grants Preliminary Approval to Resolution of Tri-State Crematory Litigation

Plaintiffs’ counsel in the Federal Tri-State Crematory Litigation announced today that they had resolved all claims against defendants for approximately $40 million subject to final court approval. In addition, once the criminal case against the crematory owners is resolved, the crematory buildings and sheds will be torn down, and the property returned to a natural condition in perpetuity to honor the families. To learn more about the Tri-State case and read the statement in full, please click here.

Lieff Cabraser Files Amicus Brief on Behalf of World Jewish Congress and American Jewish Committee Before U.S. Supreme Court

Washington, D.C. -- Lieff Cabraser, with co-counsel, filed a brief amicus curiae on behalf of the World Jewish Congress ("WJC") and the American Jewish Committee ("AJC") in a case addressing whether foreign victims of human rights abuses can file suit in U.S. courts under the Alien Tort Claims Act ("ATCA"). Lieff Cabraser was one of the lead counsel who prosecuted and favorably resolved world-wide class actions for Holocaust victims and survivors. The ATCA served as a jurisdictional basis for these cases against Swiss, German and Austrian banks, insurers, manufacturers, and other institutions accused of converting Holocaust victim assets, participating in Nazi slave and forced labor programs, and/or other human rights violations. The WJC and the AJC, concerned about making sure all victims of human rights abuse have every avenue of redress available to them, filed the brief to preserve the rights of victims under the ATCA. To read a copy of the amicus brief (in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format), click here.

The New York Times, "U.S. and New York Look at Annuity Sale Practices"

          Regulators in New York and the federal government are expanding their investigations into the insurance industry to include certain sales of investments that produce new commissions for sales representatives but can be harmful to customers. The new avenue in the inquiries, according to regulators, involves so-called churning, or the unnecessary replacement, of old variable annuities with new ones. Variable annuities are a combination of insurance and stock and bond funds virtually identical to mutual funds. Churning can cost the customer up to 7 percent of an investment, increase restrictions on future withdrawals and, in some cases, add to taxes, investigators say. More...

Lieff Cabraser Files Amicus Brief by the Nation's Leading Human Rights Groups Before the U.S. Supreme Court

February 24, 2004, Washington, D.C. -- Representing The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (now known as Human Rights First), Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International USA, Lieff Cabraser, with The Lawyers Committee, filed an amicus brief on behalf of Daniel Benitez, an alien detained by the federal government. The human rights groups argue that the indefinite detention of aliens without permitting them a meaningful opportunity to challenge their detention in court violates international law, and U.S. law on the detention of aliens must be interpreted to comply with international law. To read a copy of the amicus brief, click here [in Adobe Acrobat pdf format].

Court Grants Final Approval to United Airlines Gender Discrimination Class Action Settlement

February 11, 2004, San Francisco, CA -- U.S. District Court Judge Martin Jenkins granted final approval to a $36.5 million settlement in a class action lawsuit against United Airlines by female flight attendants. Until 1994, defendant United Airlines required flight attendants to comply with maximum weight requirements based on sex, height and age. Failure to maintain weight below the applicable maximum subjected a flight attendant to various forms of discipline, including suspension without pay and termination. The class action forced United to end the weight requirements, which were found to be facially discriminatory against women by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Claim forms have been mailed to class members and must be completed by March 15, 2004.

Associated Press, "New rollover test puts Ford SUV at bottom of list"

          The Ford Explorer Sport Trac got the worst rating among 14 vehicles subjected to a new government safety test designed to predict the likelihood of a rollover during a sharp turn. The federal auto-safety agency, which announced the ratings Wednesday, uses a system in which five stars is the best score and means the likelihood of rollover is less than 10 percent. More...

          For the first time, some truck-based sport utility vehicles received as many as four out of five stars in rollover ratings, according to 2004 model ratings released yesterday by federal regulators. But the higher ratings may not necessarily mean the vehicles have become safer, because the government has changed the way it tests them. More...

The Detroit News, "Ford Explorer plagued by lawsuits; Majority of cases settled out of court, company says"

$4.5 Billion Punitive Damages Award Against Exxon Reinstated

Anchorage, AK -- U.S. District Court Judge H. Russell Holland reinstated the punitive damages award imposed against Exxon Corporation for the grounding of the Exxon Valdez in 1989. The court found that Exxon's recklessness gravely affected the livelihood of thousands of persons and that "the social fabric of Prince William Sound and Lower Cook Inlet was torn apart." The court held that a punitive damages award of $4.5 billion plus $2.25 billion in interest was in accordance with U.S. Supreme Court authority. To read Judge Holland's order, click here. Lieff Cabraser serves as co-class counsel for the plaintiff class of 32,000 fisherman, Alaska natives, landowners and others whose livelihoods were gravely affected by the disaster.

The New York Times, "In-House Audit Says Wal-Mart Violated Labor Laws"

          An internal audit now under court seal warned top executives at Wal-Mart Stores three years ago that employee records at 128 stores pointed to extensive violations of child-labor laws and state regulations requiring time for breaks and meals. The audit of one week's time-clock records for roughly 25,000 employees found 1,371 instances in which minors apparently worked too late at night, worked during school hours or worked too many hours in a day. It also found 60,767 apparent instances of workers not taking breaks, and 15,705 apparent instances of employees working through meal times. More...

To learn more about litigation against Wal-Mart, click here.

New York Times Reports In-House Audit Says Wal-Mart Violated Labor Laws

New York, NY -- As reported in the New York Times, an internal audit warned top executives at Wal-Mart three years ago that employee records at 128 stores pointed to extensive violations of child-labor laws and state regulations requiring time for breaks and meals. "[Wal-Mart's] own analysis confirms that they have a pattern and practice of making their employees work through their breaks and lunch on a regular basis." To learn more about Lieff Cabraser's litigation against Wal-Mart, click here.

Florida Consumers and Business that Purchased Microsoft Products May Now Submit Claims for Compensation

Miami, FL -- With approval granted to a $202 million settlement of the private antitrust class action against Microsoft, Florida businesses and consumers may now submit their claims. The settlement constitutes one of the largest antitrust settlements in Florida history. Under terms of the deal, Florida consumers and businesses who purchased Microsoft products between November 16, 1995 and December 31, 2002 will be able to recoup a portion of the money they spent. The vouchers are good for four years. Please click here to obtain a claim form.

Amended Complaint Filed in CSC Overtime Pay Lawsuit

Los Angeles, CA -- Lieff Cabraser, with co-counsel, filed an amended federal class action lawsuit charging that global IT conglomerate Computer Sciences Corporation has a common practice of refusing to pay overtime compensation to its computer maintenance and service workers in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The amended complaint adds wage and hour claims under state laws of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina and Washington. To learn more about this case, click here.

Federal Court Rules Against Manufacturer of OxyContin in Patent Litigation

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. District Court Judge Sidney H. Stein ruled that Purdue Pharma, the maker of the highly profitable painkiller OxyContin, deliberately misled federal officials to win patents protecting its drug. Purdue Pharma derives more than 70 percent of its $1.8 billion in annual revenue from OxyContin. By allegedly delaying the introduction of generic versions of OxyContin onto the market through illegal means, patients paid higher prices for the drug. Persons prescribed OxyContin that wish to learn more about their legal rights, should click here.