California Micro Devices

Result: $31 million settlement
Year: 2001

In re California Micro Devices Securities Fraud Litigation

Lieff Cabraser served as Liaison Counsel for the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, and the class they represented.

Prior to 2001, the Court approved $19 million in settlements. In May 2001, the Court approved an additional settlement of $12 million, which, combined with the earlier settlements, provided class members an almost complete return on their losses.

The settlement with the company included multi-million dollar contributions by the former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.

Commenting in 2001 on Lieff Cabraser’s work in Cal Micro Devices, U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn R. Walker stated,

It is highly unusual for a class action in the securities area to recover anywhere close to the percentage of loss that has been recovered here, and counsel and the lead plaintiffs have done an admirable job in bringing about this most satisfactory conclusion of the litigation.

One year later, in a related proceeding and in response to the statement that the class had received nearly a 100% recovery, Judge Walker observed,

That’s pretty remarkable. In these cases, 25 cents on the dollar is considered to be a magnificent recovery, and this is [almost] a hundred percent.