Representative Matters

• International Real Estate PLC v. Oaktree Capital Management, LLC, Case No. BC 324973 (Cal. Super. Ct. Los Angeles Cnty.).  International Real Estate (a public company with shares listed on the London Stock Exchange) retained Johnson Fistel to pursue claims for breach of fiduciary duty against former directors of a joint venture company. That case involved alleged damages of approximately $20 million, and after years of aggressive litigation and a mediation, ultimately settled on favorable terms to International Real Estate.  See testimonial from the firm’s client, Rolf L. Nordstrom, under Testimonials.
• Doe Shipping Company v. John Doe ( Super. Ct. San Diego Cnty.). A national shipping company retained Johnson Fistel after a former employee left the company with customer lists, other employees, and other confidential information.  Johnson Fistel filed a complaint alleging claims for fraud, breach of contract, and misappropriation of trade secrets, among others.  After a series of depositions and the threat of putting the defendants out of business, Johnson Fistel assisted the company in obtaining a resolution that restricted the former employee from doing business with certain of the company’s clients, protected the company’s trade secrets, and provided for a significant monetary payment to the company.
• Liebsohn, et al. v. Augme Technologies, Inc., et al., Case No. 13-2-40007-3 SEA (Wash. Ct. King Cnty.).  Johnson Fistel represented a group of 47 high net worth investors who were defrauded into trading their stock in a privately-held company for stock in a publicly-traded company. After defeating several motions to dismiss and a petition for discretionary review by the Washington Court of Appeals, Johnson Fistel obtained a highly-favorable confidential settlement from the defendants’ insurance carrier on February 2, 2016.
• John Doe v. Doe Hedge Fund (Super. Ct. San Diego Cnty.). Johnson Fistel defended one of the world’s most successful hedge funds and its manager against meritless claims of fraud.  After aggressively defending the matter, the plaintiff accepted a nuisance value settlement that was less than the cost of defense.

• Healthy Life Marketing, LLC, et al. v. Jaime Brenkus’ Sound Body, Inc., Case No. GIC822927 (Cal. Super. Ct. San Diego Cnty.).  On behalf of a marketing firm, Johnson Fistel pursued claims for breach of contract and fraud against the manufacturer of a weight loss product. After a week-long jury trial, the jury returned a seven-figure verdict in favor of Johnson Fistel’s client, including actual and punitive damages.  See Noteworthy Success Stories and testimonials from the firm’s client, Ronald T. Fricke, and the firm’s co-counsel, Gerald J. Stubenhofer, Esq., under Testimonials.
• DCI Solutions v. Urban Outfitters, (S.D. Cal).  Johnson Fistel represented a small local consulting firm in a case against one of the nation’s largest clothing retailers in a matter that would have forced the company into bankruptcy if it lost. Following a week-long trial in federal court, the jury returned a verdict rejecting the retailer’s $1.5 million damage claim in its entirety.  Johnson Fistel also prevailed on all of Urban Outfitter’s post-trial motions. See testimonial from the firm’s client, James Baker, under Testimonials.
• Timeshare Resale Alliance v. Fleming, et al., (San Diego Cnty. Arbitration). Johnson Fistel successfully defended a real-estate broker accused of stealing her former employer’s alleged trade secrets.  Following a week-long arbitration, the arbitrator issued an order completely exonerating Johnson Fistel’s client.
• Mary Joe v. Jane Doe ( Super. Ct. San Diego Cnty.).  Johnson Fistel represented the minority shareholder of a small family corporation to pursue claims against the other shareholders who wasted millions of dollars of corporate assets by using those assets to pay for their personal expenses. The client retained Johnson Fistel to substitute into the case just two months before trial.  On day four of a five-day trial, defendants agreed to settle the case.

• In re Powerwave Technologies, Inc., Case No. 13-10134 (MFW) (Bankr. D. Del.). On behalf of a shareholder client, Johnson Fistel filed a shareholder derivative action in a California Superior Court alleging that certain of Powerwave’s officers and directors had affirmatively engaged in improper accounting to conceal the company’s true financial condition.  Shortly after filing this action, Powerwave filed for bankruptcy and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court appointed a Chapter 7 Trustee.  The Bankruptcy Court appointed Johnson Fistel as special counsel to represent the Trustee to prosecute these claims as assets of the estate.  After nearly two years of litigation, Johnson Fistel secured a settlement that included payment of $5.5 million for the benefit of the estate in bankruptcy.
• Rubin v. Reinhard, Case No. 37-2008-00091039-CU-NP-CTL (Cal. Super. Ct. San Diego Cnty.).  Johnson Fistel was sole Lead Counsel in this derivative lawsuit. After the company filed a petition for relief under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, the Bankruptcy Trustee retained Johnson Fistel as special litigation counsel to prosecute claims for breach of fiduciary duty against certain officers and directors.  After several years of hard-fought litigation, the Estate in Bankruptcy settled recovering $3 million.  In approving the settlement, the Bankruptcy Court judge remarked: “The Court thanks [Johnson Fistel] for its outstanding work on behalf of the Chapter 7 Trustee and the Estate.” See full testimonial from the Honorable Laura S. Taylor under Testimonials.
• In re Southern Company Shareholder Derivative Litigation, No. 1:17-cv-00725-MHC (N.D. Ga.).  Johnson Fistel served as Lead Counsel in this shareholder derivative action filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against certain current and former officers and directors of Southern Company for breaches of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment, and corporate waste.  After over five years of hard-fought litigation, the action settled on terms including corporate reforms valued by one expert as having the potential to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in value to the company.  In approving the settlement on June 9, 2022, U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen praised Johnson Fistel for its diligence and efforts in the case and described the settlement as “the product of hard-fought, arm’s-length negotiations by prepared, skilled, and experienced counsel” who are “nationally recognized leaders in shareholder litigation.” 
• In re HD Supply Holdings, Inc. Derivative Litigation, Lead Case No. 1:17-cv-02977-MLB (N.D. Ga.).  Johnson Fistel was appointed Co-Lead Counsel in a stockholder derivative action brought on behalf of HD Supply alleging, among other things, that certain executives and directors of HD Supply violated federal and state law by making false and misleading statements to investors, thereby artificially inflating the stock price.  The complaint filed in the action also alleges that while the price of HD Supply stock was artificially inflated, certain corporate insiders engaged in unlawful insider trading of their personally-held HD Supply stock holdings.  In its role as Co-Lead Counsel, Johnson Fistel helped to secure a settlement which provided HD Supply with significant benefits, including helping to preserve tens of millions of dollars in corporate assets in connection with the company’s settlement of a related securities class action that was funded exclusively by insurance proceeds rather than corporate funds, as well as causing the adoption of important corporate reforms, including reforms to the company’s insider trading policy.
• In re CoreCivic, Inc. Shareholder Derivative Litigation, Lead Case No. 3:16-cv-03040 (M.D. Tenn.).  Johnson Fistel was appointed Co-Lead Counsel in a shareholder derivative action brought on behalf of CoreCivic, Inc. alleging, among other things, that certain officers and directors of CoreCivic violated federal and state law by making false and misleading statements to investors concerning CoreCivic’s history of quality, savings, and compliance at Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities, causing its common stock to be traded at artificially inflated levels. Following six years of litigation, Johnson Fistel as co-lead counsel was able to negotiate a global resolution of this multi-jurisdictional litigation whereby the Company would adopt for a period of no less than four years significant operational and board-level reforms related to the Company’s staffing policies and procedures, inmate safety and security policies and procedures, and healthcare services policies and procedures; improves risk and compliance controls and oversight; improves disclosure procedures and controls designed to ensure Board- and appropriate management-level oversight and the issuance of timely and accurate SEC filings, press releases, and other public disclosures; enhances Board independence requirements to ensure effective and disinterested decision-making and oversight by the Board; improves the Company’s Whistleblower and Recoupment Policies; and overall increases transparency concerning the Company’s corporate governance, policies, practices, and procedures.  In approving the settlement, The Hon. Aleta A. Trauger stated that she was “impressed with the overall settlement terms” and that she knew the negotiations were “hard fought.”
• Gendrich v. Anderson et al., Civil Action No. CV-2020-07-2107 (Ct. of Common Pleas, Summit Cnty., Ohio) (FirstEnergy, Inc. Derivative Litig.).  Johnson Fistel was appointed as Co-Lead Counsel in this shareholder derivative litigation brought on behalf of FirstEnergy, Inc.  The case arose out of what the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio described as “likely the largest bribery, money laundering scheme ever perpetrated against the people of the state of Ohio.”  Johnson Fistel served as lead negotiator on behalf of the state court  derivative action and helped achieve a historic settlement on behalf of FirstEnergy which included a cash payment to the Company of $180 million (less court-approved attorneys’ fees) and substantial corporate reforms including the agreement that six of the company’s then directors who were on the board a minimum of five years would not stand for re-election to the board as well as additional reforms relating to the Company’s political spending and lobbying.
• In re: Twitter, Inc. Shareholder Derivative Litigation (n/k/a X), C.A. No. 18-062 (D. Del.).  Johnson Fistel was appointed Co-Lead Counsel in a shareholder derivative action brought on behalf Twitter, Inc., alleging, among other things, that certain officers and directors of Twitter caused the company to make false and misleading statements concerning the metrics used by the company to measure user growth and engagement, causing its common stock to be traded at artificially inflated levels.  In addition, the complaint filed in the action alleges that while the price of Twitter stock was artificially inflated, certain corporate insiders engaged in unlawful insider trading, unloading approximately $281 million worth of their personally-held Twitter stock holdings.  In its role as Co-Lead Counsel, Johnson Fistel helped to secure $38 million for the company and successfully negotiated robust governance reforms tailored to address and prevent the reoccurrence of directors and officers of Twitter from issuing materially false and misleading statements about the company’s user growth and user engagement prospects. See Noteworthy Success Stories and full testimonial from the firm’s client, Jim Porter, under Testimonials.
• In re RH Shareholder Derivative Litigation, No. 4:18-cv-02452-YGR (N.D. Cal). Johnson Fistel was appointed Lead Counsel in a shareholder derivative action brough on behalf of RH, Inc. alleging, among other things, that certain officers and directors of RH violated federal and state laws by making false and misleading statements concerning RH’s business operations, financial condition, and growth prospects, as well as that certain defendants engaged in improper insider trading.  On RH’s behalf, Johnson Fistel negotiated sweeping and innovative corporate governance reforms to benefit the company, including installation of a new Chief Compliance Officer and adoption of a Disclosure Committee Charter.  See Noteworthy Success Stories and testimonial from the Honorable Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers under Testimonials.
• In re Motorola, Inc. Derivative Litigation, Case No. 07CH23297 (Ill. Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty).  Johnson Fistel was appointed Co-Lead Counsel in a shareholder derivative action filed against current and former officers and directors of Motorola, Inc.  The derivative claims charged certain officers with making misrepresentations about the company’s financial statements and prospects of success in order to artificially inflate the company’s stock price while they personally sold shares and while causing the company to simultaneously purchase shares on the open market.  After six years of hard-fought litigation, the action settled on terms that required the implementation of significant corporate therapeutic changes throughout the company—changes that were valued by one expert at over $1 billion.  See Noteworthy Success Stories.
• In re Heelys Inc. Derivative Litigation, Case No. 07-CV-1682 (N.D. Tex.). Johnson Fistel’s predecessor firm was appointed Co-Lead Counsel in this shareholder derivative action filed against current and former officers and directors of Heelys Inc.  After prevailing on defendants’ motion to dismiss, and more than a year of litigation including multiple mediations, this matter settled on terms that required the implementation of significant corporate therapeutic changes that benefitted the company and its shareholders for years to come.  See testimonial from the Honorable Ed Kinkeade under Testimonials.
• In re MannKind Corporation Derivative Litigation, Lead Case No. 11-cv-05003-GAF-SSx (C.D. Cal.).  Johnson Fistel was appointed sole Lead Counsel in this shareholder derivative action filed against current and former officers and directors of MannKind, alleging that the defendants had misled shareholders about the FDA approval process for MannKind’s core product.  After more than two years of litigation and a mediation, this matter settled on terms that required the implementation of significant corporate therapeutic changes, including the creation of a new Board-level Disclosure & Controls Committee and significant enhancements to financial reporting requirements.
• Singh v. Hsu,Case No. 1-13-cv-243247 (Cal. Super. Ct. Santa Clara Cnty.) (Impax Laboratories, Inc. Derivative Litigation).  Johnson Fistel was appointed sole Lead Counsel in this shareholder derivative action against certain current and former officers and directors of Impax Laboratories, Inc. for allegedly failing to correct systemic problems at the company’s manufacturing centers and for misleading shareholders about FDA sanctions related to these problems.  After two years of litigation and a mediation, the matter settled on terms requiring the implementation of company-wide corporate governance reforms, significantly enhancing reporting and oversight at the Board, officer, and employee level.
• In re LHC Group, Derivative Litigation, No. 6:13-CV-02899-JTT-CBW (W.D. La.).  Johnson Fistel, as Co-Lead Counsel in this shareholder derivative action, was able to resolve the action for substantial corporate governance reforms at LHC Group which included, among other reforms, amendments to the company’s compliance policies designed to address allegations concerning the company’s Medicare home health program and to the Audit Committee Charter to provide greater oversight of the company’s compliance-related activities, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement policies, compliance audits, handling of anonymous complaints, and the effectiveness of the company’s Code of Conduct.  The settlement also caused changes to be made to the company’s insider trading and preclearance policies to provide more clarity and transparency, as well as additional restrictions, on insider sales of company stock. 
• Weitzman v. Ullman, et al., Civ. No. 4:13-cv-00585 (E.D.  Tex.) (J.C. Penney  Company,  Inc. Derivative Litigation).  In its role as Lead Counsel, and after almost five years of litigation and nearly two years of protracted settlement negotiations, Johnson Fistel was able to secure a settlement that provided for a series of material reforms to JCPenney’s corporate governance systems, which were designed to strengthen the Company’s internal control functions and board accountability, and ultimately prevent the recurrence of the events that led to the alleged harm to the company and the filing of the derivative lawsuit.
• Orrego & Kim v. Lefkosky, et al., Case No.: 12 CH 12420 (Consolidated with 12 CH 19431)  (Ill. Cir.  Ct., Cook Cnty., Ch. Div.) (Groupon, Inc. Derivative Litigation).  Johnson Fistel, serving as Co-Lead Counsel, negotiated a settlement which included extensive and detailed measures designed to improve corporate governance at Groupon and restore and maintain investor confidence in the Company.  Groupon’s Board of Directors agreed to implement these sweeping corporate governance reforms designed to improve decision-making and legal-regulatory compliance in the critical areas of accounting and financial disclosure, earnings guidance, and committee oversight at the company.  
• In re World Acceptance Corporation Derivative Litigation, Lead Case No. 6:15-cv-02796-MGL (D.S.C.).  Johnson Fistel, as Co-Lead Counsel, was able to resolve the action for the benefit of World Acceptance even though the District Court granted defendants’ motions to dismiss the case, and that order was being appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  Johnson Fistel, its co-counsel, and our clients never gave up, and fought to achieve a significant settlement despite significant obstacles.  Specifically, the settlement, among other things, preserved corporate resources by ensuring that the related securities class action was resolved within insurance policy limits and without monetary contribution from the company, and caused significant corporate governance reforms designed to increase shareholder control and provide for improved operational oversight at the company.  The settlement will have a lasting, positive impact on the Company and its shareholders for years to come.
• In re Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. Derivative Litigation, Lead Case No. CV14-1481 (Cal. Super. Ct., Yolo Cnty.).  Johnson Fistel, in its role as Co-Lead Counsel, negotiated a settlement on behalf of Marrone Bio Innovations which reformed its governance practices in order to prevent the misconduct alleged in case from reoccurring again in the future. The case stemmed from the criminal misconduct of the company’s former Chief Operating Officer and the control and oversight environment at the company that allowed such misconduct to occur in the first place causing harm to Marrone Bio Innovations.  Specifically, the reforms put into place by the settlement created more transparency in connection with stockholder proposals, created more extensive oversight of management by the Audit Committee, revised the company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and added responsibilities to the company’s Compliance Officer to foster a corporate environment of legal and ethical compliance, revised the company’s policies with respect to expense recognition policies and training in connection therewith, and formalized the company’s Disclosure and Controls Committee and defined the responsibilities of it.
• Bagot v. Bracken, et al., Case No. 11C5133 (Tenn. Cir. Ct., 6th Cir.).  Johnson Fistel was appointed Lead Counsel in this shareholder derivative action against certain current and former officers and directors of HCA Holdings, Inc., the largest private hospital chain in the country.  The parties litigated the action for more than four years and attended multiple mediations, after which Johnson Fistel secured an extremely favorable settlement for HCA and its shareholders, including a payment of $19 million to HCA, the appointment of a new independent director, and implementation of significant corporate therapeutics.  See Noteworthy Success Stories.
• In re Brocade Communications, Systems, Inc. Derivative Litigation, Case No. 1:05cv41683 (Cal. Super. Ct. Santa Clara Cnty.).  Johnson Fistel was initially appointed Co-Lead Counsel in state court in one of the highest-profile options backdating cases in the country.  Johnson Fistel helped prevent an inadequate settlement of a related federal action from being approved, which would have released the officers, directors, and agents of the company responsible for the criminal backdating scheme which would have resulted in no money to the company and only a payment of attorney’s fees for the lawyers in that case.  Brocade then formed a Special Litigation Committee and retained Johnson Fistel as co-counsel to assist in litigating claims against ten former officers and directors of the company.  After years of litigation, over $24 million was recovered for Brocade.  See Noteworthy Success Stories.
• In re 3D Sys. Corp. Deriv. Litig., Lead Case No. 0:15-cv-03756-MGL (D.S.C.).  Johnson Fistel, as Co-Lead Counsel, served as lead negotiator in this multi-jurisdictional shareholder derivative litigation alleging, among other things, that between 2008 and 2015, 3D Systems acquired over 40 companies at a cost of over $700 million, without: (i) conducting adequate due diligence to confirm the value of their offerings; (ii) devoting the management systems or supervisory resources necessary to properly integrate operations and establish internal controls over accounting and financial reporting; or (iii) building out sufficient manufacturing capacity to leverage the acquisitions and meet the then-CEO’s aggressive sales and revenue projections.  The Complaint also alleged that certain of the Company’s executives and directors engaged in insider selling while the price of the Company’s stock was artificially-inflated.  Johnson Fistel successfully negotiated a significant corporate reform package calling for, among other things, an independent chairperson of the board, director term limits, enhancements to director independence and compliance functions, and the establishment of disclosure and merger and acquisition working groups.

• Goldstein v. Denner, Case No. 2020-1061 (Del. Ch.).  Johnson Fistel serves as additional counsel in a securities class action involving allegations that former officers and directors of Bioverativ breached their fiduciary duties in the sale of Bioverativ to Sanofi S.A. in 2018.  The settling defendants agreed to have $84 million paid to former Bioverativ shareholders in exchange for dismissal of claims that those defendants failed to maximize the value of Bioverativ in the sale.  The court approved the partial settlement on September 13, 2023.  The court also previously upheld, at the pleading stage, claims that Bioverativ director Alexander Denner and his hedge fund, Sarissa Capital, engaged in insider trading in violation of Delaware law by trading on material non-public information about Sanofi’s desire to buy the company.  Johnson Fistel, together with lead counsel, is continuing to litigate those claims, seeking disgorgement of Denner’s and Sarissa Capital’s substantial ill-gotten profits plus interest.  Trial on those claims is scheduled for April 2024.  “We are pleased to deliver this substantial result for Bioverativ shareholders, and we look forward to holding Dr. Denner and Sarissa accountable at trial,” said lead plaintiff Dr. Stewart N. Goldstein, M.D., an investor and physician in California.
• Morrison et al v. Berry et. al, (The Fresh Market) Case No. 12808, (Del. Ch.). Johnson Fistel helped obtain $27.5 million for shareholders in a class action over the 2016 $1.4 billion take-private sale of specialty grocery chain Fresh Market to Apollo Global Management LLC.  Plaintiffs accused Fresh Market’s former CEO and Chairman, of acting disloyally in concealing his private communications on terms of Fresh Market’s sale to Apollo, along with the rollover of his equity as part of the deal.  Fresh Market’s former President and CEO, and former Chief Legal Officer and Senior Vice President, were accused of fiduciary duty breaches and were also parties to the settlement.  Johnson Fistel litigated alongside fellow class attorneys in opposition to the defendants’ multiple attempts to dismiss the suit.  Efforts by class counsel helped secure an appeal to and reversal by the Delaware Supreme Court in 2018 of the lower court’s granting of the first motion to dismiss in which the high court agreed with the plaintiffs that the defendant had disclosure deficiencies in its Schedule 14D-9 and was effectively misleading as a result, only to face yet another motion to dismiss by the defendants on remand.  Vice Chancellor Sam Glasscock III, who watched the parties exchange blows both times the suit came through the Court of Chancery, described the case as full of “extraordinarily heavy [and] hard-fought litigation.”  For example, class attorneys fought for and subsequently analyzed some 286,000 documents in total, amounting to roughly 1.5 million pages, before arriving at the $27.5 million settlement through mediation.  Vice Chancellor Glasscock , evidently impressed by the resounding outcome of the novel post-closing damages deal case, described the settlement amount as an “excellent result” for the shareholders, stating that the additional payout of $0.75 per share was over half of what was potentially achievable in additional merger consideration. 
• Englehart v. Brown, Case No. 13-2-33726-6-KNT (Wash. Super. Ct. King Cnty.).  Johnson Fistel was appointed as Co-Lead Counsel in a case arising out of the 2014 acquisition of Flow by American Industrial Partners which resulted in a $12.75 million settlement, believed to be the largest recovery ever obtained in a class action challenging the price of a merger or acquisition of a public company in a Washington court.  See Noteworthy Success Stories.
• In re the Titan Corp. Derivative Litigation, Case No. GIC 832018 (Cal. Super. Ct. San Diego Cnty.).  Johnson Fistel was appointed Co-Lead Counsel in a derivative lawsuit that involved claims against the officers and directors of Titan Corporation for breach of fiduciary duty.  During the pendency of the litigation, Titan announced that it would be acquired, in a deal that would have undervalued the Company’s worth, harming its stockholders being cashed out by the deal.  To prevent this from happening, Johnson Fistel quickly coordinated with counsel in a related derivative action pending in Delaware Chancery Court to negotiate a settlement that resulted in $29 million in increased consideration to Titan’s shareholders in connection with the all-cash merger acquisition.  See Noteworthy Success Stories. 
• Azar v. Blount International, Inc., et al., No. 3:16-CV-00483-SI (D. Or.). Johnson Fistel was appointed as Co-Lead Counsel in a case arising out of the 2016 acquisition of Blount International Inc. by a group comprised of a private equity firm, Blount’s largest stockholder, and two Blount insiders.  The plaintiffs allege, among other things, that the proxy statement Blount disseminated in connection with the deal failed to disclose a set of financial projections that best reflected Blount’s long-term prospects and, instead, disclosed only later, artificially reduced projections.  The plaintiffs allege that misleading proxy statement tainted the stockholder approval of the merger, and they are seeking an unspecified amount of monetary damages.  This matter recently settled resulting in millions of dollars in additional consideration for Blount’s shareholders and is pending final approval.

• Mollik v. Adomani, Inc., et al., No. RIC-1817493 (Cal. Super. Ct. Riverside Cnty.).  The co-founder and former Chief Technology Officer of a publicly traded company retained Johnson Fistel on an hourly basis to defend him in a class action alleging violations of §§12(a)(2) and 15 of the Securities Act filed against Adomani, Inc., certain of its current and former executives, and two firms that underwrote Adomani’s initial public offering.  Johnson Fistel aggressively fought the allegations in the complaint and ultimately negotiated for and achieved a full dismissal of all claims and financial liabilities against the firm’s client.  Additionally, on July 1, 2021, the Court entered an order forever barring the remaining defendants from pursuing any claims for contribution or indemnity against the firm’s client, pursuant to an agreement Johnson Fistel negotiated with co-defendants in order to maximize protections for the firm’s client.
• Desrocher v. Covisint Corporation, et al., Case No. 1:14-CV-03878-AKH (S.D.N.Y.). In a case alleging violations of §§11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, the Court appointed Johnson Fistel Co-Lead Counsel and certified the firm as Co-Lead Class Counsel.  The class action complaint alleged that there were misrepresentations or omissions in documents filed with the SEC in connection with the company’s IPO.  Under the settlement, defendants agreed to create an $8 million common fund to compensate Covisint stockholders who were harmed by the alleged misrepresentations or omissions, which amount represented a substantial percentage of the maximum potential recovery.  The Court approved the settlement in its entirety on December 13, 2016. See Noteworthy Success Stories.
• Gerneth v. Chiasma, Inc., et al., No. 1:16-cv-11082-DJC (D. Mass.). Johnson Fistel served as Co-Lead counsel and represented the Lead Plaintiff in a securities class action alleging violations of §§11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933. The complaint alleged that defendants made false and misleading statements in connection with the company’s IPO regarding the company’s business and the prospects for approval of a pharmaceutical drug.  A class-wide settlement in the amount of $18.75 million was approved on June 27, 2019. See Noteworthy Success Stories.
• In Re Flowers Foods, Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 7:16-CV-00222-WLS (M.D. Ga.).  In a securities class action case alleging violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Johnson Fistel’s client was appointed Lead Plaintiff and the firm was appointed Co-Lead Counsel under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  The complaint filed in the action alleges that defendants made false and misleading statements in connection with the Company’s labor strategy.  As a result of these false and misleading statements, Flowers Foods stock traded at artificially inflated prices during the Class Period. The $21 million class settlement became final on January 10, 2020.  See Noteworthy Success Stories and testimonial from the Honorable W. Louis Sands under Testimonials.
• Glock v. FTS International, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 4:20-cv-03928 (S.D. Tex.). Johnson Fistel served as Co-Lead Counsel in a securities class action alleging violations of §§11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933.  The complaint alleged that defendants failed to disclose in the Company’s offering documents that market dynamics impacting FTSI had significantly deteriorated, that the Company’s dedicated contracts could be prematurely terminated by FTSI’s customers, and that the growth in revenues in the lead up to the IPO attributable to Chesapeake Energy, one of the Company’s largest customers, would not be maintained.  Eventually, FTSI would file for bankruptcy protection, devastating shareholder value and the Company’s investors.  A class-wide settlement in the amount of $9.875 million was reached while the Company was seeking protection from creditors in bankruptcy court.  The settlement was approved on April 13, 2021.  See Noteworthy Success Stories.
• Benson v. D-Market Elektronik Hizmetler ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi et al., Index No. 655701/2021 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. New York Cnty.).  Johnson Fistel served as Co-Lead Counsel in a securities class action alleging violations of §§11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933.  The complaint alleges that Defendants violated the Securities Act of 1933 by making materially false and misleading statements, as well as failing to disclose material information that was required to be disclosed, in the Company’s Registration Statement for its IPO.  Specifically, Plaintiffs alleged that Defendants failed to disclose material information regarding (i) Hepsiburada’s substantial slowdown in growth in 2Q21, i.e., before the IPO; (ii) the negative impact to Hepsiburada’s business and operations as of the IPO caused by Turkey’s easing of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, particularly the weekday reopening of marketplaces and shopping malls in May 2021; and (iii) Hepsiburada’s need to make significant investments and customer discounts prior to the IPO to offset these negative developments.  As a result, the complaint alleged that Plaintiff and the Class suffered damages in connection with their purchases of publicly traded Hepsiburada American Depository Shares (“ADSs” or “shares”) sold in the IPO.  The case was resolved on a class-wide basis for $13.9 million, which was approved on August 1, 2023.
• In re EverQuote, Inc. Securities Litigation, Index No. 651177/2019 (N.Y. Sup. Ct., New York Cnty.).  Johnson Fistel served as Co-Lead Counsel in a securities class action alleging violations of §§11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933.  EverQuote is an online marketplace where consumers looking for insurance submit information to EverQuote’s website.  The operative Complaint filed in the case alleged strict liability and negligence claims against for misstatements and omissions in the Company’s Registration Statement regarding quote requests.  Specifically, the Complaint alleged that EverQuote was purposefully moderating quote requests, the Company’s sole product, as of the IPO because increased quote requests had been causing pricing compression, and that the Registration Statement not only failed to disclose these material facts, but it was replete with statements attesting to the importance to EverQuote’s finances of growing quote requests.  Johnson Fistel, along with Co-Lead Counsel, was able to negotiate a $4.75 million settlement, representing a significant portion of estimated damages, on behalf of investors who purchased shares in the EverQuote IPO.  The settlement was approved on June 11, 2020.  See Noteworthy Success Stories.
• Mohanty v. Avid Technology, Inc., et al., No. 1:16-cv-12336-IT (D. Mass.). Johnson Fistel served as Lead Counsel and represented the Lead Plaintiff in a securities class action alleging violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  The plaintiff alleged that the defendants made false and misleading statements concerning the company’s business, operations, and financial outlook.  A class-wide settlement in the amount of $1.325 million was approved on May 2, 2018.
• Crystal v. Medbox, Inc., et al., No. 2:15-cv-00426-BRO-JEM (C.D. Cal.). Johnson Fistel served as Lead Counsel and represented the Lead Plaintiffs in a securities class action alleging violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  The complaint alleged that defendants made numerous and repeated false and misleading statements concerning Medbox’s accounting, finances, internal controls, business, prospects, and outlook throughout the Class Period.  A class-wide settlement in the amount of $1.850 million in cash and 2.3 million shares of company stock was approved on May 2, 2018.
• In re American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. Litigation, Case 1:15-mc-00040-AKH (S.D.N.Y.).  Johnson Fistel represented one of the class representatives in a securities fraud class action arising from the allegedly shady accounting practices at the real estate business formerly known American Realty Capital Partners (now known as Vereit Inc.).  The case, which spanned five years of hard-fought litigation, was resolved in 2019 in a deal that saw Vereit pay $738.5 million into a common fund for the investor class, while other defendants, including AR Capital and former ARCP CEO Nicholas Schorsch, would be responsible for $225 million. Former manager Grant Thornton would pay $49 million, and former CFO Brian Block would pay $12.5 million, for a total recovery to the investor class of $1.025 billion.  The settlement was approved by the court on January 4, 2020.
• In re Valeant Pharms. Int’l, Inc. Sec. Litig., No. 3:15-cv-07658-MAS-LHG (D.N.J.).  Johnson Fistel filed the initial case and thereafter worked with court-appointed lead counsel in this securities fraud class action arising from Valeant’s alleged concealment of, among other things, Valeant’s unsustainable and deceptive price gouging practices wherein Valeant acquired pre-existing drugs, some of them life-saving medicines, and then dramatically raised prices to boost short-term profitability.  After more than five years of litigation, the case was resolved for $1.21 billion.  The court approved the settlement on January 31, 2021.

• Novotny v. Massage Heights Franchising, LLC, Case No. 27-2020-00017688 (Cal. Super. Ct. San Diego Cnty.).  On June 16, 2022, the San Diego Superior Court granted final approval of a consumer class action settlement resolving allegations that Massage Heights’ membership agreements with thousands of its California members caused them to forfeit prepaid massage services upon membership termination in violation of California law.  Johnson Fistel, court-appointed class counsel, negotiated the settlement following years of investigation and hard-fought litigation with the goal of obtaining a real and direct economic benefit for the class and providing them the opportunity to reinstate their lost massage credits.  The settlement provided class members the right to approximately 75% reinstatement, carrying a potential value in the several millions, and with no condition that a new membership be purchased or money otherwise be spent out-of-pocket.  Johnson Fistel’s creative and persistent advocacy on behalf of the class throughout the case ultimately led to the court’s final approval and confirmation that the settlement fairly, reasonably, and adequately resolved the claims of the class in a manner that serves their best interests.  This recent settlement follows a long line of cases in which Johnson Fistel has been a leader in consumer advocacy, and after the firm previously succeeded in similar claims against well-known, national massage chain franchisor, Massage Envy.
• Eagle Canyon Owners’ Association v. USA Waste of California, Inc., Case No. 37-2018-00005897 (Cal. Super. Ct. San Diego Cnty.).  Eagle Canyon Owners’ Association retained Johnson Fistel to pursue a class action against USA Waste for allegedly overbilling its California open market commercial and industrial customers in breach of its service agreements.  Following years of investigation, discovery, and hard-fought litigation in both federal court and state court, Johnson Fistel negotiated a $7.85 million settlement, representing approximately 50% – 90% of the total, potential class-wide damages, according to Eagle Canyon’s expert.  The firm also insisted upon an all-cash, non-reversionary, and non-claims made settlement so that individual cash payments would be automatically being mailed to eligible class members without them needing to submit a claim form.  See testimonial from the firm’s client, Jillian Ibave, under Testimonials.
• Baker v. Visa International Corp., Case No. 06cv0376 (Cal. Super. Ct. San Diego Cnty.).  Johnson Fistel was appointed Co-Lead Counsel for this nationwide consumer class action that was filed in 2006 against Visa International Corp. for wrongfully assessing undisclosed fees on consumers by manipulating the currency conversion rates when consumers used their Visa Card for purchases in other countries. This matter was removed to federal court, and transferred by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to be coordinated with the In re Currency Conversion Fee Antitrust Litigation.  The Court approved a settlement that provided for $336 million for the class members.  While the Baker case was not the driving force leading to the $336 million for the class members, it was coordinated with that matter and the firm played a material role in the ultimate settlement.
• Giancola v. Lincare Holdings Inc., Case No. 8:17-cv-2427-T-33AEP (M.D. Fla.). Serving as Class Counsel in this action, Johnson Fistel represented a class of current and former employees of Lincare, who were exposed to an unlawful data breach and the potential disclosure of their personal information.  After Johnson Fistel filed an amended complaint and engaged in preliminary discovery, the parties agreed to mediation.  Johnson Fistel was ultimately able to achieve a class-wide settlement that provided multiple forms of relief to class members, including: (i) a Settlement Fund totaling $875,000 in cash that was used to pay claims of class members impacted by the data breach; (ii) enhanced credit and identity monitoring protection services for the class, which was valued at more than $972,000; and (iii) Lincare’s agreement to implement certain enhanced data security measures to protect the company from future data breaches and safeguard the personal information of its employees.
• In re: Apple Inc. Device Performance Litigation, Case No. 18-md-02827-EJD (N.D. Cal.).  In December 2017, Johnson Fistel filed a class action complaint against Apple Inc. (“Apple”), alleging that Apple knowingly designed the batteries of certain iPhones to prematurely degrade, causing them to unexpectedly shut down.  After the matter was consolidated with numerous other lawsuits filed against Apple for similar alleged misconduct, Johnson Fistel was appointed to the Steering Committee of the consolidated action.  The litigation concerns one of the largest consumer frauds in history, affecting hundreds of millions of mobile devices around the world.  The Court approved a class-wide settlement pursuant to which Apple will make a minimum, non-revisionary payment of $310,000,000 and a maximum payment of up to $500,000,000, depending on the number of claims submitted.  The approval of that settlement is currently on appeal.

Alcantar, et al. v. Cardenas Markets, LLC, JAMS Ref. No. 1240022966 (2019) (Brisco, Arb.): Johnson Fistel was retained by six plaintiff grocery workers alleging sexual harassment and related claims.  The former employees alleged that the supermarket-employer, which is backed by a leading global investment firm and is a member store of one of the largest Hispanic supermarket chains in the country, permitted and engendered a norm of unwanted and violent sexual interaction between supervisors and their employees.  The firm’s aggressive prosecution in the multi-plaintiff action, which included extensive discovery practice and arbitration hearings, precipitated a substantial civil rights settlement in the amount of $875k.

Call v. Stillwater Hospitality LLC, Case No. 30-2017-00961765 (Cal. Super. Ct. Orange Cnty.).  Johnson Fistel represented a former employee in a lawsuit against the Stillwater restaurant companies seeking civil penalties under and pursuant to the Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) for alleged violations of the California Labor Code for, among other things, failure to properly calculate and pay overtime compensation.  PAGA allows aggrieved employees to sue over alleged labor code violations on behalf of themselves and other aggrieved employees by stepping into the shoes of state regulators to recover civil penalties.  Following extensive investigation and hard-fought litigation, Johnson Fistel negotiated a significant settlement on behalf of its client and all other aggrieved employees.

Jane Doe v. Bad Employer: Johnson Fistel represented a business development employee who instituted suit against her former employer, an industrial supply company.  The plaintiff alleged, inter alia, that she was subjected to severe discrimination and harassment, and ultimately terminated, based on her medical condition.  Johnson Fistel’s tenacious advocacy procured a confidential settlement in favor of its client at an early stage of the litigation.