CLASS ACTION

Stanley, Mandel & Iola, L.L.P., has a significant practice in state and national consumer, securities, antitrust and insurance class action litigation. SMI is currently acting as class counsel and liaison counsel in numerous class actions. These include multiple statewide class actions against major insurance companies for violations of Texas insurance law, and a nationwide class action against the nation’s largest long-distance telephone companies alleging antitrust violations.

SMI has successfully represented plaintiffs as class counsel in the following class action cases:

• Settlement of a nationwide class action against American Airlines under ERISA related to pension benefits of its former AirCal pilots.
  
• Settlement of a nationwide class action against Wells Fargo Bank for violations of RESPA.
  
• Settlement of statewide class actions against State Farm Insurance Cos., Allstate Insurance Cos., Farmers Insurance Cos., and GEICO Insurance Cos. for violations of the Texas Insurance Code relating to claims procedures for automobile policyholders.
  
• Settlement (along with multiple co-counsels) of major nationwide class action litigation involving General Motors pickup trucks.
  
• Settlement following summary judgment of a statewide class action for breach of contract and deceptive trade practices against Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems.
  
• Settlement of a nationwide securities class action on behalf of shareholders of Monarch Dental Associates (while serving as Liaison Counsel) for violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 10b-5.
  
• Settlement of a nationwide securities class action on behalf of shareholders of STB Systems, Inc. (while serving as Liaison Counsel) for violations of the Texas Securities Act and the Securities Act of 1933 arising out of the defendants’ misrepresentations and omissions concerning the company’s operations and future prospects.
  
• Settlement (along with other class counsel) of a nationwide class action on behalf of holders of both preferred and common shares of Walden Properties, Inc. and its directors arising out of Walden’s efforts to complete a merger with Olympus Real Estate Corporation on grossly inadequate terms. The settlement resulted in a substantial increase in the value received by shareholders at the conclusion of the merger.
  
• Settlement of a nationwide securities class action on behalf of shareholders of Dynamex, Inc. (while serving as Liaison Counsel) for violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 10b-5.
  
• Settlement of a class action on behalf of customers of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company for violations of the Texas Finance Code.
  
• Settlement of a class action on behalf of persons who entered into lease agreements with UDR Western Residential, Inc., and other of its affiliates, arising out of claims under the Texas Water Code, regulations of the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission, the Texas Utility Code, regulations of the Public Utility Commission and the Texas Debt Collection Practices Act.
  
• Settlement of a nationwide class action on behalf of customers of Ticketmaster Group, Inc., and certain of its affiliates, who purchased tickets with a credit card and were charged an illegal surcharge in violation of the Texas Finance Code.
  
• Settlement of a nationwide class action against FirstUSA Bank for violations of the Truth in Lending Act.
  
• Obtained final judgment (following summary judgment and jury trial) against the Dallas County Community College District on behalf of a class of current and former students as a result of the District’s charging of a technology fee that was not authorized by state law. (The Judgment was affirmed by the Dallas Court of Appeals but all appeals have not yet been exhausted).
  
• Settlement of a nationwide securities class action on behalf of shareholders of drkoop.com, Inc. (while serving as Liaison Counsel) for violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 10b-5.
  
• Settlement of derivative litigation on behalf of Dollar General Corporation filed against directors of the corporation for breach of the board’s fiduciary duties to the corporation and its shareholders. [The case resulted in the largest settlement in Tennessee history.]