Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-02794/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-02794-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 480
Nature of Suit: Consumer Credit
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Fed. Question

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

AMELIA FOOS, individually and on

behalf of all others similarly situated,

Plaintiff,

v.

ANN, INC., a Delaware corporation doing

business as Ann Taylor Retail, Inc.,

Defendant.

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Civil No. 11cv2794 L (MDD)

ORDER GRANTING

PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF

CLASS SETTLEMENT AND

PROVISIONAL CLASS

CERTIFICATION 

On July 23, 2012, this Court heard plaintiff Amelia Foos's motion for preliminary

approval of class settlement and provisional class certification under Rule 23 of the Federal

Rules of Civil Procedure. This Court reviewed the motion, including the Amended Settlement

Agreement and Release ("Settlement Agreement"). Based on this review and the findings

below, the Court found good cause to grant the motion. 

FINDINGS:

1. The Settlement Agreement is fair, reasonable, and adequate; 

2. The Full Notice, U.S. Mail Notice, Email Notice, Publication Notice and Claim

Form (attached to the Settlement Agreement) comply with due process because the notices and

forms are reasonably calculated to adequately apprise class members of (i) the pending lawsuit,

(ii) the proposed settlement, and (iii) their rights, including the right to either participate in the

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settlement, exclude themselves from the settlement or object to the settlement;

3. The Class is so numerous that joinder of all Class Members is impracticable; 

4. Plaintiff's claims are typical of the Class's claims; 

5. There are questions of law and fact common to the Class, which predominate over

any questions affecting only individual Class Members; and

6. Class Certification is superior to other available methods for the fair and efficient

adjudication of the controversy.

IT IS ORDERED THAT:

1. Settlement Approval. The Settlement Agreement, including the Full Notice, U.S.

Mail Notice, Email Notice, Publication Notice and Claim Form, attached to the Settlement

Agreement as Exhibits B-F are preliminarily approved.

2. Provision of Class Notice. Defendant Ann Inc. will notify Class Members of the

settlement in the manner specified under Section 3.3 of the Settlement Agreement ("Notice").

3. Claims Administrator. The Garden City Group, Inc. is appointed as the Claims

Administrator.

4. Claim for Vouchers. Class Members who want to receive a Voucher under the

Settlement Agreement must accurately complete and deliver a Claim Form to the Claims

Administrator no later than one hundred and forty (140) calendar days after Notice is provided

under Section 3.3(b) and (c) of the Settlement Agreement. 

5. Objection to Settlement. Class Members who have not submitted a timely

written exclusion request pursuant to paragraph 7 below and who want to object to the

Settlement Agreement must deliver written objections to Class Counsel and Ann Inc.'s Counsel,

and must file such objection with the Court, no later than sixty (60) calendar days after Notice is

provided under Section 3.3(b) and (c) of the Settlement Agreement. The delivery date is deemed

to be the date the objection is deposited in the U.S. Mail as evidenced by the postmark. The

objection must include: (a) the name and case number of the Action, "Foos v. Ann Inc., Case No.

11cv2794-L (MDD)"; (b) the full name, address, and telephone number of the person objecting;

(c) a statement of each objection; and (d) a written brief detailing the specific reasons, if any, for

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each objection, including any legal and factual support the objector wishes to bring to the Court's

attention and any evidence the objector wishes to introduce in support of the objection(s). Any

Class Member who files and serves a written objection, as described in this paragraph, may

appear at the Fairness Hearing, either in person or through personal counsel hired at the Class

Member's expense, to object to the Settlement Agreement. Class Members, or their attorneys,

intending to make an appearance at the Fairness Hearing, however, must also deliver to Class

Counsel and Ann Inc.'s Counsel, and file with the Court, no later than sixty (60) calendar days

after Notice is provided under Section 3.3(b) and (c) of the Settlement Agreement, a Notice of

Intention to Appear. Only Class Members who file and serve timely Notices of Intention to

Appear may speak at the Fairness Hearing. The objection will not be valid if it only objects to

the lawsuit's appropriateness or merits. 

6. Failure to Object to Settlement. Class Members who fail to object to the

Settlement Agreement in the manner specified above will: (1) be deemed to have waived their

right to object to the Settlement Agreement; (2) be foreclosed from objecting (whether by a

subsequent objection, intervention, appeal, or any other process) to the Settlement Agreement;

and (3) not be entitled to speak at the Fairness Hearing.

7. Requesting Exclusion. Class Members who want to be excluded from the

settlement must send a letter or postcard to the Claims Administrator stating: (a) the name and

case number of the Action, "Foos v. Ann Inc., Case No. 11cv2794-L (MDD)"; (b) the full name,

address, and telephone number of the person requesting exclusion; and (c) a statement that he or

she does not wish to participate in the settlement, postmarked no later than sixty (60) calendar

days after Notice is provided under Section 3.3(b) and (c) of the Settlement Agreement. 

8. Provisional Certification. The Class is provisionally certified as a class of all

persons who, between September 30, 2010 and the date of entry of this Preliminary Approval

Order, used a credit card to make a purchase at a California Ann Inc. Store and whose Personal

Identification Information, including, but not limited to Zip code, was requested and recorded by

Ann Inc. during the credit card transaction. 

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9. Appointment of Class Representative and Class Counsel. Plaintiff Amelia

Foos is conditionally certified as the class representative to implement the Parties' settlement in

accordance with the Settlement Agreement. The law firm of Siprut P.C., through Joseph Siprut,

Esq. is appointed as Class Counsel. Plaintiff and Siprut P.C. must fairly and adequately protect

the Class's interests.

10. Termination. If the Settlement Agreement terminates for any reason, the

following will occur: (a) class certification will be automatically vacated; (b) Plaintiff will stop

functioning as Class representative; and (c) this Action will revert to its previous status in all

respects as it existed immediately before the Parties executed the Settlement Agreement. This

Order will not waive or otherwise impact the Parties' rights or arguments.

11. No Admissions. Nothing in this Order is, or may be construed as, an admission or

concession on any point of fact or law by or against any Party. 

12. Stay of Dates and Deadlines. All discovery and pretrial proceedings and

deadlines are stayed and suspended until further notice from the Court, except for such actions as

are necessary to implement the Settlement Agreement and this Order.

13. Fairness Hearing. On December 10, 2012, at 10:30 a.m., this Court will hold a

Fairness Hearing to determine whether the Settlement Agreement should be finally approved as

fair, reasonable, and adequate. All papers supporting Plaintiff's request for attorneys' fees and

costs must be filed no later than fourteen (14) calendar days before the deadline for Class

Members to object to the Settlement. All other papers supporting Final Approval of the

Settlement Agreement must be filed no later than seven (7) calendar days before the Fairness

Hearing. This Court may order the Fairness Hearing to be postponed, adjourned, or continued. 

If that occurs, Ann Inc. will not be required to provide additional notice to class members.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: September 13, 2012

M. James Lorenz

United States District Court Judge

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COPY TO: 

HON. MITCHELL D. DEMBIN

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

ALL PARTIES/COUNSEL

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