Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_09-cv-01273/USCOURTS-casd-3_09-cv-01273-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 710
Nature of Suit: Fair Labor Standards Act
Cause of Action: 29:201 Fair Labor Standards Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SCARLET KESHISHZADEH and LISA 

ARCHER, as individuals, on behalf of 

themselves, and on behalf of all persons 

similarly situated, 

Plaintiffs, 

vs. 

ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER SERVICE 

CO., a Delaware corporation, 

Defendant. 

CASE NO. 3:09-CV-0168 LAB (RBB)

(Consolidated with Case No. 3:09-CV-1273 

LAB (RBB)) 

ORDER: 

(1) CONFIRMING CERTIFICATION OF 

CLASS ACTION; 

(2) GRANTING FINAL APPROVAL TO 

CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT; AND 

(3) ENTERING FINAL JUDGMENT

JAMES CAREY, on behalf of himself and 

all others similarly situated, 

Plaintiffs, 

vs. 

ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER AND 

COMPANY, a Delaware Corporation, and 

GALLAGHER BASSETT SERVICES, 

INC., a Delaware Corporation, inclusive, 

Defendants. 

Case 3:09-cv-01273-LAB-RBB Document 9 Filed 04/04/11 Page 1 of 6
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On March 28, 2011, a hearing was held on the joint motion of plaintiffs Scarlet 

Keshishzadeh, Lisa Archer, and James Carey (“Plaintiffs”) and defendants Arthur J. Gallagher 

Service Co., Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., and Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc. (“collectively 

“Gallagher”) for final approval of their class settlement (the “Settlement”) and payments to the 

Labor and Workforce Development Agency and the Settlement Administrator. Norman B. 

Blumenthal of Blumenthal, Nordrehaug & Bhowmik and James R. Hawkins of James Hawkins 

APLC appeared for Plaintiffs; and M. Kirby C. Wilcox and Zach P. Hutton of Paul, Hastings, 

Janofsky & Walker LLP appeared for Gallagher. 

The Parties have submitted their Settlement, which this Court preliminarily 

approved by its October 29, 2010, order (Docket No.114) (the “Preliminary Approval Order”). In 

accordance with the Preliminary Approval Order, Class Members have been given notice of the 

terms of the Settlement and the opportunity to comment on or object to it or to exclude 

themselves from its provisions. Class Members have also been provided with a claim form. 

Having received and considered the Settlement, the supporting papers filed by the 

Parties, and the evidence and argument received by the Court before entering the Preliminary 

Approval Order and at the final approval hearing, the Court grants final approval of the 

Settlement, enters this Final Approval Order, and HEREBY ORDERS and MAKES 

DETERMINATIONS as follows: 

1. Except as otherwise specified herein, the Court for purposes of this Final Approval 

Order adopts all defined terms set forth in the Settlement. 

2. The Court has jurisdiction over this action and the Settlement pursuant to pursuant 

to 28 U.S.C. sections 1132(a) and 1332(d). 

3. Pursuant to this Preliminary Approval Order, a Class Notice Packet consisting of a 

Notice of Proposed Settlement of Class Action, Conditional Certification of Settlement Class, 

Preliminary Approval of Settlement, and Hearing Date for Final Court Approval; a Claim Form; 

and a form of Election Not to Participate in Settlement were sent to each class member by firstclass mail. These papers informed Class Members of the terms of the Settlement, their right to 

receive a Settlement Share, their right to comment on or object to the Settlement and/or Class 

Case 3:09-cv-01273-LAB-RBB Document 9 Filed 04/04/11 Page 2 of 6
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Counsel’s Fees and Expense Payment, their right to elect not to participate in the Settlement and 

pursue their own remedies, and their right to appear in person or by counsel at the final approval 

hearing and be heard regarding approval of the Settlement. Adequate periods of time were 

provided by each of these procedures. 

4. The Court finds and determines that this notice procedure afforded adequate 

protections to class members and provides the basis for the Court to make an informed decision 

regarding approval of the settlement based on the responses of class members. The Court finds 

and determines that the notice provided in this case was the best notice practicable, which 

satisfied the requirements of law and due process. 

5. Pursuant to the Class Action Fairness Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1711 et seq. (“CAFA”), not 

later than ten days after the Parties’ joint motion seeking preliminary approval of the Settlement 

was filed in court, Gallagher served upon the Attorney General of the United States and the 

appropriate state official of each state in which a Class Member resides a notice of the Settlement 

consisting of: a copy of the pleadings in this action; a notice of the scheduled judicial hearings in 

this action; copies of the Settlement and Class Notice Packet; and the names of Class Members 

who reside in each state and the estimated proportionate share of the Class Members in each state 

compared to the entire Settlement. The notice of Settlement also invited comment on the 

Settlement. This Final Approval Order is not being issued earlier than ninety days after the later 

of the dates on which the appropriate federal and state officials were served with the notice of the 

Settlement. Accordingly, the Court finds that Gallagher has discharged its obligations under 

CAFA to provide notice to the appropriate federal and state officials, and that 28 U.S.C. section 

1715(e) has no applicability to the Settlement. 

6. No Class Members filed written objections to the proposed settlement as part of 

this notice process or stated an intent to appear at the final approval hearing. In addition, no Class 

Members opted-out of the Settlement. 

7. For the reasons stated in the Preliminary Approval Order, the Court finds and 

determines that the proposed Settlement Class, as defined in the definitions section of the 

Settlement, meets all of the legal requirements for class certification, and it is hereby ordered that 

Case 3:09-cv-01273-LAB-RBB Document 9 Filed 04/04/11 Page 3 of 6
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the Settlement Class is finally approved and certified as a class for purposes of settlement of this 

action. 

8. The Court further finds and determines that the terms of the Settlement are fair, 

reasonable and adequate to the class and to each class member and that the class members who 

have not opted out will be bound by the Settlement, that the Settlement is ordered finally 

approved, and that all terms and provisions of the Settlement should be and hereby are ordered to 

be consummated. 

9. The Court finds and determines that the Settlement Shares to be paid to the 

Claimants as provided for by the Settlement are fair and reasonable. The Court hereby gives final 

approval to and orders the payment of those amounts be made to the Claimants out of the Net 

Settlement Amount in accordance with the Settlement. The Court also approves the payment of 

Settlement Shares to the five Class Members who submitted claims within one month of the 

deadline for doing so. 

10. The Court finds and determines that payment to the California Labor and 

Workforce Development Agency of $100,000 as its share of the settlement of civil penalties in 

this case is fair, reasonable, and appropriate. The Court hereby gives final approval to and orders 

that the payment of that amount be paid out of the Gross Settlement Amount in accordance with 

the Settlement. 

11. The Court finds and determines that the fees and expenses of Gilardi & Co. in 

administrating the settlement, in the amount of $21,947.52, are fair and reasonable. The Court 

hereby gives final approval to and orders that the payment of that amount be paid out of the Gross 

Settlement Amount in accordance with the Settlement. 

12. The Court determines by separate order the request by Plaintiffs and Class Counsel 

to the Class Representative Payments, Class Counsel Fees Payment, and Class Counsel Litigation 

Expenses Payment. 

13. Nothing in this order shall preclude any action to enforce the Parties’ obligations 

under the Settlement or under this order, including the requirement that Gallagher make payments 

to the Claimants in accordance with the Settlement. 

Case 3:09-cv-01273-LAB-RBB Document 9 Filed 04/04/11 Page 4 of 6
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14. Upon completion of administration of the settlement, the Settlement Administrator 

will provide written certification of such completion to the Court and counsel for the Parties. 

15. By operation of the entry of this Final Approval Order and pursuant to the 

Settlement, Plaintiffs are permanently barred from prosecuting against Gallagher any of the 

Plaintiffs’ Released Claims; Participating Class Members are permanently barred from 

prosecuting against Gallagher any of the Class’s Released Claims, and Class Counsel are 

permanently barred from prosecuting against Gallagher any of the Class Counsel’s Released 

Claims. 

16. If, for any reason, the Settlement ultimately does not become Final (as defined by 

the Settlement), this Final Approval Order will be vacated; the Parties will return to their 

respective positions in this action as those positions existed immediately before the Parties 

executed the Settlement; and nothing stated in the Settlement or any other papers filed with this 

Court in connection with the Settlement will be deemed an admission of any kind by any of the 

Parties or used as evidence against, or over the objection of, any of the Parties for any purpose in 

this action or in any other action 

17. The Parties entered into the Settlement solely for the purpose of compromising and 

settling disputed claims. Gallagher in no way admits any violation of law or any liability 

whatsoever to Plaintiffs and the Class, individually or collectively, all such liability being 

expressly denied by Gallagher. 

18. By means of this Final Approval Order, this Court hereby enters final judgment in 

this action, as defined in Rule 58(a)(1), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 

19. Without affecting the finality of this Final Approval Order in any way, the Court 

retains jurisdiction of all matters relating to the interpretation, administration, implementation, 

effectuation and enforcement of this order and the Settlement. 

20. The Parties are hereby ordered to comply with the terms of the Settlement. 

/// 

/// 

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21. This action is dismissed with prejudice, each side to bear its own costs and 

attorneys’ fees except as provided by the Settlement. 

DATED: 4-4-11 

LARRY A. BURNS 

UNITED STATE DISTRICT JUDGE 

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