Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_16-cv-02625/USCOURTS-casd-3_16-cv-02625-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 245
Nature of Suit: Real Property Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity Action

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16-CV-2625 JLS (BLM)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

HEATHER MAXIN, individually and on 

behalf of all others similarly situated,

Plaintiff,

v.

RHG & COMPANY, INC.,

Defendant.

Case No.: 16-CV-2625 JLS (BLM)

ORDER RE PROPOSED 

SUPPLEMENTAL NOTICE

(ECF No. 14)

Presently before the Court is the parties’ [Proposed] Supplemental Notice to Class 

Members (“Sup. Notice,” ECF No. 14). The parties’ submitted to the Court a proposed 

supplemental notice, which the parties propose will be included on the opening page of the 

settlement website. (Sup. Notice 2.) The notice informs the class members that their 

deadline to submit a claim, submit a request to be excluded, or object to the class settlement 

has been extended. (Id.) It also provides, “During [the objection] period, Class Counsel 

will file Class Counsel’s Fee Petition on or before Date.” (Id.) 

The Court finds the proposed supplemental notice is inadequate. First, the Court

declines to set a deadline for objections at this time. “The plain text of [Federal Rule of 

Civil Procedure 23(h)] requires a district court to set the deadline for objections to 

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counsel’s fee request on a date after the motion and documents supporting it have been 

filed.” In re Mercury Interactive Corp. Sec. Litig., 618 F.3d 988, 993 (9th Cir. 2010).

Therefore, Class Counsel must first file its fee motion before issuing the supplemental 

notice. Second, the supplemental notice must inform the class members they have a right 

to review the fee motion before deciding whether to opt-out of the settlement or object to 

the fee motion. See id. at 993 (“The plain text of [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(h)] 

requires that any class member be allowed an opportunity to object to the fee ‘motion’ 

itself, not merely the preliminary notice that such a motion will be filed.”). The 

supplemental notice should inform the class members how they may object to the fee 

motion if they so choose. Third, the supplemental notice does not tell the class members 

how they may review the fee motion (such as by clicking a link on the settlement website).

Although the supplemental notice adequately provides the contact information of Class 

Counsel and the Claims Administrator, it does not make clear that the class members may 

review the fee motion either through the website or by contacting Class Counsel for a copy. 

Fourth, the supplemental notice does not refer to the original notice and it is unclear how 

the two notices relate. The supplemental notice needs to inform the class members it merely 

supplements the information the members previously received, the settlement of which has 

been preliminary approved by the Court. The supplemental notice should also inform the 

class members the fee motion is consistent with what was indicated in the original notice 

the class members received (i.e. Class Counsel’s attorneys’ fees and costs are $270,000).

Finally, the Court finds the method of providing notice to the class members is 

inadequate. The parties state they “believe that supplemental notice via the Settlement 

Website, which is also accessible via a hyperlink on Defendant’s webpage, is the most 

efficient and cost-effective method of notice.” (Sup. Notice 3.) While it may be true that 

updating a website is cost-effective, the mere posting of the supplemental notice on the 

settlement website is not “the best notice that is practicable under the circumstances . . . .” 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(c)(2)(B). The Court previously approved of the parties’ method of 

providing notice of the lawsuit to the class, which directly notified the class members of 

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the class action and provided them with a link to the settlement website,

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and merely 

posting an update on said website, without notifying the class members of the update, is 

inadequate. The class members would not become aware of the supplemental notice if they 

did not happen to check the website and see the update. Accordingly, the parties must 

amend their method of notice.

Accordingly, the Court ORDERS Class Counsel to file its fee motion forthwith. 

Subsequently, the parties SHALL file another proposed supplemental notice, taking into 

consideration the Court’s requirements listed above. The parties SHALL also propose 

dates for: (1) the notification of the class members of the supplemental notice; (2) the 

deadline for class members to object; (3) the deadline for Class Counsel to file a Motion 

for Final Approval; and (4) a hearing date for said Motion. Finally, the Court VACATES

the Final Approval Motion hearing currently set for September 28, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. The 

hearing will be continued to a later date. Once the Court receives the parties’ updated 

proposed supplemental notice, the Court will assess its adequacy and issue a schedule for 

further proceedings.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: September 20, 2017

 

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In its prior Order, the Court found the Parties agreed “to notify the Class by four distinct methods: ‘(1) 

by mailing or emailing Direct Notice, (2) by establishing a Settlement Website and toll-free number, (3) 

by providing notice to the Pharmacies that sell Defendant’s Products and requesting that they post a copy 

of the Short-Form Notice on their websites and in their stores, and (4) by Publication Notice’ in USA 

Today. . . . In particular, each notice method directs putative Class Members to the website 

www.RHGsettlement.com . . . .” (ECF No. 11, at 14-15.)

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