Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-02367/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-02367-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 385
Nature of Suit: Property Damage - Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Fed. Question

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Case No. 06-2254 (RMW) 

ORDER FINALLY APPROVING CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT 

ANTONIO VOZZOLO 

FARUQI & FARUQI LLP 

369 Lexington Ave., 10th Floor 

New York, NY 10017 

Tel: 212.983.9330; Fax: 212.983.9331 

avozzolo@faruqilaw.com 

JENELLE WELLING (SBN 209480) 

CHARLES D. MARSHALL (SBN 23644) 

GREEN WELLING LLP 

595 Market Street, Suite 2750 

San Francisco, CA 94105 

Tel: 415.477.6700; Fax: 415.477.6710 

cand.uscourts@classcounsel.com 

Attorneys for Plaintiffs 

[Other Counsel for Plaintiffs Are Listed 

On The Signature Page] 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SAN JOSE DIVISION 

In re: HP POWER PLUG AND 

GRAPHIC CARD LITIGATION 

No. C 06-2254 (RMW) 

[] ORDER GRANTING 

FINAL APPROVAL TO CLASS 

ACTION SETTLEMENT AND FINAL 

JUDGMENT 

Date: March 14, 2008 

Time: 9:00 a.m. 

Courtroom: No. 6, fourth floor 

Judge: Honorable Ronald M. Whyte 

On October 31, 2007, this Court granted preliminary approval of the proposed class action 

Settlement between the parties. On January 7, 2008, this Court entered an Order Modifying the 

Court’s October 31, 2007 Preliminary Approval of Class Action Settlement and Amending the 

Stipulation of Settlement Between the Parties. 

The Court also provisionally certified a nationwide Class for settlement purposes, 

approved the procedure for giving notice and forms of Notice, and set a final fairness hearing to 

take place on March 14, 2008. The Class is defined as: (a) all end-users in the United States 

who purchased or received as a gift either an Affected Power Connector Model (as defined in the 

*E-FILED - 3/20/08*

Case 5:06-cv-02367-RMW Document 11 Filed 03/20/08 Page 1 of 6
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Case No. 06-2254 (RMW) 

ORDER FINALLY APPROVING CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT

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Stipulation of Settlement)or an Affected Graphics Card Model (as defined in the Stipulation of 

Settlement); and (b) a “Three-Day Repair” subclass that: (i) purchased an Affected Graphics Card 

Model (as defined in the Stipulation of Settlement) and experienced a graphics card failure; (ii) 

also purchased a contract from Hewlett-Packard Company (“HP”) promising to pick up, repair 

and/or exchange, and return the Affected Graphics Card Model within three business days; and 

(iii) did not receive the repair and/or exchange within the promised three business day period. 

On March 14, 2008, the Court held a duly noticed final fairness hearing to consider: (1) 

whether the terms and conditions of the Stipulation of Settlement are fair, reasonable and 

adequate; (2) whether a judgment should be entered dismissing the named plaintiffs’ complaints 

on the merits and with prejudice in favor of the Defendant and against all persons or entities who 

are Class members herein who have not requested exclusion from the Class; and (3) whether and 

in what amount to award counsel for the Class as attorneys’ fees and expenses and whether and in 

what amount to award the class representatives as compensation. 

The Court, having considered all matters submitted to it at the hearing and otherwise, and 

it appearing that the Notice substantially in the form approved by the Court was given in the 

manner that the Court ordered to all persons or entities reasonably identifiable who purchased or 

received as gifts the computer models at issue, as shown by the records of the Defendant, and that 

a Summary Notice in the form approved by the Court was published in USA Today and PC 

Magazine in the manner that the Court ordered. 

The Court, having considered and determined that the proposed settlement of the claims 

of the Class members against the Defendant, as well as the release of the Defendant and the 

Released Persons, and the awards of attorneys’ fees and expenses requested and class 

representative compensation requested, are fair, reasonable and adequate, hereby orders:. 

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT: 

1. The Stipulation and Amended Stipulation, including the definitions contained 

therein, is incorporated by reference into this Final Judgment. 

2. The Court finds that the prerequisites for a class action under Federal Rules of 

Civil Procedure (“Fed. R. Civ. P.”) 23(a) and (b)(3) have been satisfied in that: (a) the number of 

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Case No. 06-2254 (RMW) 

ORDER FINALLY APPROVING CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT

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Class Members is so numerous that joinder of all members thereof is impracticable; (b) there are 

questions of law and fact common to the Class; (c) the claims of the Plaintiffs are typical of the 

claims of the Class they seek to represent; (d) the Plaintiffs have and will fairly and adequately 

represent the interests of the Class; (e) the questions of law and fact common to the Class 

Members predominate over any questions affecting any individual Class Member; and (f) a class 

action is superior to the other available methods for the fair and efficient adjudication of the 

controversy. 

3. Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 23, this Court hereby finally certifies this action as a 

nationwide class action on behalf of: (a) all end-users in the United States who purchased or 

received as a gift either an Affected Power Connector Model (as defined in the Stipulation of 

Settlement and Amended Stipulation) or an Affected Graphics Card Model (as defined in the 

Stipulation of Settlement and Amended Stipulation); and (b) the subclass that: (i) purchased an 

Affected Graphics Card Model (as defined in the Stipulation of Settlement and Amended 

Stipulation) and experienced a graphics card failure; (ii) also purchased a contract from HP 

promising to pick up, repair and/or exchange, and return the Affected Graphics Card Model 

within three business days; and (iii) did not receive the repair and/or exchange within the 

promised three business day period. Excluded from the Class are those persons who have already 

received a “Rome Motherboard Repair” free of charge (as defined in the Stipulation of Settlement 

and Amended Stipulation), except those persons who are part of the Three-Day Repair Subclass 

(as defined in the Stipulation of Settlement and Amended Stipulation); those persons who have 

already received a “Power Connector Repair” free of charge (as defined in the Stipulation of 

Settlement and Amended Stipulation); and all persons who are employees, directors, officers, and 

agents of HP or its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, as well as the Judges of the Court in 

which the Action is pending. 

4. The Court appoints Green Welling LLP, Kamber & Associates, LLC, and Faruqi 

& Faruqi, LLP as counsel for the Class. The Court designates named plaintiffs Michael Brothers, 

Gregory McDaniel, James Scripps, Allen Moser, Jr., Christopher Wu, Keaka Okada, and Robyn 

Greaves as the Class Representatives. 

Case 5:06-cv-02367-RMW Document 11 Filed 03/20/08 Page 3 of 6
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ORDER FINALLY APPROVING CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT

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5. Notice of the pendency of this action as a class action and of the proposed 

settlement was given individually to all Class Members who could be identified with reasonable 

effort. The form and method of notifying the Class of the pendency of the Litigation as a class 

action and of the terms and conditions of the proposed Settlement met the requirements of Fed. R. 

Civ. P. 23, due process, and any other applicable law; constituted the best notice practicable under 

the circumstances; and constituted due and sufficient notice to all persons and entities entitled 

thereto. Publication notice was also given twice by newspaper and onece by magazine. 

6. The Stipulation and Amended Stipulation is approved as fair, reasonable and 

adequate, and the Class members and the parties are directed to consummate the Stipulation of 

Settlement and Amended Stipulation in accordance with its terms and conditions. 

7. Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(h), the Court hereby awards Class Counsel 

attorneys’ fees and expenses in the amount of $________________. The Court also awards 

stipends in the amount of $3,000 to each Class Representative. These amounts are to be paid by 

HP in the time and manner described in the Stipulation of Settlement. Such amounts are in lieu of 

statutory fees to which the Class Representatives might otherwise be entitled. (rmw)

8. The Litigation is hereby dismissed with prejudice and without costs as against the 

Defendant and the Released Persons. Specifically, the following matters are to be dismissed with 

prejudice: 

(a) In re Power Plug Litigation, Case No. 06-1221; 

(b) James Scripps v. Hewlett Packard Company, Case No. 06-1221; 

(c) Allen Moser, Jr. and Christopher Wu v. Hewlett-Packard Company, Case 

No. 06-2325; 

(d) Keaka Okada and Robyn Greaves v. Hewlett-Packard Company, Case No. 

06-2367; and 

(e) Michael Brothers and Gregory McDaniel v. Hewlett-Packard Company, 

Case No. 06-2254. 

9. Upon the Effective Date, Plaintiffs and all Class Members are permanently barred 

and enjoined from instituting, commencing or prosecuting, either directly or in any other 

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capacity, any and all of the Released Claims against any of the Released Persons. 

10. Upon the Effective Date, the Defendant and Released Persons, by operation of this 

Final Judgment, shall be fully, finally, and forever released, relinquished, and discharged by the 

Plaintiffs, each and all of the Class Members, and Plaintiffs’ and Class counsel from all claims 

relating to, arising out of or connected with the instruction, prosecution, assertion, settlement, or 

resolution of the litigations and/or the Released Claims. In addition, upon the Effective Date, the 

Released Claims are hereby compromised, settled, released, discharged and dismissed as against 

the Released Parties on the merits by virtue of the proceedings herein and this Final Judgment. 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall be construed as a release of HP from carrying 

out its obligations under the Stipulation of Settlement should the Effective Date occur. 

11. Neither the Stipulation, the Amended Stipulation, nor any of its terms and 

provisions, nor any of the negotiations or proceedings connected with it, nor any of the 

documents or statements referred to therein shall be: 

(a) offered by any person or received against the Defendant as evidence or 

construed as or deemed to be evidence of any presumption, concession, or admission by the 

Defendant of the truth of the facts alleged by the Plaintiffs or any Class member or the validity of 

any claim that has been or could have been asserted in the Litigation or in any litigation, or other 

judicial or administrative proceeding, or the deficiency of any defense that has been or could have 

been asserted in the Litigation or in any litigation, or of any liability, negligence, fault or 

wrongdoing of the Defendant; 

(b) offered by any person or received against the Defendant as evidence of a 

presumption, concession or admission of any fault, misrepresentation or omission with respect to 

any statement or written document approved or made by the Defendant or any other wrongdoing 

by the Defendant; 

(c) offered by any person or received against the Defendant or as evidence of a 

presumption, concession, or admission with respect to any liability, negligence, fault, or 

wrongdoing, or in any way referred to for any other reason against any of the settling parties, in 

any civil, criminal, or administrative action or proceeding; provided, however, that nothing 

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contained in this paragraph shall prevent the Stipulation of Settlement (or any agreement or order 

relating thereto) from being used, offered, or received in evidence in any proceeding to approve, 

enforce, or otherwise effectuate the Settlement (or any agreement or order relating thereto) or the 

Final Judgment, or in which the reasonableness, fairness, or good faith of the parties in 

participating in the Settlement (or any agreement or order relating thereto) is an issue, or to 

enforce or effectuate provisions of the settlement, the Final Judgment, or the Proofs of Claim and 

Release as to the Defendant, Plaintiffs, or the Class members; or 

(d) offered by any person or received against any Plaintiff or Class 

Representative as evidence or construed as or deemed to be evidence that any of their claims in 

any of the cases consolidated herein lack merit. 

12. Without affecting the finality of this Final Judgment in any way, this Court hereby 

retains continuing jurisdiction over: (a) the disposition of the settlement benefits; and (b) the 

settling parties for purposes of construing, enforcing and administering the Stipulation of 

Settlement. 

13. Without further order of the Court, the settling parties may agree to reasonably 

necessary extensions of time to carry out any of the provisions of the Stipulation of Settlement 

and Amended Stipulation. 

14. In the event that the Effective Date does not occur, this Order and Final Judgment 

shall automatically be rendered null and void and shall be vacated and, in such event, all orders 

entered and releases delivered in connection herewith shall be null and void. 

DONE this 18 day of March, 2008. 

Ronald M. Whyte 

U.S. District Judge

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