Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_08-cv-01752/USCOURTS-caed-2_08-cv-01752-4/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 790
Nature of Suit: Other Labor Litigation
Cause of Action: 05:704 Labor Litigation

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ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT

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Initiativ

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al Gro

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APC

1800 CENTURY PARK EAST, SECOND FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90067

Gene Williams (SBN 211390) 

GWilliams@InitiativeLegal.com

Mark P. Pifko (SBN 228412) 

MPifko@InitiativeLegal.com

Jamie R. Greene (SBN 249355) 

JGreene@InitiativeLegal.com

Initiative Legal Group APC 

1800 Century Park East, 2nd Floor 

Los Angeles, California 90067 

Telephone: (310) 556-5637 

Facsimile: (310) 861-9051 

Attorneys for Plaintiffs Kimberly Burrow, 

Kurt Brunner and Susanne Townsend 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA—SACRAMENTO DIVISION 

KIMBERLY BURROWS, KURT 

BRUNNER, and SUZANNE 

TOWNSEND, individually, and on 

behalf of other members of the general 

public similarly situated, 

 Plaintiffs, 

vs. 

COMBINED INSURANCE 

COMPANY OF AMERICA, an Illinois 

corporation; AON SERVICE 

CORPORATION, an Illinois 

corporation, 

 Defendants. 

Case No.: 2:08-CV-01752-JAM-KJM

[Assigned for all purposes to 

the Hon. John A. Mendez] 

ORDER GRANTING MOTION 

FOR PRELIMINARY APPROVAL 

OF CLASS ACTION 

SETTLEMENT 

Date: August 4, 2010 

Time: 9:30 a.m. 

Place: Courtroom 6 

Complaint Filed: July 29, 2008 

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Case 2:08-cv-01752-JAM -KJN Document 45 Filed 08/12/10 Page 1 of 4
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ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT

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ORDER 

On August 4, 2010, this Court conducted a hearing on Plaintiffs’ Motion 

for Preliminary Approval of Class Action Settlement. 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT: 

1. The Class shall include all individuals currently and formerly 

employed by Defendant Combined Insurance Company of America in the State 

of California in position(s) generally described as commissioned insurance 

agents, e.g., “sales agents,” “sales managers,” and “territory directors” at any 

time from July 29, 2004 through May 2, 2010; 

2. The class action settlement set forth in the Joint Stipulation of Class 

Action Settlement and Release (“Settlement” or “Settlement Agreement”), 

entered into among the parties and their counsel, is preliminarily approved as it 

appears to be proper, to fall within the range of reasonableness, to be the product 

of arm’s-length and informed negotiations, to treat all Class Members fairly, and 

to be presumptively valid, subject only to any objections that may be raised at 

the final approval hearing; 

3. The Court approves, as to form and content, the proposed Notice of 

Pendency of Class Action Settlement, Claim Form, and Request for Exclusion 

Form (collectively, the “Notice Packet”); 

4. The Court directs the mailing, by First-Class U.S. mail, of the 

Notice Packet to the Class Members in accordance with the schedule set forth 

below. The Court finds that the method selected for communicating the class 

action Settlement to Class Members is the best notice practicable under the 

circumstances, constitutes due and sufficient notice to all persons entitled to 

notice, and thereby satisfies due process; 

5. The Court preliminarily appoints named Plaintiffs Kimberly 

Burrows, Kurt Brunner, and Susanne Townsend as the Class Representatives; 

6. The Court preliminarily appoints Initiative Legal Group APC as 

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ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT

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Class Counsel; 

7. The Court grants preliminary approval of attorneys’ fees and costs 

of $2,000,000 and $100,000 payable to Initiative Legal Group APC; 

8. The Court grants preliminary approval of Class Representative 

Enhancement Payments of $10,000 each payable to Plaintiffs Kimberly Burrows, 

Kurt Brunner and Susanne Townsend; 

9. The Court grants preliminary approval of claims administration 

costs; 

10. The Court grants preliminary approval of the allocation of $60,000, 

pursuant to California Labor Code sections 2698, et seq., the California Labor 

Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (“PAGA”) for the Release of Class 

Members’ PAGA claims. Forty-five thousand dollars (75%) shall be paid to the 

California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (“LWDA”); and 

11. The following dates shall govern for the purposes of this Settlement: 

Timing Event 

August 18, 2010 (14 calendar days 

after preliminary approval of 

Settlement) 

Last day for Defendants provide to the 

Claims Administrator a spreadsheet 

containing the Class Members’ full 

names, most recent known mailing 

addresses and telephone numbers, 

Social Security Numbers, dates of 

employment, and the respective 

number of days worked by each Class 

Member during the Class Period 

(“Class List”). 

August 28, 2010 (10 calendar days 

after the Claims Administrator 

Last day for Claims Administrator to 

mail Notice Packet to Class Members. 

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ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT

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Timing Event 

receives Class List) 

September 27, 2010 (No more than 30 

days, nor fewer than 20 days, after the 

initial mailing of the Notice Packet) 

Last Day for Claims Administrator to 

send one reminder postcard to all Class 

Members who have not returned Claim 

Forms or requested exclusion from the 

Settlement. 

October 27, 2010 (no more than 60 

calendar days after Claims 

Administrator mails the Notice 

Packet) 

Last Day for Class Members’ deadline 

to sign and postmark Claim Forms, 

Request for Exclusion Forms, or file 

and serve objections to the Settlement. 

November 10, 2010 Plaintiffs file Motion for Final 

Approval of Class Action Settlement 

and Motion for an Award of Attorneys’ 

Fees And Costs. 

December 8, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. Final Approval Hearing. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: August 11, 2010 /s/ John A. Mendez_______

Hon. John A. Mendez 

United States District Judge 

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