Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00032/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00032-4/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Arturo Aguilar
Plaintiff
Mark Melkonian
Defendant
Melkonian Enterprises, Inc.
Defendant

Document Text:

{6493/002/00197752.DOC} 1 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

[PROPOSED] ORDER CONDITIONALLY CERTIFYING SETTLEMENT CLASS, PRELIMINARILY APPROVING CLASS ACTION 

SETTLEMENT, APPROVING NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT, AND SETTING HEARING FOR FINAL APPROVAL

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

ARTURO AGUILAR, individually and on 

behalf of all other similarly situated, 

 Plaintiffs, 

v. 

MELKONIAN ENTERPRISES, INC., and 

MARK MELKONIAN 

 Defendants. 

Case No. CV-F-05-00032 OWW LJO

ORDER CONDITIONALLY 

CERTIFYING SETTLEMENT 

CLASS, PRELIMINARILY 

APPROVING CLASS ACTION 

SETTLEMENT, APPROVING 

NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION 

SETTLEMENT, AND SETTING 

HEARING FOR FINAL APPROVAL

 This Court has considered Plaintiff’s Motion for Order Conditionally Certifying 

a Settlement Class, Preliminarily Approving the Joint Stipulation of Settlement (“Joint 

Stipulation”), Approving Notice of Class Action Settlement, Approving Attorneys’ Fees for 

Class Counsel and Setting the Final Settlement Hearing, and the papers submitted in support 

thereof. The Court has also reviewed and considered the Joint Stipulation as well as the 

documents filed in support thereof, and the Court finds as follows: 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT: 

 1. This Order incorporates by reference the definitions set forth in the Joint 

Stipulation and all terms defined therein shall have the same meaning in this Order. 

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{6493/002/00197752.DOC} 2 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

[PROPOSED] ORDER CONDITIONALLY CERTIFYING SETTLEMENT CLASS, PRELIMINARILY APPROVING CLASS ACTION 

SETTLEMENT, APPROVING NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT, AND SETTING HEARING FOR FINAL APPROVAL

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 2. The Court finds that the Class, as defined in the Joint Stipulation, meets 

all the requirements for class certification of a settlement class pursuant to Rule 23(b)(1) and 

(b)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The Court hereby conditionally certifies the 

Class for settlement purposes only. In the event the Final Judgment is overturned, reversed, 

not affirmed in its entirety or never becomes final, the Effective Date of the Joint Stipulation 

does not occur, or the Joint Stipulation is nullified or invalidated for any reason, the fact that 

the Parties were willing to stipulate to class certification only as part of the Joint Stipulation 

shall have no bearing on, nor be admissible in connection with, any issue in this Action or in 

any other action. 

 3. Arturo Aguilar, the Representative Plaintiff, is hereby appointed and 

designated as the Representative Plaintiff and the representative of the Class for all purposes. 

 4. The following attorneys are hereby appointed and designated as counsel 

for the Representative Plaintiff and the Class (“Class Counsel”): 

Daniel Feinberg, Esq. 

Vincent Cheng, Esq. 

Lewis, Feinberg, Renaker & Jackson, P.C. 

1330 Broadway, Suite 1800 

Oakland, CA 94612 

Telephone: (510) 839-6824 

Facsimile: (510) 839-7839 

 Class Counsel are authorized to act on behalf of the Representative Plaintiff and 

the Class with respect to all acts or consents required by or which may be given pursuant to the 

Joint Stipulation and such other acts reasonably necessary to consummate the Joint Stipulation. 

The authority of Class Counsel includes entering into any modifications or amendments to the 

Joint Stipulation on behalf of the Representative Plaintiff and the Class which they deem 

appropriate. 

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{6493/002/00197752.DOC} 3 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

[PROPOSED] ORDER CONDITIONALLY CERTIFYING SETTLEMENT CLASS, PRELIMINARILY APPROVING CLASS ACTION 

SETTLEMENT, APPROVING NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT, AND SETTING HEARING FOR FINAL APPROVAL

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 5. The class action settlement set forth in the Joint Stipulation 

appears to be proper and falls within the range of reasonableness and appears to be 

presumptively valid subject only to resolution of any valid objections that may be raised at the 

Final Settlement Hearing. The Court hereby preliminarily approves the Settlement under 

Rule 23(e) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 

 6. The Joint Stipulation between Plaintiff and Defendants, which is 

attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and incorporated herein, is hereby preliminarily approved. 

 7. The payment of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) to the 

Representative Plaintiff is preliminarily approved. 

 8. The attorneys’ fees and costs requested by Class Counsel in the amount 

of Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) in connection with their work in this Action 

are hereby preliminarily approved. 

 9. Rosenthal & Company, LLC is hereby appointed as Settlement 

Administrator and is hereby authorized to perform all of the duties, tasks and other activities 

set forth in the Joint Stipulation and the orders of this Court. 

 10. The proposed Notice to the Class is hereby found to be the best notice 

practicable under the circumstances, and constitutes due and sufficient notice, in full 

compliance with the requirements of Rule 23(e) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 

Notice shall be mailed to the Class in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit “B” and 

incorporated herein. The Notice shall be printed in both English and Spanish. Social Security 

numbers of Class Members shall not be included on the Notice. The Notice shall be sent by 

the Settlement Administrator to each Class Member by first class mail no later than November 

3, 2006. 

 11. The Claim Period is January 6, 1999 to October 2, 2006. 

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{6493/002/00197752.DOC} 4 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

[PROPOSED] ORDER CONDITIONALLY CERTIFYING SETTLEMENT CLASS, PRELIMINARILY APPROVING CLASS ACTION 

SETTLEMENT, APPROVING NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT, AND SETTING HEARING FOR FINAL APPROVAL

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 12. The Class is defined as follows: all participants in and beneficiaries of 

both Plans from January 6, 1999 through October 2, 2006, excluding Dennis Melkonian, 

Douglas Melkonian, Mark Melkonian, Susan Melkonian, also known as Marla Sloane, Victoria 

Melkonian and Violet Melkonian. 

 13. The Court preliminarily adjudicates that the Pension Plan has been and 

is terminated effective July 1, 2001, and that all assets were then merged into the Profit Sharing 

Plan. The Court further adjudicates that no Class Member shall be or is entitled to any 

contribution to, under, by or through the Pension Plan after March 31, 2001. 

 14. The Court sets the following dates for purposes of this class action: 

 a. Class Data: Defendants to provide the information set forth in 

Section 9 of the Joint Stipulation to the Settlement Administrator 

and Class Counsel by October 13, 2006. 

b. First Mailing of Notice to Class: By November 3, 2006. 

c. Follow-up Mailing of Notice Where First Mailing is Returned: 

To be completed as needed within a reasonable time, but no later 

than November 20, 2006. 

d. Publication of Summary Notice: Not applicable at this time. 

 e. Objection Deadline: All objections to the Joint Stipulation to be 

heard at the Final Settlement Hearing and all written notices of 

intent to appear at the Final Settlement Hearing as described 

more further in Section 15 of the Joint Stipulation must be filed 

with the Court and served on Class Counsel and Defendant’ 

Counsel by no later than December 11, 2006. 

f. Settlement Administrator’s Declaration of Due Diligence and 

Proof of Mailing to Class Members: Must be filed with Court 

and must be sent to Class Counsel and Defendants’ Counsel by: 

December 11, 2006. 

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{6493/002/00197752.DOC} 5 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

[PROPOSED] ORDER CONDITIONALLY CERTIFYING SETTLEMENT CLASS, PRELIMINARILY APPROVING CLASS ACTION 

SETTLEMENT, APPROVING NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT, AND SETTING HEARING FOR FINAL APPROVAL

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 g. Deadline to file any supplemental briefs in support of Final 

Settlement Hearing: December 30, 2006. 

h. Final Settlement Hearing: January 22, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. 

 IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: 10/13/2006 _____/s/ Oliver W. Wanger_____ 

 Judge Oliver W. Wanger 

 United States District Court 

 Eastern District Of California 

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