Exhibit B

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN

SOUTHERN DIVISION

ROSE COULTER-OWENS, 

individually, and on behalf of all others 

similarly situated,

Plaintiff,

v.

RODALE INC., a Pennsylvania 

Corporation, 

Defendant.

Case No. 2:14-cv-12688

Honorable Robert H. Cleland

DECLARATION OF ARI J. SCHARG IN SUPPORT OF 

PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR FINAL APPROVAL 

OF THE PARTIES’ CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT

I, Ari J. Scharg, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746, hereby declare as follows: 

1. I am an adult over the age of 18 and a resident of the State of Illinois. 

I am a partner at the law firm of Edelson PC, which has been retained to represent 

Plaintiff Rose Coulter-Owens (“Plaintiff”) in this matter and I am admitted to 

practice before this Court. I make this Declaration in support of Plaintiff’s Motion 

for and Memorandum in Support of Final Approval of Class Action Settlement, 

and am fully competent to do so. I have personal knowledge of all matters set forth 

herein unless otherwise indicated, and, if called upon to testify, I could and would 

competently do so.

2. On July 9, 2014, Plaintiff Coulter-Owens filed her Class Action 

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Complaint. (Dkt. 1.) 

3. Following the resolution of Defendant Rodale Corporation’s 

(“Defendant” or “Rodale”) motion to dismiss under Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6), 

(Dkt. 27), the Parties exchanged initial disclosures under Rule 26(a)(1) and written 

discovery requests. Plaintiff additionally served subpoenas for depositions and 

documents on various third parties—Acxiom Corporation and Merkle, Inc.

4. Over the next 8 months, the Parties engaged in substantial class- and 

merits-related discovery. During that time, (i) Defendant produced and Plaintiff 

analyzed various documents (including contractual documents, communications, 

and highly technical materials describing Rodale’s data practices); (ii) Plaintiff 

received and analyzed hundreds of additional documents produced pursuant to her 

subpoenas, including from Acxiom Corporation; (iii) both parties responded to 

substantive interrogatory requests, including additional interrogatories propounded 

by Plaintiff; (iv) Plaintiff deposed a corporate representative of Rodale pursuant to 

Rule 30(b)(6), a corporate representative of Acxiom Corporation pursuant to Rule 

30(b)(6), and prepared for the Rule 30(b)(6) deposition of Merkle, Inc., including 

by exchanging information with Merkle in the months leading up to the noticed 

deposition; (v) Defendant deposed Plaintiff (regarding her claims, her ability to 

serve as a class representative in this matter, and her responses to Defendant’s 

written discovery requests); and (vi) the Parties engaged in several meet and 

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confers regarding such discovery processes.

5. On November 4, 2015, the Parties participated in a private mediation 

with former Chief Judge of the Northern District of Illinois, the Honorable James 

F. Holderman (Ret.) at JAMS in Chicago, Illinois.

6. Despite submitting briefs in support of their respective positions, a 

full day of mediation, and numerous rounds of arm’s-length negotiations, the 

Parties were unable to reach an agreement on the principal terms of the Settlement

at the November 4th mediation. As such, the Parties refocused their efforts on the 

litigation, including, for example, rounding out certain issues relating to discovery 

and scheduling the third party deposition of Merkle, Inc.

7. In the meantime, the Parties continued to discuss the possibility of 

settlement, and on December 2, 2015, the parties returned to JAMS for a second 

mediation. Finally, with the continued assistance of Judge Holderman, they 

ultimately reached an agreement on the principal terms of the Settlement.

8. Edelson PC has extensive experience in litigating class actions of 

similar size, scope, and complexity to the instant action. My firm regularly engages 

in major complex litigation on behalf of consumers and has extensive general 

experience in large and complex consumer class actions like the present case—

including class actions brought and certified under the VRPA. (See Firm Resume 

of Edelson PC, a true and accurate copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit BCase 2:14-cv-12688-RHC-RSW ECF No. 51-3, PageID.795 Filed 08/24/16 Page 4 of 29
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1). We also have extensive experience litigating consumer privacy class actions, 

and are routinely appointed as class counsel in high-profile privacy class actions in 

state and federal courts across the country. (See Ex. 2-A); see also Coulter-Owens 

v. Time, Inc., No. 12-CV-14390, 2015 WL 4527822, at *11 (E.D. Mich. July 27, 

2015) (On a motion for adversarial class certification in a VRPA case, holding that 

“counsel is qualified to serve as class counsel especially given counsel’s prior 

experience in handling a class action lawsuit dealing with the same claims before 

this court.”); Halaburda v. Bauer Publishing Co., No. 12-cv-12831 (E.D. Mich.)

(securing first ever class settlement under the VRPA).

9. To date, my firm has committed substantial human and financial 

resources to the prosecution of this case, and will continue to do so throughout its 

pendency.

10. The Parties agreed to the terms of the Settlement through experienced 

counsel who possessed all the information necessary to evaluate the case, 

determine all the contours of the proposed class, and reach a fair and reasonable 

compromise after negotiating the terms of the Settlement at arm’s-length and with 

the assistance of a neutral mediator.

11. Plaintiff and proposed Class Counsel recognize that despite our belief 

in the strength of Plaintiff’s claim and her ability to ultimately secure a $5,000

statutory award under the VRPA, the expense, duration, and complexity of 

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protracted litigation would be substantial and the outcome of trial uncertain. 

12. Plaintiff and proposed Class Counsel are also mindful that absent a 

settlement, the success of Defendant’s various defenses in this case could deprive 

the Plaintiff and the Settlement Class Members of any potential relief whatsoever.

Rodale is represented by highly experienced attorneys who have made clear that 

absent a settlement, they were prepared to continue their vigorous defense of this 

case, including by moving for summary judgment. Plaintiff and proposed Class 

Counsel are also aware that Defendant would continue to challenge liability and 

the constitutionality of the VRPA, as well as assert a number of defenses based on,

inter alia, (i) the Act’s applicability to magazines and the magazine publishers, (ii) 

whether the Act prohibits the specific third party disclosures at issue here (i.e., 

particularly in light of Rodale’s argument that third party Acxiom and Merkle are

its “agents” and that it does not sell subscriptions “at retail”), (iii) whether the

VRPA is constitutional, and (iv) whether recent amendments to the VRPA (which 

other defendants have argued effect plaintiff’s ability to recover under the Act) are 

retroactive in nature.

13. Plaintiff and proposed Class Counsel are also aware that Defendant 

would appeal any judgment ultimately rendered in Plaintiff’s favor (which would 

further delay recovery by the Settlement Class), and attempt to argue for a 

reduction of damages based on due process concerns.

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14. Plaintiff and proposed Class Counsel believe that the monetary and 

prospective relief provided by the settlement weighs heavily in favor of a finding 

that the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate, and well within the range of 

approval.

I declare under penalty of perjury that the above and foregoing is true and 

accurate.

Executed August 24, 2016 at Chicago, Illinois.

/s/ Ari J. Scharg

Ari J. Scharg

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Exhibit B-1

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EDELSON PC FIRM RESUME

EDELSON PC is a plaintiffs’ class action and commercial litigation firm with attorneys in 

Illinois and California. 

Our attorneys have been recognized as leaders in these fields by state and federal courts, 

legislatures, national and international media groups, and our peers. Our reputation has led state 

and federal courts across the country to appoint us lead counsel in many high-profile cases, 

including in cutting-edge privacy class actions against comScore, Netflix, Time, Microsoft, and 

Facebook; Telephone Consumer Protection Act class actions against technology, media, and 

retail companies such as Google, Twentieth Century Fox, Simon & Schuster, and Steve Madden;

data security class actions against LinkedIn, Advocate Hospitals, and AvMed; banking cases

against Citibank, Wells Fargo, and JP Morgan Chase related to reductions in home equity lines 

of credit; fraudulent marketing cases against software companies such as Symantec and 

Ascentive; mobile content class actions against all major cellular telephone carriers; and product 

liability cases, including the Thomas the Tank Engine lead paint class actions and the tainted pet 

food litigation.

We have testified before the United States Senate on class action issues and have 

repeatedly been asked to work on federal and state legislation involving cellular telephony, 

privacy, and other consumer issues. Our attorneys have appeared on dozens of national and 

international television and radio programs to discuss our cases and class action and consumer 

protection issues more generally. Our attorneys speak regularly at seminars on consumer 

protection and class action issues, lecture on class actions at law schools, and serve as testifying 

experts in cases involving class action and consumer issues. 

PLAINTIFFS’ CLASS AND MASS ACTION PRACTICE GROUP

EDELSON PC is a leader in plaintiffs’ class and mass action litigation, with a focus on 

consumer technology. Our firm is “known for securing multi-million dollar settlements against 

tech giants” (Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, September 2013), and has been specifically

recognized as “pioneers in the electronic privacy class action field, having litigated some of the 

largest consumer class actions in the country on this issue.” See In re Facebook Privacy Litig., 

No. C 10-02389 (N.D. Cal. Dec. 10, 2010) (order appointing us interim co-lead of privacy class 

action); see also In re Netflix Privacy Litig., No. 11-cv-00379 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 12, 2011) 

(appointing us sole lead counsel due, in part, to our “significant and particularly specialized 

expertise in electronic privacy litigation and class actions. . . .”). Law360 has called us a “Titan 

of the Plaintiffs Bar,” a “Plaintiffs Class Action powerhouse” and a “Privacy Litigation 

Heavyweight.” We have also been recognized by courts for our uniquely zealous and efficient 

approach to litigation, which lead the then-Chief Judge of the United States Court for the 

Northern District of Illinois to praise our work as “consistent with the highest standards of the 

profession” and “a model of what the profession should be. . . .” In re Kentucky Fried Chicken 

Coupon Marketing & Sales Practices Litig., No. 09-cv-7670, MDL 2103 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 30, 

2011). Likewise, in appointing our firm interim co-lead in one of the most high profile banking 

cases in the country, a federal court pointed to our ability to be “vigorous advocates, constructive 

problem-solvers, and civil with their adversaries.” In Re JPMorgan Chase Home Equity Line of 

Credit Litig., No. 10 C 3647 (N.D. Ill. July 16, 2010). After hard fought litigation, that case 

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settled, resulting in the reinstatement of between $3.2 billion and $4.7 billion in home credit 

lines. In addition, the firm is uniquely able to try cases, especially those involving sophisticated 

technology issues. Lead by a deputy chief of the cybercrime unit for the United States Attorney’s 

Office, our trial team has handled both jury and bench trials on issues ranging from general 

consumer matters to complex cyber crimes (including hacking and cyber intrusions, data 

breaches, and large-scale identity theft cases) that rested on sophisticated computer forensics.

We have several sub-specialties within our plaintiffs’ class action practice: 

PRIVACY/DATA LOSS

Data Loss/Unauthorized Disclosure of Data

We have litigated numerous class actions involving issues of first impression against 

Facebook, Apple, Netflix, Sony, Redbox, Pandora, Sears, Storm 8, Google, T-Mobile, 

Microsoft, and others involving failures to protect customers’ private information, 

security breaches, and unauthorized sharing of personal information with third parties. 

Representative settlements and ongoing cases include:

• Dunstan v. comScore, Inc., No. 11-cv-5807 (N.D. Ill.): Lead counsel in

certified class action accusing Internet analytics company of improper data

collection practices. The court has finally approved a $14 million

settlement.

• Resnick v. Avmed, No. 10-cv-24513 (S.D. Fla.): Lead counsel in data

breach case filed against health insurance company. Obtained landmark

appellate decision endorsing common law unjust enrichment theory,

irrespective of whether identity theft occurred. Case also resulted in the

first class action settlement in the country to provide data breach victims

with monetary payments irrespective of identity theft.

• In re Netflix Privacy Litigation, No. 11-cv-00379 (N.D. Cal.): Sole lead

counsel in suit alleging that defendant violated the Video Privacy

Protection Act by illegally retaining customer viewing information. Case

resulted in a $9 million dollar cy pres settlement that has been finally

approved.

• Halaburda v. Bauer Publishing Co., No. 12-cv-12831 (E.D. Mich.);

Grenke v. Hearst Communications, Inc., No. 12-cv-14221 (E.D. Mich.);

Fox v. Time, Inc., No. 12-cv-14390 (E.D. Mich.): Consolidated actions

brought under Michigan’s Preservation of Personal Privacy Act, alleging

unlawful disclosure of subscribers’ personal information. In a groundbreaking decision, the court denied three motions to dismiss finding that

the magazine publishers were covered by the act and that the illegal sale of

personal information triggers an automatic $5,000 award to each

aggrieved consumer. In January and July of 2015, final approval was

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granted to a settlement reached in the Bauer Publishing matter and an 

adversarial class was certified in the Time case, respectively.

• Standiford v. Palm, No. 09-cv-05719-LHK (N.D. Cal.): Sole lead counsel

in data loss class action, resulting in $640,000 settlement.

• In re Zynga Privacy Litig., No. 10-cv-04680 (N.D. Cal.): Appointed colead counsel in suit against gaming application designer for the alleged

unlawful disclosure of its users' personally identifiable information to

advertisers and other third parties.

• In re Facebook Privacy Litigation, No. 10-cv-02389 (N.D. Cal.):

Appointed co-lead counsel in suit alleging that Facebook unlawfully

shared its users’ sensitive personally identifiable information with

Facebook’s advertising partners.

• In re Sidekick Litigation, No. C 09-04854-JW (N.D. Cal.): Co-lead

counsel in cloud computing data loss case against T-Mobile and

Microsoft. Settlement provided the class with potential settlement benefits

valued at over $12 million.

• Desantis v. Sears, No. 08 CH 00448 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty., Ill.): Lead

counsel in injunctive settlement alleging national retailer allowed purchase

information to be publicly available through the Internet.

Telephone Consumer Protection Act 

EDELSON PC has been at the forefront of TCPA litigation for over six years, having 

secured the groundbreaking Satterfield ruling in the Ninth Circuit applying the TCPA to 

text messages. Satterfield v. Simon & Schuster, Inc., 569 F.3d 946 (9th Cir. 2009). In 

addition to numerous settlements totaling over $100 million in relief to consumers, we 

have over two dozen putative TCPA class actions pending against companies including 

Santander Consumer USA, Inc., Walgreen Co., Path, Inc., Nuance Communications, Inc., 

Stonebridge Life Insurance, Inc., GEICO, DirectBuy, Inc., and RCI, Inc. Representative 

settlements and ongoing cases include: 

• Kolinek v. Walgreen Co., No. 13-cv-4806 (N.D. Ill.): Lead counsel in class

action alleging that defendant violated federal law by making unsolicited

prescription reminder calls. Won reconsideration of dismissal based upon

whether provision of telephone number constituted consent to call. Case

settled for $11 million.

• Hopwood v. Nuance Communications, Inc., et al., No. 13-cv-2132 (N.D.

Cal.): Lead counsel in class action alleging that defendants violated

federal law by making unsolicited marketing calls to consumers

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nationwide. $9.245 million settlement provided class members option to 

claim unprecedented relief based upon total number of calls they received. 

• Rojas v CEC, No. 10-cv-05260 (N.D. Ill.): Lead counsel in text spam class

action that settled for $19,999,400.

• In re Jiffy Lube Int’l Text Spam Litigation, No. 11-md-2261, 2012 WL

762888 (S.D. Cal.): Co-lead counsel in $35 million text spam settlement.

• Ellison v Steve Madden, Ltd., No. cv 11-5935 PSG (C.D. Cal.): Lead

counsel in $10 million text spam settlement.

• Kramer v. B2Mobile, No. 0-cv-02722-CW (N.D. Cal.): Lead counsel in

$12.2 million text spam settlement.

• Pimental v. Google, Inc., No. 11-cv-02585 (N.D. Cal.): Lead counsel in

class action alleging that defendant co-opted group text messaging lists to

send unsolicited text messages. $6 million settlement provides class

members with an unprecedented $500 recovery.

• Robles v. Lucky Brand Dungarees, Inc., No. 10-cv-04846 (N.D. Cal.):

Lead counsel in $10 million text spam settlement.

• Miller v. Red Bull, No. 12-CV-04961 (N.D. Ill.): Lead counsel in $6

million text spam settlement.

• Woodman v. ADP Dealer Services, No. 2013 CH 10169 (Cir. Ct. Cook

Cnty., Ill.): Lead counsel in $7.5 million text spam settlement.

• Lockett v. Mogreet, Inc., No 2013 CH 21352 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty., Ill.):

Lead counsel in $16 million text spam settlement.

• Lozano v. 20th Century Fox, No. 09-cv-05344 (N.D. Ill.): Lead counsel in

class action alleging that defendants violated federal law by sending

unsolicited text messages to cellular telephones of consumers. Case settled

for $16 million.

• Satterfield v. Simon & Schuster, No. C 06 2893 CW (N.D. Cal.): Co-lead

counsel in in $10 million text spam settlement.

• Weinstein v. Airit2me, Inc., No. 06 C 0484 (N.D. Ill): Co-lead counsel in

$7 million text spam settlement.

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CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY

Fraudulent Software

In addition to the settlements listed below, EDELSON PC has consumer fraud cases 

pending in courts nationwide against companies such as McAfee, Inc., Avanquest North 

America Inc., PC Cleaner, AVG, iolo Technologies, LLC, among others. Representative 

settlements include:

• Drymon v. Cyberdefender, No. 11 CH 16779 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty., Ill.):

Lead counsel in class action alleging that defendant deceptively designed

and marketed its computer repair software. Case settled for $9.75 million.

• Gross v. Symantec Corp., No. 12-cv-00154-CRB (N.D. Cal.): Lead

counsel in class action alleging that defendant deceptively designed and

marketed its computer repair software. Case settled for $11 million.

• LaGarde v. Support.com, Inc., No. 12-cv-00609-JSC (N.D. Cal.): Lead

counsel in class action alleging that defendant deceptively designed and

marketed its computer repair software. Case settled for $8.59 million.

• Ledet v. Ascentive LLC, No. 11-CV-294-PBT (E.D. Pa.): Lead counsel in

class action alleging that defendant deceptively designed and marketed its

computer repair software. Case settled for $9.6 million.

• Webb v. Cleverbridge, Inc., No. 1:11-cv-04141 (N.D. Ill.): Lead counsel in

class action alleging that defendant deceptively designed and marketed its

computer repair software. Case settled for $5.5 million.

Video Games

EDELSON PC has litigated cases video-game related cases against Activision Blizzard 

Inc., Electronic Arts, Inc., Google, and Zenimax Media, Inc.

MORTGAGE & BANKING

EDELSON PC has been at the forefront of class action litigation arising in the aftermath of 

the federal bailouts of the banks. Our suits include claims that certain banks unlawfully 

suspended home credit lines based on pre-textual reasons, and that certain banks have 

failed to honor loan modification programs. We achieved the first federal appellate 

decision in the country recognizing the right of borrowers to enforce HAMP trial plans 

under state law. The court noted that “[p]rompt resolution of this matter is necessary not 

only for the good of the litigants but for the good of the Country.” Wigod v. Wells Fargo 

Bank, N.A., 673 F.3d 547, 586 (7th Cir. 2012) (Ripple, J., concurring). Our settlements 

have restored billions of dollars in home credit lines to people throughout the country.

Representative cases and settlements include: 

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• In re JP Morgan Chase Bank Home Equity Line of Credit Litig., No. 10-

cv-3647 (N.D. Ill.): Court appointed interim co-lead counsel in nationwide

putative class action alleging illegal suspensions of home credit lines.

Settlement restored between $3.2 billion and $4.7 billion in credit to the

class.

• Hamilton v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., No. 09-cv-04152-CW (N.D. Cal.):

Lead counsel in class actions challenging Wells Fargo’s suspensions of

home equity lines of credit. Nationwide settlement restores access to over

$1 billion in credit and provides industry leading service enhancements

and injunctive relief.

• In re Citibank HELOC Reduction Litig., No. 09-cv-0350-MMC (N.D.

Cal.): Lead counsel in class actions challenging Citibank’s suspensions of

home equity lines of credit. The settlement restored up to $653,920,000

worth of credit to affected borrowers.

• Wigod v. Wells Fargo, No. 10-cv-2348 (N.D. Ill.): In ongoing putative

class action, obtained first appellate decision in the country recognizing

the right of private litigants to sue to enforce HAMP trial plans.

GENERAL CONSUMER PROTECTION CLASS ACTIONS

We have successfully prosecuted countless class actions against computer software 

companies, technology companies, health clubs, dating agencies, phone companies, debt 

collectors, and other businesses on behalf of consumers. In addition to the settlements 

listed below, EDELSON PC have litigated consumer fraud cases in courts nationwide 

against companies such as Motorola Mobility, Stonebridge Benefit Services, J.C. Penney, 

Sempris LLC, and Plimus, LLC. Representative settlements include:

Mobile Content

We have prosecuted over 100 cases involving mobile content, settling numerous 

nationwide class actions, including against industry leader AT&T Mobility, collectively 

worth over a hundred million dollars. 

• McFerren v. AT&T Mobility, LLC, No. 08-CV-151322 (Fulton Cnty.

Super. Ct., Ga.): Lead counsel class action settlement involving 16 related

cases against largest wireless service provider in the nation. “No cap”

settlement provided virtually full refunds to a nationwide class of

consumers who alleged that unauthorized charges for mobile content were

placed on their cell phone bills.

• Paluzzi v. Cellco Partnership, No. 07 CH 37213 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty.,

Ill.): Lead counsel in class action settlement involving 27 related cases

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alleging unauthorized mobile content charges. Case settled for $36 

million.

• Gray v. Mobile Messenger Americas, Inc., No. 08-CV-61089 (S.D. Fla.):

Lead counsel in case alleging unauthorized charges were placed on cell

phone bills. Case settled for $12 million.

• Parone v. m-Qube, Inc., No. 08 CH 15834 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty., Ill.): Lead

counsel in class action settlement involving over 2 dozen cases alleging

the imposition of unauthorized mobile content charges. Case settled for

$12.254 million.

• Williams v. Motricity, Inc., No. 09 CH 19089 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty., Ill.):

Lead counsel in class action settlement involving 24 cases alleging the

imposition of unauthorized mobile content charges. Case settled for $9

million.

• VanDyke v. Media Breakaway, LLC, No. 08 CV 22131 (S.D. Fla.): Lead

counsel in class action settlement alleging unauthorized mobile content

charges. Case settled for $7.6 million.

• Gresham v. Cellco Partnership, No. BC 387729 (L.A. Super. Ct., Cal.):

Lead counsel in case alleging unauthorized charges were placed on cell

phone bills. Settlement provided class members with full refunds.

• Abrams v. Facebook, Inc., No. 07-05378 (N.D. Cal.): Lead counsel in

injunctive settlement concerning the transmission of allegedly

unauthorized mobile content.

Deceptive Marketing 

• Van Tassell v. UMG, No. 1:10-cv-2675 (N.D. Ill.): Lead counsel in

negative option marketing class action. Case settled for $2.85 million.

• McK Sales Inc. v. Discover Bank, No. 10-cv-02964 (N.D. Ill.): Lead

counsel in class action alleging deceptive marketing aimed at small

businesses. Case settled for $6 million.

• Farrell v. OpenTable, No. 11-cv-01785 (N.D. Cal.): Lead counsel in gift

certificate expiration case. Settlement netted class over $3 million in

benefits.

• Ducharme v. Lexington Law, No. 10-cv-2763 (N.D. Cal): Lead counsel in

CROA class action. Settlement resulted in over $6 million of benefits to

the class.

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• Pulcini v. Bally Total Fitness Corp., No. 05 CH 10649 (Cir. Ct. Cook

Cnty., Ill.): Co-lead counsel in four class action lawsuits brought against

two health clubs and three debt collection companies. A global settlement

provided the class with over $40 million in benefits, including cash

payments, debt relief, and free health club services.

• Kozubik v. Capital Fitness, Inc., 04 CH 627 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty., Ill.): Colead counsel in state-wide suit against a leading health club chain, which

settled in 2004, providing the over 150,000 class members with between

$11 million and $14 million in benefits, consisting of cash refunds, full

debt relief, and months of free health club membership.

• Kim v. Riscuity, No. 06 C 01585 (N.D. Ill.): Co-lead counsel in suit

against a debt collection company accused of attempting to collect on

illegal contracts. The case settled in 2007, providing the class with full

debt relief and return of all money collected.

• Jones v. TrueLogic Financial Corp., No. 05 C 5937 (N.D. Ill.): Co-lead

counsel in suit against two debt collectors accused of attempting to collect

on illegal contracts. The case settled in 2007, providing the class with

approximately $2 million in debt relief.

• Fertelmeyster v. Match.com, No. 02 CH 11534 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty., Ill.):

Co-lead counsel in a state-wide class action suit brought under Illinois

consumer protection statutes. The settlement provided the class with a

collective award with a face value in excess of $3 million.

• Cioe v. Yahoo!, Inc., No. 02 CH 21458 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty., Ill.): Co-lead

counsel in a state-wide class action suit brought under state consumer

protection statutes. The settlement provided the class with a collective

award with a face value between $1.6 million and $4.8 million.

• Zurakov v. Register.com, No. 01-600703 (N.Y. Sup. Ct., N.Y. Cnty.): Colead counsel in a class action brought on behalf of an international class of

over one million members against Register.com for its allegedly deceptive

practices in advertising on “coming soon” pages of newly registered

Internet domain names. Settlement required Register.com to fully disclose

its practices and provided the class with relief valued in excess of $17

million.

PRODUCTS LIABILITY CLASS ACTIONS

We have been appointed lead counsel in state and federal products liability class 

settlements, including a $30 million settlement resolving the “Thomas the Tank Engine” 

lead paint recall cases and a $32 million settlement involving the largest pet food recall in 

the history of the United States and Canada. Representative settlements include:

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• Barrett v. RC2 Corp., No. 07 CH 20924 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty., Ill.): Colead counsel in lead paint recall case involving Thomas the Tank toy

trains. Settlement is valued at over $30 million and provided class with

full cash refunds and reimbursement of certain costs related to blood

testing.

• In re Pet Food Products Liability Litig., No. 07-2867 (D.N.J.): Part of

mediation team in class action involving largest pet food recall in United

States history. Settlement provided $24 million common fund and $8

million in charge backs.

INSURANCE CLASS ACTIONS

We have prosecuted and settled multi-million dollar suits against J.C. Penney Life 

Insurance for allegedly illegally denying life insurance benefits under an unenforceable 

policy exclusion and against a Wisconsin insurance company for terminating the health 

insurance policies of groups of self-insureds. Representative settlements include:

• Holloway v. J.C. Penney, No. 97 C 4555 (N.D. Ill.): One of the primary

attorneys in a multi-state class action suit alleging that the defendant

illegally denied life insurance benefits to the class. The case settled in or

around December 2000, resulting in a multi-million dollar cash award to

the class.

• Ramlow v. Family Health Plan (Wisc. Cir. Ct., WI): Co-lead counsel in a

class action suit challenging defendant’s termination of health insurance to

groups of self-insureds. The plaintiff won a temporary injunction, which

was sustained on appeal, prohibiting such termination and eventually

settled the case ensuring that each class member would remain insured.

MASS/CLASS TORT CASES

Our attorneys were part of a team of lawyers representing a group of public housing 

residents in a suit based upon contamination related injuries, a group of employees 

exposed to second-hand smoke on a riverboat casino, and a class of individuals suing a 

hospital and national association of blood banks for failure to warn of risks related to 

blood transfusions. Representative settlements include:

• Aaron v. Chicago Housing Authority, No. 99 L 11738 (Cir. Ct. Cook

Cnty., Ill.): Part of team representing a group of public housing residents

bringing suit over contamination-related injuries. Case settled on a mass

basis for over $10 million.

• Januszewski v. Horseshoe Hammond, No. 2:00CV352JM (N.D. Ind.): Part

of team of attorneys in mass suit alleging that defendant riverboat casino

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caused injuries to its employees arising from exposure to second-hand 

smoke. 

The firm’s cases regularly receive attention from local, national, and international media. 

Our cases and attorneys have been reported in the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, the Wall Street 

Journal, the New York Times, the LA Times, by the Reuters and UPI news services, and BBC 

International. Our attorneys have appeared on numerous national television and radio programs, 

including ABC World News, CNN, Fox News, NPR, and CBS Radio, as well as television and 

radio programs outside of the United States. We have also been called upon to give 

congressional testimony and other assistance in hearings involving our cases. 

GENERAL COMMERCIAL LITIGATION

Our attorneys have handled a wide range of general commercial litigation matters, from 

partnership and business-to-business disputes to litigation involving corporate takeovers. We 

have handled cases involving tens of thousands of dollars to “bet the company” cases involving 

up to hundreds of millions of dollars. Our attorneys have collectively tried hundreds of cases, as 

well as scores of arbitrations and mediations. 

OUR ATTORNEYS

JAY EDELSON is the founder and CEO of EDELSON PC. He has been recognized as one of the 

nation’s leading class action lawyers, especially in the areas of privacy, technology, and 

consumer advocacy. His notable cases include ones involving the national banks’ suspensions of 

home equity lines of credit in the aftermath of the housing collapse, which resulted in the 

restoration of billions of dollars of consumer credit lines. He has developed much of the positive 

law under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, especially in the area of text message spam, 

resulting in settlements collectively worth over a hundred millions of dollars and earning him the 

moniker, “the Spam Slammer.” Jay has been recognized as a “pioneer” in the emerging field of 

electronic privacy, having established key precedent in cases throughout the country and 

reaching some of the most important settlements in this space. Based primarily on his success in 

bringing consumer technology class actions, the national press has dubbed Jay and his firm the 

“most feared” litigators in Silicon Valley and, according to the New York Times, tech’s 

“babyfaced ... boogeyman.” The international press has called Jay one of the world’s 

“profiliertesten (most prominent)” privacy class action attorneys. 

In addition to complex defense-side litigation, which he handles only in select cases, Jay also 

offers strategic support to start-ups, including several that have become national brands. 

Jay is a frequent speaker and writer on class action issues, the practice of law more generally, 

and training and law firm management — the latter earning him recognition by the ABA as one 

of “the most creative minds in the legal industry”. He is an adjunct professor at Chicago-Kent 

School of Law, where he has taught seminars on class actions and negotiation. He has written a 

blog for Thomson Reuters, called Pardon the Disruption, where he focused on ideas necessary to 

reform and reinvent the legal industry. 

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RYAN D. ANDREWS is a Partner at EDELSON PC. He presently leads the firm’s complex case 

resolution and appellate practice group, which oversees the firm’s class settlements, class notice 

programs, and briefing on issues of first impression. 

Ryan has been appointed class counsel in numerous federal and state class actions nationwide 

that have resulted in over $100 million dollars in refunds to consumers, including: Satterfield v. 

Simon & Schuster, No. C 06 2893 CW (N.D. Cal.): Ellison v Steve Madden, Ltd., No. cv 11-5935 

PSG (C.D. Cal.); Robles v. Lucky Brand Dungarees, Inc., No. 10-cv-04846 (N.D. Cal.); Lozano 

v. 20th Century Fox, No. 09-cv-05344 (N.D. Ill.): Paluzzi v. Cellco Partnership, No. 07 CH

37213 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty., Ill.); and Lofton v. Bank of America Corp., No. 07-5892 (N.D. Cal.). 

Representative reported decisions include: Lozano v. Twentieth Century Fox, 702 F. Supp. 2d 

999 (N.D. Ill. 2010), Satterfield v. Simon & Schuster, Inc. 569 F.3d 946 (9th Cir. 2009), Kramer 

v. Autobytel, Inc., 759 F. Supp. 2d 1165 (N.D. Cal. 2010); In re Jiffy Lube Int’l Text Spam Litig.,

847 F. Supp. 2d 1253 (S.D. Cal. 2012); Lee v. Stonebridge Life Ins. Co., 289 F.R.D. 292 (N.D. 

Cal. 2013); and Kristensen v. Credit Payment Servs., 12 F. Supp. 3d 1292 (D. Nev. Mar. 26, 

2014). 

Ryan graduated from the University of Michigan, earning his B.A., with distinction, in Political 

Science and Communications. Ryan received his J.D. with High Honors from the Chicago-Kent 

College of Law and was named Order of the Coif. Ryan has served as an Adjunct Professor of 

Law at Chicago-Kent, teaching a third-year seminar on class actions. While in law school, Ryan 

was a Notes & Comments Editor for The Chicago-Kent Law Review, earned CALI awards for 

the highest grade in five classes, and was a teaching assistant for both Property Law and Legal 

Writing courses. Ryan externed for the Honorable Joan B. Gottschall in the United State District 

Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Ryan is licensed to practice in Illinois state courts, the United States District Court for the 

Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and the U.S. 

Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

RAFEY S. BALABANIAN is the Managing Partner of EDELSON PC. Rafey’s practice focuses 

upon a wide range of complex consumer class action litigation, as well as general business 

litigation. In the class action context, Rafey has extensive experience both prosecuting and 

defending class actions.

On the plaintiff’s side, Rafey has been appointed lead counsel in numerous class actions, and has 

achieved landmark settlements involving the telecom industry worth hundreds of millions of 

dollars, including nationwide settlements in the cases Pimental, et al. v. Google, Inc., No. 11-cv2585 (N.D. Cal.); Van Dyke v. Media Breakaway, LLC, No. 08-cv-22131 (S.D. Fla.); Williams v. 

Motricity, Inc., et al., No. 09 CH 19089 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty., Ill.); and Walker v. OpenMarket, 

Inc., et al., No. 08 CH 40592 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cnty., Ill.).

Rafey’s plaintiff’s class action practice also focuses on consumer privacy issues and some of his 

most notable accomplishments include nationwide settlements reached with companies such as 

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Netflix (In re Netflix Privacy Litig., No. 11-cv-379 (N.D. Cal.)) and RockYou (Claridge v. 

RockYou, Inc., No. 09-cv-6030 (N.D. Cal.)). Rafey also led the effort to secure adversarial class 

certification of what is believed to be the largest privacy class action in the history of U.S. 

jurisprudence in the case of Dunstan, et al. v. comScore, Inc., No. 11-cv-5807 (N.D. Ill.).

On the business side, Rafey has counseled clients ranging from “emerging technology” 

companies, real estate developers, hotels, insurance companies, lenders, shareholders and 

attorneys. He has successfully litigated numerous multi-million dollar cases, including several 

“bet the company” cases. And, with respect to the defense of class action, Rafey’s practice 

focuses mainly on the defense of corporate clients facing wage and hour lawsuits brought under 

the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Rafey received his J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law in 2005. While in law 

school, he received a certificate in international and comparative law. A native of Colorado, 

Rafey received his B.A. in History, with distinction, from the University of Colorado – Boulder 

in 2002.

CHRISTOPHER L. DORE is a Partner at EDELSON PC where he focuses his practice on 

emerging consumer technology issues, with his cases relating to online fraud, deceptive 

marketing, consumer privacy, negative option membership enrollment, and unsolicited text 

messaging. Chris is also a member of the firm’s Incubation and Startup Development Group 

wherein he consults with emergent businesses.

Chris has been appointed class counsel in multiple class actions, including one of the largest textspam settlements under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, groundbreaking issues in the 

mobile phone industry and fraudulent marketing, as well as consumer privacy. See Kramer v. 

Autobytel, Inc., No. 10-cv-02722-CW (N.D. Cal.); Turner v. Storm8, LLC, No. 09-cv-05234

(N.D. Cal.); Standiford v Palm, Inc., No. 09-cv-05719-LHK (N.D. Cal.); and Espinal v. Burger 

King Corp., No. 09-cv-20982 (S.D. Fla.). In addition, Chris has achieved groundbreaking court 

decisions protecting consumer rights. Representative reported decisions include: Claridge v. 

RockYou, Inc., 785 F. Supp. 2d 855 (N.D. Cal. 2011); Kramer v. Autobytel, Inc., 759 F. Supp. 2d 

1165 (N.D. Cal. 2010); and Van Tassell v. United Marketing Group, LLC, 795 F. Supp. 2d 770 

(N.D. Ill. 2011). In total, his suits have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars to consumers.

Outside of consumer class actions, Chris actively advises technology related startups, including 

providing compliance and marketing guidance, as well as hands-on concept and business 

development.

Prior to joining EDELSON PC, Chris worked for two large defense firms in the areas of 

employment and products liability. Chris graduated magna cum laude from The John Marshall 

Law School, where he served as the Executive Lead Articles for the Law Review, as well as a 

team member for the D.M. Harish International Moot Court Competition in Mumbai, India. 

Chris has since returned to his alma mater to lecture on current issues in class action litigation 

and negations.

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Before entering law school, Chris received his Masters degree in Legal Sociology, graduating 

magna cum laude from the International Institute for the Sociology of Law, located in Onati, 

Spain. Chris received his B.A. in Legal Sociology from the University of California, Santa 

Barbara.

ROGER PERLSTADT is a Partner at EDELSON PC, where he concentrates on appellate and 

complex litigation advocacy. He has briefed and argued appeals and motions in both federal and 

state appellate courts. 

Prior to joining the firm, Roger was a law clerk to United States District Court Judge Elaine E.

Bucklo, an associate at a litigation boutique in Chicago, and a Visiting Assistant Professor at the 

University of Florida Levin College of Law. He has published articles on the Federal Arbitration 

Act in various law reviews. 

Roger has been named a Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyer Magazine four times since 2010.

Roger graduated from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was a member of the 

University of Chicago Law Review. After law school, he served as a clerk to the Honorable 

Elaine E. Bucklo of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

EVE-LYNN J. RAPP is a Partner at EDELSON PC, where she focuses her practice on consumer 

technology class actions, with a particular emphasis on cell phone telephony and Telephone 

Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) cases and “negative option” enrollment consumer fraud 

cases. She also regularly handles plaintiff’s side employment class actions, including federal Fair 

Labor Stands Act cases and their state law counterparts. Eve is the hiring partner for the firm’s 

Chicago office.

Eve has helped lead approximately 20 TCPA class actions, including Birchmeier v. Caribbean 

Cruise Line, Inc. et al., No. 12-cv-04069 (N.D. Ill.), where she secured the largest adversarial 

TCPA class in this nation’s history. She is also lead counsel in one of the few “Do Not Call” 

TCPA cases to settle, resulting in a multi-million dollar settlement and affording class members 

with as much as $5,000 individually. Eve has also prosecuted TCPA cases on an individual basis 

in arbitrations, winning six-figure settlements.

She has led over a half-dozen consumer fraud and “negative option” enrollment cases, against a 

variety of industries, including e-cigarette sellers, the on-line gaming companies, and electronic 

and sport products distributors.

Eve is also leading a series of employment class actions involving the cell tower industry, 

securing a six-figure settlement for the named plaintiff.

In a nationally publicized products liability case, Eve help secure a reversal from the United 

States Supreme Court, paving the way for hundreds of thousands of people to litigate their claims 

of deceptive marketing.

In 2015, Eve was selected as an Illinois Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers.

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Eve received her J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago-School of Law, graduating cum laude, 

with a Certificate in Trial Advocacy. During law school, she was an Associate Editor of Loyola’s 

International Law Review and externed as a “711” at both the Cook County State’s Attorney’s 

Office and for Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin. Eve also clerked for both civil and 

criminal judges (The Honorable Judge Yvonne Lewis and Plummer Lott) in the Supreme Court 

of New York. Eve graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with distinction and Phi 

Beta Kappa honors, receiving a B.A. in Political Science.

Eve is actively involved with the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, 

Inc.’s Settlement Assistance Project where she represents a number of pro bono clients for 

settlement purposes.

BENJAMIN H. RICHMAN is the Managing Partner of the Chicago Office of EDELSON PC. He 

handles plaintiffs’-side consumer class actions, focusing mainly on technology-related cases, 

represents corporate defendants in class actions, and handles general commercial litigation 

matters.

On the plaintiff’s side, Ben has brought industry-changing lawsuits involving the marketing 

practices of the mobile industry, print and online direct advertisers, and Internet companies. He 

has successfully prosecuted cases involving privacy claims and the negligent storage of 

consumer data. His suits have also uncovered complex fraudulent methodologies of Web 2.0 

companies, including the use of automated bots to distort the value of consumer goods and 

services. In total, his suits have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars to consumers.

On the defense side, Ben has represented large institutional lenders in the defense of employment 

class actions. He also routinely represents technology companies in a wide variety of both class 

action defense and general commercial litigation matters.

Ben received his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School, where he was an Executive Editor of 

the Law Review and earned a Certificate in Trial Advocacy. While in law school, Ben served as 

a judicial extern to the Honorable John W. Darrah of the United States District Court for the 

Northern District of Illinois, in addition to acting as a teaching assistant for Prof. Rogelio Lasso 

in several torts courses. Ben has since returned to the classroom as a guest-lecturer on issues 

related to class actions, complex litigation and negotiation. He also lectures incoming law 

students on the core first year curriculums. Before entering law school, Ben graduated from 

Colorado State University with a B.S. in Psychology.

Ben is also the director of EDELSON PC’S Summer Associate Program.

ARI J. SCHARG is a Partner at EDELSON PC and leads the firm’s Privacy and Data Security

Litigation Group. He handles technology-related class actions, focusing mainly on cases 

involving privacy and data security issues, including the illegal collection, storage, and 

disclosure of personal information and text message spam. Ari has been appointed class counsel 

by state and federal courts in several nationwide class actions, including Fox v. Time, Inc., No. 

12-cv-14390 (E.D. Mich. July 27, 2015); Halaburda v. Bauer Publishing Co., No. 12-cv-12831 

(E.D. Mich.); Resnick v. Avmed, No. 10-cv-24513 (S.D. Fla.); In re: LinkedIn User Privacy 

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Litigation, No. 5:12-cv-03088 (N.D. Cal.); Coffman v. Glide Talk, Ltd., No. 14 CH 08513 (Cir. 

Ct. Cook Cnty, Ill.); Webb v. Cleverbridge, et al., No. 11-cv-4141 (N.D. Ill.); Ledet v. Ascentive, 

No. 11-cv-294 (E.D. Penn.); and Grant v. Commonwealth Edison Company, No. 13-cv-8310 

(N.D. Ill.), and was appointed sole-lead class counsel in Loewy v. Live Nation, No. 11-cv-4872 

(N.D. Ill.), where the court praised his work as “impressive” and noted that he “understand[s] 

what it means to be on a team that’s working toward justice.” Ari was selected as an Illinois 

Rising Star (2013, 2014, 2015) by Super Lawyers.

Prior to joining the firm, Ari worked as a litigation associate at a large Chicago firm, where he 

represented a wide range of clients including Fortune 500 companies and local municipalities. 

His work included representing the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in several civil rights cases and 

he was part of the litigation team that forced Craigslist to remove its “Adult Services” section 

from its website.

Ari received his B.A. in Sociology from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and graduated 

magna cum laude from The John Marshall Law School where he served as a Staff Editor for THE

JOHN MARSHALL LAW REVIEW and competed nationally in trial competitions. During law school, 

he also served as a judicial extern to The Honorable Bruce W. Black of the U.S. Bankruptcy 

Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

COURTNEY BOOTH is an Associate at EDELSON PC where her practice focuses on consumer

and tech-related class actions. 

Courtney received her J.D., magna cum laude, from The John Marshall Law School. While in 

law school, she was a staff editor of The John Marshall Law Review, a teaching assistant for 

Legal Writing and Civil Procedure, and a member of the Moot Court Honor Society. Courtney 

represented John Marshall at the Mercer Legal Ethics and Professionalism Competition where 

she was a semi-finalist and won Best Respondent’s Brief and at the Cardozo/BMI Entertainment 

and Communications Law Competition where she placed in the top three oralists. Courtney was 

a 2013 Member of the National Order of Scribes.

Courtney focuses her public service efforts on providing settlement-related assistance to pro 

se plaintiffs. In one of her recent pro bono cases, the Court recognized Courtney’s efforts and 

“express[ed] its appreciation” to her, stating that “[t]he work she has done for the plaintiff is of 

the highest order and the way she has conducted herself in court is to be commended.” See Sroga 

v. City of Chicago, No. 12-cv-9288, Dkt. 65 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 6, 2014).

Prior to law school, Courtney attended Saint Louis University where she earned a B.A. in 

Communication. While there, she was a community relations intern for the St. Louis Blues.

JONATHAN W. HODGE is an Associate at EDELSON PC where his practice focuses on 

complex consumer class actions. 

Prior to joining EDELSON PC, Jonathan handled complex commercial litigation at an Am Law 

100 defense firm, where he drove successful outcomes in matters with as much as $100,000,000 

in controversy. Previously, Jonathan served as a consultant for a tech incubator where he helped 

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clients form new business based on patent-protected technologies developed at the University of 

Michigan. He also served in the accounting department of Nucor Steel-Hertford, where his IT 

skillsets helped him largely automate the monitoring of the largest cost at a multibillion-dollar 

division of America’s largest steel company.

Jonathan received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. While in law school, 

Jonathan participated in the Campbell Moot Court and the Frank Murphy Society 1L Oral 

Advocacy Competition. He was awarded Legal Practice Honors for performing in the top 20% of 

his first-year legal research and writing classes.

Jonathan graduated summa cum laude from Chowan University, earning his B.S. in Business 

Administration with a double concentration in Information Systems and Accounting.

JAMIE J. R. HOLZ is an Associate at EDELSON PC where his practice focuses on tech and 

privacy-related class actions. 

Jamie received his J.D., magna cum laude, from The John Marshall Law School. While 

attending law school, Jamie participated in The John Marshall Law Review and the Moot Court 

Honors Council, and was a Board Member for The John Marshall Trial Advocacy and Dispute 

Resolution Honors Board. Jamie competed nationally on several alternative dispute resolution 

teams, was the Herzog Moot Court Competition champion and a two-time Triple Crown 

Alternative Dispute Resolution Competition champion.

Jamie was an extern to the Honorable Arlander Keys in the United States District Court for the 

Northern District of Illinois and with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Jamie 

completed his time at John Marshall as a David R. Sargis Scholar and walked away with CALI 

awards in property law and civil procedure.

Prior to law school, Jamie attended Loras College where he earned a B.A. in Creative Writing 

and English Literature.

ALICIA HWANG is an Associate at EDELSON PC. Alicia practices in the area of consumer 

class action and general litigation.

Alicia received her J.D. from the Northwestern University School of Law, where she was an 

articles editor for the Journal of Law and Social Policy. During law school, Alicia was a legal 

intern for the Chinese American Service League, served as president of the Asian Pacific 

American Law Student Association and the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, and was Chair 

of the Student Services Committee. She also worked as a student in the Northwestern 

Entrepreneurship Law Clinic and Complex Civil Litigation and Investor Protection Clinic. 

Prior to joining EDELSON PC, Alicia worked as an Executive Team Leader for the Target 

Corporation, as well as a public relations intern for a tourism-marketing agency in London.

Alicia graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern California, earning her B.A. 

in Communication. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. 

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NICK LARRY is an Associate at EDELSON PC where his practice focuses on technology and 

privacy class actions. 

Nick has been appointed class counsel in multiple class actions that have resulted in tens of 

millions of dollars in refunds to consumers, including: In re LinkedIn User Privacy Litig., No. 

12-cv-3088 (N.D. Cal.); Halaburda v. Bauer Publishing Co., LP, No. 12-cv-12831 (E.D. Mich.); 

Dunstan v. comScore, No. 11-cv-5807 (N.D. Ill.); and In re Netflix Privacy Litig., No. 11-cv-379 

(N.D. Cal.). 

Nick received his J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law, where he was a 

senior editor of the Northwestern University Journal of International Law and Business. His 

student Comment, which examines the legal issues that may arise from National Hockey League 

players’ participation in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, appears in Vol. 32, No. 3A of the 

Northwestern University Journal of International Law and Business.

Nick attended Michigan State University, where he graduated with a B.A. in General Business 

Administration/Pre-law and played on the school’s rugby team. 

J. AARON LAWSON is an Associate at EDELSON PC where his practice focuses on appeals and 

complex motion practice. 

Before coming to EDELSON PC, Aaron served for two years as a Staff Attorney for the United 

States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, handling appeals involving a wide variety of 

subject matter, including consumer-protection law, employment law, criminal law, and federal 

habeas corpus. While at the University of Michigan Law School, Aaron served as the Managing 

Editor for the Michigan Journal of Race & Law, and participated in the Federal Appellate Clinic. 

In the clinic, Aaron briefed a direct criminal appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the 

Sixth Circuit, and successfully convinced the court to vacate his client’s sentence. 

DAVID I. MINDELL is an Associate at EDELSON PC where he helps direct a team of attorneys 

and engineers in investigating and litigating cases involving complex tech fraud and privacy 

violations. His team’s research has led to lawsuits involving the fraudulent development, 

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devices and computers, unlawful collection, storage, and dissemination of consumer data, 

mobile-device privacy violations, large-scale data breaches, and the Bitcoin industry. On the 

other side, David also serves as a consultant to a variety of emerging technology companies. 

Prior to joining EDELSON PC, David co-founded several tech, real estate, and hospitality related 

ventures, including a tech startup that was acquired by a well-known international corporation 

within its first three years. David has advised tech companies on a variety of legal and strategic 

business-related issues, including how to handle and protect consumer data. He has also 

consulted with startups on the formation of business plans, product development, and launch. 

While in law school, David was a research assistant for University of Chicago Law School 

Kauffman and Bigelow Fellow, Matthew Tokson, and for the preeminent cyber-security 

professor, Hank Perritt at the Chicago-Kent College of Law. David’s research included 

cyberattack and denial of service vulnerabilities of the Internet, intellectual property rights, and 

privacy issues. 

David has spoken to a wide range of audiences about his investigations and practice. 

AMIR MISSAGHI is an Associate at EDELSON PC where he focuses on technology and privacy 

class actions. 

Amir received his J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he was a member of the 

Moot Court Honor Society and a teaching assistant in Property. Before law school, he attended 

the University of Minnesota, where he received his B.S. and M.S. in Applied Economics. He 

then began working at a Fortune 50 company as a programmer and data analyst. During that time 

Amir started working on his graduate studies in Applied Economics where he focused on 

analyzing consumer choice in healthcare markets. 

STEWART R. POLLOCK is an Associate at EDELSON PC, where his practice focuses on 

consumer privacy class actions and general litigation. Stewart has experience and success with 

all aspects of civil litigation, including trial, motion practice, discovery, mediation, hearings 

appeals, and arbitration. 

Stewart graduated with a degree in history and philosophy from the University of Virginia and 

received his J.D. cum laude from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, with a 

concentration in international law. 

Prior to joining EDELSON PC, Stewart served as lead class counsel for a putative class of mobile 

home park residents who suffered unlawful rent charges. He was also involved in deposing highlevel employees of General Motors on behalf of a nationwide class of consumers in a class action 

concerning defects in over 27 million vehicles. Stewart has also succeeded at trial in defending a 

client accused of fraud and breach of contract. 

Stewart has won numerous awards and honors, including the Witkin Award for Negotiation and 

Mediation, the Wiley M. Manuel Pro Bono Award, and title of Regional Champion and 

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International Quarterfinalist in the Jessup International Moot Court Competition. He has also 

published on a wide variety of topics, from patent trolls to refugees’ rights to work. 

Stewart, an Eagle Scout, also sits on the San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association Board of 

Directors.

BEN THOMASSEN is an Associate at EDELSON PC where he focuses on consumer litigation, 

with an emphasis on privacy and data breach class actions. 

Ben’s work at the firm has achieved significant results for classes of consumers. He has been 

appointed as class counsel in several high profile cases, including, for example, Harris v. 

comScore, Inc., No. 11-cv-5807 (N.D. Ill.) (appointed class counsel in case against data analytics 

company, which is estimated to be the largest privacy class action certified on adversarial basis 

and resulted in $14MM settlement). Ben has also played critical and leading roles in developing, 

briefing, and arguing novel legal theories on behalf of his clients, including by delivering the 

winning oral argument to the Eleventh Circuit in the seminal case of Resnick, et al. v. AvMed, 

Inc., No. 10-cv-24513 (S.D. Fla.) (appointed class counsel in industry-changing data breach case, 

which obtained a landmark appellate decision endorsing common law unjust enrichment theory, 

irrespective of whether identity theft occurred) and recently obtaining certification of a class of 

magazine subscribers in Coulter-Owens v. Time, Inc., No. 12-cv-14390 (E.D. Mich.) (achieved 

adversarial certification in privacy case brought by class of magazine subscribers against 

magazine publisher under Michigan’s Preservation of Personal Privacy Act). His cases have 

resulted in millions of dollars to consumers. 

Ben graduated magna cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he also earned a 

certificate in Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution and was named Order of the Coif. He 

also served as Vice President of Chicago-Kent’s Moot Court Honor Society and earned (a 

currently unbroken firm record of) seven CALI awards for receiving the highest grade in 

Appellate Advocacy, Business Organizations, Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Personal Income 

Tax, Property, and Torts. 

Before settling into his legal career, Ben worked in and around the Chicago and Washington, 

D.C. areas in a number of capacities, including stints as a website designer/developer, a regular 

contributor to a monthly Capitol Hill newspaper, and a film projectionist and media technician 

(with many years experience) for commercial theatres, museums, and educational institutions. 

Ben received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Chicago and his Bachelor of Arts 

degree, summa cum laude, from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. 

ALEXANDER G. TIEVSKY is an Associate at EDELSON PC, where he concentrates on 

complex motion practice and appeals in consumer class action litigation. 

He received his J.D. from the Northwestern University School of Law, where he graduated from 

the two-year accelerated J.D. program. While in law school, Alex was Media Editor of the 

Northwestern University Law Review. He also worked as a member of the Bluhm Legal Clinic’s 

Center on Wrongful Convictions. Alex maintains a relationship with the Center and focuses his 

public service work on seeking to overturn unjust criminal convictions in Cook County. 

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Alex’s past experiences include developing internal tools for an enterprise software company and 

working as a full-time cheesemonger. He received his A.B. in linguistics with general honors 

from the College of the University of Chicago.

ELIZABETH WINKOWSKI is an Associate at EDELSON PC, where her practice focuses on 

consumer class actions, particularly those relating to privacy violations. 

Elizabeth graduated summa cum laude from the John Marshall Law School, where she was 

valedictorian of her law school class. She also holds an M.A. in creative nonfiction writing from 

Northwestern University and a B.A. in political science from Boston College, where she 

graduated magna cum laude. 

During law school, Elizabeth served on the editorial board of the John Marshall Review of 

Intellectual Property Law and won First Place and Best Brief in the Dean Fred F. Herzog Moot 

Court Competition. Elizabeth also served as a teaching assistant for a first-year legal research 

and writing course and as an extern in the United States District Court for the Northern District 

of Illinois.

Elizabeth previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Harry D. Leinenweber in the United 

States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Prior to law school, she worked as an 

editor for an educational publisher and taught English in Puerto Natales, Chile.

JACOB WRIGHT is a Staff Attorney at EDELSON PC where his practice focuses on consumer 

and privacy-related class actions.

Jacob graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in 

Government and Middle Eastern Studies. He received his J.D. cum laude from American 

University College of Law. 

Jacob is a Member of the Equality Illinois Political Action Committee as well as a Next 

Generation Board Member of La Casa Norte.

SHAWN DAVIS is the Director of Digital Forensics at EDELSON PC, where he leads a technical 

team in investigating claims involving privacy violations and tech-related abuse. His team’s 

investigations have included claims arising out of the fraudulent development, marketing, and 

sale of computer software, unlawful tracking of consumers through digital devices, unlawful 

collection, storage, and dissemination of consumer data, large-scale data breaches, receipt of 

unsolicited communications, and other deceptive marketing practices.

Prior to joining EDELSON PC, Shawn worked for Motorola Solutions in the Security and Federal 

Operations Centers as an Information Protection Specialist. Shawn’s responsibilities included 

network and computer forensic analysis, malware analysis, threat mitigation, and incident 

handling for various commercial and government entities.

Shawn is an Adjunct Industry Associate Professor for the School of Applied Technology at the 

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Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) where he has been teaching since December of 2013. 

Additionally, Shawn is a faculty member of the IIT Center for Cyber Security and Forensics 

Education which is a collaborative space between business, government, academia, and security 

professionals. Shawn’s contributions aided in IIT’s designation as a National Center of 

Academic Excellence in Information Assurance by the National Security Agency.

Shawn graduated with high honors from the Illinois Institute of Technology with a Masters of 

Information Technology Management with a specialization in Computer and Network Security. 

During graduate school, Shawn was inducted into Gamma Nu Eta, the National Information 

Technology Honor Society.

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