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Case 1:13-cv-24583-PAS Document 197 Entered on FLSD Docket 07/22/2016 Page 1 of 33

UNITED STATES DISTRICT CO URT


SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
CaseNo.1:13-CV-24583-PA S
CH RIS P.CA RTER,
Individually and on behalfofa11
otherssim ilarly situated,

Plaint?

CLASSACTION

FORJA S TA U RU S S.A .,
TAURUS INTERNATIONAL
M ANUFACTURING,INC.,and
TAURUS HOLDINGS,1N C.s

Defendants.
/

O R DER G M N TIN G PLA INTIFF'S M O TIO N FO R FINA L A PPR O V AL O F C LA SS


ACTION SETTLEM ENT,GM NTING M OTION FOR ATTORNEY S'FEES AND
IN C ENTIV E AW A R D .AN D O V ERR U LIN G O BJE CTIO N S TO SETTLEM EN T

THIS M ATTER isbeforetheCourtforfinalapprovalofclassaction settlement. Plaintiff

ChrisP.Carter(dplaintiff')hasfiledaM otionforFinalApprovaland SupportingM emorandum

gDE 147)and Supplement(DE 191j,aswellasaM otion forAttorneys'FeesandServiceAward


(DE 1481.
Thefocusoftheclassaction isnine polym erstriker-fired Taurusmodelsoffireanns
alleged to havetwo defectsthatcauseunintentionaldischargewhen dropped orwhenthe safety
is on. The specific m odelsare:PT-I11 M illelm ium ;PT-132 M illennium ;PT-138 M illennium ;
PT-140 M illennium ;PT-145 M illennium ;137--745 M illerm ium ;PT-24/7;PT-609;and PT-640

(collectively,iclassPistols'').TheClassiscomprisedofapproximately955,796members.
A ftertwo roundsofnotice, fourindividualsoptedoutandonlyt
iveindividualsfiledobjections.1

lTheobjectorsincludeStevenGlaviano gDE 136, 182,l931,TroyScheffler(DE l37,l851,Terry


Pennington(DE 141J,RichardJordan (DE 142,1861,and M ichaelReamy gDE 1841.Mr.Glaviano(DE

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Thepartiesfledresponsestotheobjections(DE 149,189)andmovedto strikeObjector


Glaviano'sthird(supplemental)objection (DE 194).
Having reviewed therecord and theparties'submissionsand having held two final
approvalhearings w ith a supplem entalnotice period in betw een them ,the Courtfindsthatthe

Noticecompliedwithdueprocessand,pursuanttoFederalRuleofCivilProcedure23(e),was
thebestnoticepracticableunderthe circum stances. The CourtfurtherfindsthattheClassis
properly certified and theSettlem entisfair,reasonable,and adequate. TheSettlem entwasthe
productofextensivearm 's-length negotiationsby experienced counsel'
,itavoidsconsiderable,
costly,and protracted litigation posing significantobstaclesto Plaintiff'ssuccesson themerits;
and itprovidesreasonable and adequatevalueto the Settlem entClassM embers. Finally,

applying the legalstandardsin thisCircuit,the CourtfindsPlaintiffsrequestfor$9 m illion in

attorneys'feesand costsand a$15,000 serviceaward forPlaintiffCarterto be reasonablein


lightofthe circumstancesofthiscase. Therefore,Plaintiff'sM otion forAttorneys'Feesand an

IncentiveAwardisgranted.Eachoftheobjectionsisovem zledordenied.
FactualB ackzround

In 2013,Plaintiffwasadeputy with the ScottCounty,lowa SherriffsDepartment. His


service weapon w as a personally-ow ned Taul'us PTl40 M illennium PRO pistol.2 Plaintiff
allegesthat,w hile pursuing a suspect,his Tauruspistolfellfrom itsholster,dropped to the

ground,and discharged on impact. Afterretaining attom ey Todd W heeles,Plaintifffiled his


initialcom plainton Decem ber20,2013. A fterseveralm onths ofdiscovery,Plaintifffiled his

1601andM r.Scheftler(DE 164)alsorespondedtotheM otionsforFinalApprovalandAttorneys'Fees

and attended theJanuary 20,2016 FinalApprovalHearing. M r.Glaviano attended the July 18,2016

FinalApprovalHearing.DeanM cAdamsalsofiledaM otionforReturnofProperty (DE 1501,which is


addressed atFootnote 14 below .

'h PT140 M illennium PRO isam odelofthe PT140 M illennium Tauruspistol.

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FirstAmended Complainton September22,2014,asserting statutory,tort,and warranty-based


claimsarising from alleged safety defectsintheClassPistols.3

Specifically,PlaintiffallegesthattheClassPistolscontaintwodefects(collectively
l'SafetyDefects').gDE 131(Tr.at12:19-13:21).) Thefirstisa%ldrop-firedefect''thatPlaintiff
allegesm ay cause thePistolsto fire when dropped from anormalheight.Plaintiffcontendsthat
the drop-fire defectis a com m on design defectattributable to the factthatthe ClassPistolsa1l

lack aittriggerblade safety.''Thesecond alleged defectisaStfalse safety defect''thatPlaintiff


allegesm ay allow a Pistolto tire unintentionally even w hen the m anualsafety leverisin the

k'on''orSsafe''position and thetriggerm ovesrearward.


W hileDefendantsacknowledgethattheClassPistolslack triggerbladesafeties,they
deny thatthisresultsin the alleged comm on defects,and they otherwise deny Plaintiffs
allegationsand claim s.4 A s of2013,the ClassPistolsare no longerm anufactured and distributed

intheUnitedStates. gDE 131(Tr.13:13-18).)


Thepartieshavezealously litigated thiscaseand conducted extensivedocum ent

production andotherdiscovery.BrazilianDefendantForjasTaurusS.A.movedtodismissbased
onimproperservicegDE 301andlaterresisteddiscovery,resultinginaM otiontoCompel(DE
1011.Defendantsalsomovedtodismissforfailuretostateaclaim (DE 791,challengingeachof
Plaintiffs claim s. Plaintiffs counselhas deposed three com orate representativesconcem ing

num erousdesignated topics. Defendants'counselhasalso deposed Plaintiff.ln addition,both

3 Capitalized terms not othem ise defined in this Order have the m eanings assigned to them in the
Settlem entAgreement.
4AttheJu1y 18 FinalApprovalHearing, Defendantsrecognized thatseveralinadequacieson the Class
Pistolscan combine to contributeto thealleged Stdrop-fire defect.'' Defendantsarecurrently investigating
whetherthese inadequaciescan be fixed to preventfurtherunintended dischargeand providea meansof
repairing the Pistols. Defendantsremain firm astotheirposition thatunintended discharge from the
alleged tlfalse safety defect''can only occurupon intentionaluserovenide ofthem anualsafety.

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beforeand afterthecase wasfled,Plaintiffsexpertsconducted approximately 500hoursof


testingacrossal1ClassPistolmodels,which the partiesdescribed duringtheJune 23,2015

PreliminaryApprovalHearing.(DE 131(Tr.at14:23-19:3).J Defendantsalsoconductedtheir


ow n experttesting.
1.

The Settlem entN egotiations.

During discovery,thepartiesengaged in morethan 90 hoursofanu's-length m ediation


and settlem entnegotiationsoverthecourse ofseveralmonths,including six in-person mediation
sessionsw ith m ediatorRodney M ax ofUpchurch W atson W hite & M ax.5 These m ediation
sessionsw ere held in M iam i,Birm ingham ,FortLauderdale,Atlanta,and W ashington,D .C. A t
these sessions,Plaintiffshared his experttesting and opinions regarding the Safety D efects.

Defendantsthereafterengaged a new team ofexpertsto testthePlaintiffsexperts'tindingsand


conclusions.The partiesalso addressed and debated classcertitication issuesand the strengths
and weaknessesofeach side'sclaim sand defenses.ln addition to thefonnalm ediation sessions,
counselengagedin extended negotiations,both in person and telephonically.

Defendants'boardsofdirectorsrejectedtheparties'firstproposedsettlement.
Subsequently,thepartiesparticipated in afinalm ediation session in W ashington,D .C.Also in

attendancewerePlaintiff'sforensicaccountant,ForjasTaurus'sCFO from Brazil,Taurus


InternationalM anufacturing,lnc.'sCEO,and a Portuguese translatorw ith Brazilian business

experienceand a1aw degree,retained by Plaintiff'scounselspecifically to facilitatem ediation.


Thatsession resulted in a second settlem ent, w hich D efendants'boardsapproved.6

5M r. M ax wasa certified classaction mediatorin thisDistrictthrough 2014.

6Since theSettlementwassubm itted to the Court, Defendantshave been investigating the alleged ltdropfiredefect''in an effortto determ ine ifa repairisfeasible. Plaintiffhasnotrevised theproposed
Settlementbutwillcontinueto update ClassM em berson the statusofDefendants'efforts.
4

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II.

The Proposed Settlem ent.

The Settlementfocuseson nineTaurusfirearm salleged to havea lldrop-firedefect''and a


kkfalse safety defect.'' Based on Defendants'Acquisition and Disposition Records,which are part

ofatrackingsystem approvedbytheBureauofAlcohol,Tobacco,andFirearms(tATF''),
Defendantsstatethatapproximately 955,796 ClassPistolshave been distributed sinceeachwas

firstmanufactured.(DE 147-3(DeclarationofDr.Andrew Sat)rl.) Thebreakdownforeach


ClassPistolis as follow s:
M O D EL
PT-I11M illemzium
PT-132 M illermium
PT-138 M illerm ium
PT-140 M illennium
PT-l45 M illennium
P7--745 M illelm ium
PT-609
PT-640
P7--24/7
TO TA L

N UM B ER DIST RIBU TED


286,190
4,137
20,520
159,095
178,622
21,365
21,037
5,378
259,452
955,190

Becausea11ClassPistolsaresubjecttotheallegeddefects,theSettlementClassincludesa1l
presentownersofClassPistols. Therefore,the Settlem entClassisdefinedto include:
t1A l1Personsorentities ofthe U nited States,Com m onw ealth ofPuerto Rico,U .S.
Virgin Islands,and Guam who own one orm ore ofthefollowing Taurus-branded
fireanns on the date ofprelim inary approval:PT-I11 M illennium ;PT-132
M illennium ;PT-138 M illelm ium ;PT-140 M illennium ;PT-145 M illerm ium ;PT745 M illelm ium ;PT-609;PT-640;and PT-24/7.''

(DE 123at4.1 State,localorfederalgovenunents,bodies,oragenciesareexcludedfrom


the Settlem entClass. The Settlem entRelease expressly excludesclaim s fordeath,

personalinjury,anddamagetopropertyotherthantothePistols.

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Theproposed Settlem entprovidesSettlem entClassM emberswho electto returntheir


Class Pistolw ith tw o options forrelief- eitheran enhanced w arranty ora cash paym ent. The

proposed Settlementalso providesonline safety training.


Warranty Enhancem ent. Underthefirstoption,SettlementClassM emberscan choose
to receiveanenhanced warranty covering theirClassPistols.Defendantshaveagreed to m odify

theexistingW arrantyandRepairPolicyfora11ClassPistolstoallow any owner(notjustthe


currentororiginalowner)toreturntheirClassPistolwithawarrantyclaim atanytime(forthe
lifeofthePistol)tohavetheClassPistolinspectedforthealleged SafetyDefectsandrepaired,
ifpossible,orreplaced. W hileTaurusisendeavoring to develop arepairto thealleged tdrop-

tsredefect,''thereisnorepaircurrentlyavailable(DE 147at4n.4).Therefore,ClassM embers


w ho choose the enhanced w arranty option w illreceive a com parable m odel6 2 pistol,w hich is

fitted with atriggerblade safety. Plaintiffsexpel'


tstestedthereplacem ent()2 m odelpistolsto

ensuretheydonotsufferfrom thesamedefectsallegedinthislitigation.(DE 147at4n.31


Aspartofthisenhanced warranty,Defendantsarewaiving a1ltheirstandard inspection

feesand laborcharges,including theirminim um chargeofapproxim ately $35.00 norm ally


associated w ith theirexisting W arranty and RepairPolicy. O wners willalso nothave to prove

theirreturned Pistolisdefective orhasexperienced anyunintended discharge.7


Defendantswillalsopay shipping coststo and from theirdesignated warranty facility in
M iam i.8 Because FedEx requiresa11tlreannsto be shipped ExpressStandard Overnight,''the

shippingcostsaverage$64.85,dependingonorigin.(DE 147-3(DeclarationofDr.Andrew
Safirat13-14).1 FedEx agreedtowaivethestandard30-dayexpirationoftheirshippinglabels
1The Defendants'ChiefCustomerService Representative testified thattheClassPistolswould nothave

beenreplacedbased ondrop-fireconcernsunderthepreviouswan-anty.(s'
ceDE 149-1(K.lntagliata
Dep.,Apr.7,20l5,255-56).1
8Theexisting warranty coversonly shipping from the warranty facility ifrepairsare necessary.

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and to dispatch aFedEx em ployeeto transporteach ClassPistol.However,asa result,the

ClaimsAdministratorwasunabletonegotiateanyshippingratediscounts. (DE 168(Hr'gTr.


56:15-24).1 Tauruswilldestroy allretunzedClassPistolsin accordancewithATFregulations.
Cash Payments. Altem atively,SettlementClassM em bersmay electto return theirClass

PistolstoDefendantsduringLtwfour-monthclaimsperiodin exchangeforacashpayment.The
four-month claim speriod willbeginto run 30 daysfrom theconclusion ofany appellateprocess.

Thepaym entswillbebased on the following schedule:

a)

iflessthan 10,000ClassPistolsarereturned,thepaymentforeach
retum ed ClassPistolwillbe$200;

b)

ifbetween 10,001and20,000ClassPistolsarereturned,the
paymentforeach returned ClassPistolwillbe$175;
ifbetween 20,001and 200,000 ClassPistolsare returned,the

paymentforeach retunzed ClassPistolwillbe$150;and

d)

ifmorethan200,000ClassPistolsarereturned,thepaymentfor
each retum ed ClassPistolwillbelessthan $150 andwillbe equal
to $30 M illion divided by the numberofClassPistolsreturned.

To receivethisbenefit,ClassM embersm ustsubmitatwo-pageclaim form ,attached to


thisOrderasAttachm entA .Paym entswillbem adeon aweighted average so thatallClass
Pistolsreturned willbepaid outatthe samevalue. Them aximum liability forthe cash payments

benefitiscapped at$30 m illion.Theonly am ountsincluded in the calculation ofthe $30 m illion


cap aze the cash paym entsm ade to Settlem entClass M em bers. N one ofthe otherSettlem ent
benefits,ClassCounsel'sfeesand expenses,incentive fee,orclaim s adm inistration expenses are

included in the $30m illion cap. Thepartiesestim ate thatthe cap willbereached only ifmore
than 25% ofa1lSettlem entClassM em bers electthe cash paym entoption.

Safety Training. Finally,DefendantshaveproducedandmadeavailabletoSettlement


ClassM em bersspecialand particularized safety training videos addressing the alleged Safety
D efects and the operation and handling ofthe ClassPistols. The videosare available online at

ghttps://-

.tau>scadersettlement.com/safetprainingvideo/qandat
7

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ghtlp://www.taurususa.com/)undertheNewsLilzktitled%classActionSettlement.''Thissafety
trainingaddressesproperhandling and carrying to avoiddropping apistol;educatesowners
concem ing the safety featuresand safety systemsin theClassPistols;and providesinformation
and instructionson how toproperly store,pack,and ship the ClassPistolsforretum to

Defendants(shouldtheSettlementClassMemberelecttoshipaClassPistolforwarranty
replacement/repairsorpayments).ThepurposeofthesafetytrainingistomakeSettlementClass
M embersaware ofthe specificalleged Safety Defectsandto enhance safeuseoftheproduct.
Settlem entValue. The parties'valuation expertDr.Andrew Safirestimated thetotal

valueoftheSettlementifeveryClassM emberweretomakeaclaim tobe$239million.gDE


169-1.J Assuming onlyamoreconservative 10-25% overallclaim ratebasedontheamountof
mediaexposure,publicawarenessofthedefects,easein making aclaim,and lifetim eduration of

theenhancedwarranty,Dr.Satirestimated thatthe Settlem entvaluerangesfrom $29.9-$73.6


m illion,excluding claim s adm inistration and attorneys'fees,w hich D efendants w illpay

separatelyfrom theClassrecovery.(DE 147-3(DeclarationofDr.Andrew Safirl.l Specifically,


Dr.Safirdetenninedthatthevalueoftheenhanced warranty isbetween $20.9-52.3 million. ln
reaching thisfigure,heincluded theaverage shipping costsof$64.85 to andfrom the customer

and estimated theweighted average valueofthe replacem entfirearm sto be $235. Heexcluded
theincidentalrepaircosts,such asthe$35 laborfee,becauseno repaircurrently exists.Asto the
cash payout,Dr.Safirestim atesa $9.0-21.3 m illion value,which includesan estim ated $158-170
percustom erpayoutand one-w ay shipping forpurposes ofreturning the Class Pistol.
A ttorneys'F ees and Incentive Paym ent. Separate and apartfrom Class recovery,the

partiesalso agreed thatDefendantswould pay up to $9 m illion in attorneys'feesto Class

Counselanda$15,000incentivefeetoPlaintiff,ifapprovedbytheCourt.(DE 148at1.) The

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attom eys'feeswillbe paid in equal$3 million installmentsoverathree-yearperiod,beginning


oneyearafterthe Effective Dateand paid annually thereafter.9 u .
ClaimsAdministration. Pursuantto the Settlem entAgreement,allcostsofproviding
notice to the Settlem entClass,processing Claim Fonns,m aking settlem entpaym ents,and

otherwise administeringthe Settlementwillbepaid by Defendantsseparateand apartfrom the

ClassM embers'benefitsunderthe Settlement. These costsare estim atedto be $1.5-2m illion.

(DE 191-1(DeclarationofJeanneC.Finegan)at3.)
ProceduralB ackzround

AtthePrelim inary ApprovalHearing on June 23,2015,the Courtconsidered thefactual


and legalbasisfortheparties'claim sand the Settlementtermsincludingtheextensive
experience oftheClaim sAdministratorJeanne Finegan ofHefflerClaim sGroup.M s.Finegan
also described thenoticeprogram she developed.Based on theparties'subm issions,theCourt
preliminarily approved the Settlement,appointed PlaintiffasClassRepresentativeand his
counselasC lassCounsel,appointed H eftlerClaim sG roup as Claim sA dm inistrator,and

certifiedtheproposedclass.(DE 133.) Becausethereisnonationalfirearm registry,andthe


Settlem entappliesto presentow ners and notpurchasers,the Courtapproved the parties'notice
program ,w hich involved extensive publication notice tluough nationalperiodicals and popular

intem etoutlets.A FinalApprovalHearing washeld on January 20,2016.Only fourindividuals,

StevenGlaviano gDE 136j,TroySchefflergDE 1371,TerryPelmington gDE 1411,andRichard


Jordon gDE 142J,timelyobjectedduringthenoticeperiod,andnooneoptedout.A fifth
individual,D ean M cA dam slater filed a letter raising the additionalissue ofstate 1aw restrictions

on shipmentofTauruspistolsintocertain states.(DE 150.1


9classCounsel'sestimateofthenetpresentvalueofthispaymentis$8,520,704.61.Thenetpresent

valuewascalculatedusing ClassCounsel's2.78% CostofCapital.(DE 148,Ex.C (Selby Decl.at! 10).)


9

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BasedonsomeoftheObjectors'concernsthataroseduringtheJanuary 20,2016Final
ApprovalHearing,the Courtcontinued the hearing to July 18,2016,to allow for a sufficientre-

noticeperiod.TheSupplementalNoticewasapproved(DE-1751andtheW ebsitewasupdated
to:(1)emphasizethatundertheenhancedwarrantyClassM emberswouldreceiveacomparable
()2model;(2)warnClassM embersofpossiblestateandcountylaw shipmentrestrictionson
Tauruspistols;and(3)amendtheReleasetoclarifythatitrelatedonlytotheclaimsinthiscase.
Fourindividualsopted-outoftheClassSettlementduringthere-noticeperiod.(DE 192.) One

additionalindividual,M ichaelReamy(DE 1841,filedanobjectionduringthere-noticeperiod.


M r.Glaviano gDE 182,1931,Mr.Scheftler(DE 1851,andM r.Jordan gDE 186j,filed
supplementalobjections.
A nalvsis

1.

The C lassR eceived A dequate N otice.

There isno nationalfirearm sregistry and Taurussalerecordsdo notprovidethennmes


oftheultim ate purchasers--onlytheapproxim ately 50 distributorsthatTaunlssellsto directly.
Thus,the form and method used fornotifying ClassM em bersofthe termsofthe Settlementwas
the bestnoticepracticableunderthecircumstances,and satisfied the requirementsofFederal

RuleofCivilProcedure23(c)(2)(B),theClassActionFairnessActof2005,codified at28

U.S.C.j1715,anddueprocess.Thecourt-approvednoticeplanandsupplementalnoticeplan
used peer-accepted nationalresearch methodsto identifytheoptim altraditional,online,m obile
and socialm edia platfonnsto reach the Settlem entClassM em bers. They involved five
com ponents: w idespread publication notice,a pressrelease,internetadvertising,a settlem ent
w ebsite,and a toll-free num ber,w ith the option ofspeaking to a live operator. The
A dm inistratoralso served the attorneysgeneralofeach ofthe fifly U nited States,the United
StatesA ttorney General,the acting ATF D irector,and otherrequired ofticials by FirstClass
10

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Certified U.S M ailwith notice and supplem entalnotice ofthe proposed Settlem ent,pursuantto

28U.S.C.j1715.(DE 147-4(DeclarationofJeanneC.Finegan)at5;DE 191-1(Declarationof


JeanneC.Finegan)at5.1
4. TheNoticeProgram #6,flltheBestPracticableand #pJJ'Reasonably Calculated to

Inform ClassM embersof TkeirRtkkts.


Forthe firstround ofnotice,aCourt-approved Summ aryNoticewaspublished in

nationalmagazines,such astheNRA'SAmericanRseman,Guns& Ammo,Field& Stream,


Sports Illustrated, andPeople,andgeneralcirculationnewspapersintheU.S.Tenitories.10 (DE

147-4(DeclarationofJeanneC.Finegan)at9-10.1 Amongotherthings,itdefinedthe
Settlem entClass;described key tenusofthe SettlementAgreem ent;inform ed ClassM em bersof

theirrighttooptoutandobjectaswellastheproceduresanddeadlinefordoingso;identifiedthe
Claim sAdm inistrator;highlighted ClassCounsel's$9 million feerequestand Plaintiff's$15,000
incentiveaward;and directedreadersto the SettlementW ebsite and toll-free number.Given that
reliable m arketresearch show ed m osthandgun owners are online,banner advertisem entsw ere

purchasedon variouswebsitesdesigned to reach theClassM em bers,including socialm edia

websites.(DE 147-4 (DeclarationofJeanneC.Finegan)at10-11.1Thesebarmeradslinkedtoa


websitewhere ClassM emberscould obtain furtherinform ation aboutthe settlement,theirrights,

andotherrelevantinfonnation.(DE 147-4(Declaration ofJealmeC.Finegan)at12.1 Finally,a


multimedianewsreleasewasissued overPR Newswire'sUS1newslineon October13,2015.

(DE 147-4(Declaration ofJeanneC.Finegan)at11.1 Basedontheseefforts,theSettlementwas


1080th the noticeand supplementalnoticewerepublished in seven printm agazines, includingPeople

Magazine(withanestimatedcirculation of3,537,318),AthlonSports(9,250,968),AmericanRseman
(2,094,346),Field & Stream (1,263,157),SportsIllustrated (3,02l,065),NationalGeographic
(3,538,623),andGunstfAmmo(420,645).80thnoticeswerealsopublished infournewspapers
circulatedthroughoutvariousU.S.Territories,suchasTheGuam PtzcWcDailyNews(20,000),The
PuertoRicoElVocero(229,685),TheSanJuanDailyNews(50,000),and The US.VirginIslandsDaily
News(13,343). (DE 191-1(DeclarationofJeanneC.Finegan)at6-9.)

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pickedupbymainstream televisionandnewspaperwebsites,blogs,andsocialmedia.gDE 1474(DeclarationofJeanneC.Finegan)Ex.H & I.J Heftleradvisedthatthisroundofnotice

reached 86% ofthetargetaudiencewithan averagefrequencyoffsvetimes.(DE 147-4


(DeclarationofJeanneC.Finegan)at1.1
The supplementalnoticeused the sam em ethodologiesemployed in thefirstroundof
notice.Heftleradvised thatthesupplementalnoticereached 83% ofthetargetaudiencewith an

averagefrequencyofthreetimes.gDE 191-1(DeclarationofJeanneC.Finegan)at2.1
#. TheObjectionstotheNoticeProgram areOverruled.

Thevariousobjectionsastothemalmerofthisnoticeprogram llarecontradjctoryand
basedonenoneousknowledge.M r.Glaviano(DE 136at28;DE 160at4-61maintainsthat
actualand individualnotice shouldhavebeen required because Taunlshad internaldatabasesproductenrollmentfonns,NRA mem bership prom otions,and repair-custom ers'emailaddresses
-

through which he claimsitcould haveidentified ClassM embers.M eanwhile,M r.Scheffler

gDE 137at2;185at101objectsthat,sincegunregistrationisrarelymandatory,individualnotice
isim possibleand theclassshould be decertified. M r.Ream y separately statesthattheparties'

relianceonlyonsocialmedia''wassimply inadequate.(DE 184atl.1


Heffler's notice program w asthe bestnotice practicable underthe circum stances.

NeitherdueprocessnorRule 23 requiresthatclassmem bersreceiveactualnotice,and


publication notice is appropriate w here classm em bers'nam esand addressescarm otbe

detenninedwithreasonableefforts.SeeJurisv.InamedCorp.,685F.3d 1294,1321(11thCir.
2012).AsMr.Scheftlercontends,individualnoticeisimpracticableinthiscase.The

SettlementClassincludesowners,notjustpurchasers;thepartieshaverepresentedthatTaurus

11TherewerenoobjectionstothecredentialsofM s.FineganorHeftler.
12

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haslinocurrentandreliablerecords''lzofClassPistolowners(DE 149at8);andthereisno
nationalregistry ofgun owners.Furtherm ore,thetime and effortto haveTaurusstaffput
togethera listofClassPistolownerswho have contacted Taunlswould be grossly outof
proportion to the negligible few ClassM em berslocated. Undersuch circum stances,courtshave

heldthatpublicationnotice notdecertification

isappropriate.SeeHughesv.Koreof

IndianaEnter.,lnc.,731F.3d672,676-77(7th Cir.2013)(holdingthatnoticebypublication
wasadequatewheretheindividualclassmemberscouldnotbeidentitsedwith reasonableeffort);

seealsoPoertnerv.GilletteCo.,618F.App'x 624,630(11thCir.2015)(fButeven ifitwas


possibleto identifysomeunnamed classm em bers,thatdoesnotm ean thatthedistrictcourt
lacked thediscretion to approvethe settlementasfairabsenttheidentification oftheseclass

members.'').
The extensive,two-round notice cam paign used in this case overthe course ofeight
m onths,included over 535 new sm entions,9,921 socialm edia engagem ents,and over552,808

visitstotheSettlementW ebsite.gDE 191-1(DeclarationofJearmeC.Finegan)atl1-13.) The


firstround noticehad an estimated reach of86% ofthetargetaudience,whilethesupplemental
notice reached an estim ated 83% ofthe targetaudience.13 Therefore,the scope ofthe notice
program w as adequate.
12Taurussold the ClassPistolsto approxim ately 50 approved distributors, which,in turrl,sold the
weaponsto retailers.These retailerssold theClassPistolsto the ultimate purchaser. Taurusitselfhasno
recordsofthe ultim atepurchaserorany subsequentpurchasers.Noristhere any easy way forTaurusto
gathera listofcurrentowners.
13M r. Scheftler'schallengesto the veracity ofthisfigure and the overalladequacy ofthe notice program
are conclusory and anecdotal. Forinstance,hestateshe came across newsofthe Settlem entonly E'by

happenstance,''becausehehad seen an articleaboutthelawsuitand:lmlonthslater''decidedtoSdfollow


up,''althoughhedoesnotdescribehow orwithwhom gDE l37,l62,164,l851.Thathewasableto learn
abouttheSettlement,timelyobject,andappearattheJanuary20,20l6Hearingindicatethat,howeverhe
discovered the news,allnecessary detailsw ere easy to find and com prehensible. Hisadditional

allegationsthattheClaimsAdministratordevelopedthenoticeprogram basedonjunkscience''andthat
llbannerads''aretsunpredictable''and m ay ltcontain linksto maliciouswebpages''lack evidentiary
support.

13

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Objectorsalsoarguethatthecontentofthenoticewasinsufficientbecauseitfailedto
alertClassM em bersthatunderthe enhanced warranty they would bereceivinga replacem ent()2

modelratherthan arepair(DE 141at4;DE 184at1),andfailedtoconsiderstatelaw shipment

restrictions(DE 1501.In lightoftheSupplementalNotice,thoseobjectionsarenow moot.14 M r.


Reamyfurtherobjectstothenotice'sfailuretoinfonn ClassMembersthatthecaliberoftheir
ClassPistolandthereplacementpistolmaybedifferent.Thisobjectionismeritlessasthenotice
now clearlyexplainsthatSgclertaincalibersoftheClassPistolmodelsarenotavailablein
Taurus ()2 m odelpistols.'' Finally,he arguesthatthe notice failsto explain the price
discrepancy between the Class Pistoland itsreplacem ent. H owever,M r.Ream y's alleged price

discrepancy isunsupported speculation.Heoffersno detailsasto hiscalculations.Dr.Safir,on


theotherhand,concluded thatreplacing aused and potentially defectivePistolwith a new ()2

m odelwould conferan averageof$235 in value on the ClassM ember.


Combined,thetworoundsofnotice acrosstraditional,online,m obile,and socialm edia
platformsadequately informed ClassM embersofthekey Settlementterm sand contained
inform ation reasonably necessary to allow them to decide both w hetherto rem ain in the class
and, ifso,which benefitto choose.15 Italso infonned the Settlem entClassthatClassCounsel

would beseeking upto $9 m illion in feesand an incentive award ofup to $15,000 forthenam ed

14A lerting the Courtto possible shipm entrestrictionson Tauruspistolsinto Califom ia, M r.M cAdam s

requeststhattheCourtorderDefendantstosendG2replacementstoClassMembersinstatessubjectto
suchrestrictionsandsimplydisregardstatelaw.gDE 150.1 Hismotionmustbedenied.Thelaw does
notallow partiesto agree northeCourtto approve a settlementw ith termsthatviolatevalid statelaw

unlessthosetermsarenecessarytocorrectaviolationoffederalIaw.Perkinsv.CityofchicagoHeights,
47F.3d212,216(7thCir.1995);seealsoKeith v.Volpe,118F.3d 1386,1393(9thCir.1997).M r.
M cAdamsallegesno federallaw violation.
.5M r Reamy inaccurately assertsthatthenotice program focused solely on socialmedia platform s.

14

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Plaintiff,tobepaidseparatelyfrom Classrecovery.SeeInreCheckingAccountOver#rl/
f itig., 830F.Supp.2d 1330,1342(S.D.Fla.2011).16

II.

The Proposed Settlem entClass is Certified.

TheCourtpreviouslyfoundtherequirementsofRule23(a)and(b)(3)satisfiedinthis

case.gDE 133.1 OnlytwoObjectorschallengedthisdetermination,arguingwithoutanyfactual


orlegalsupportthatthe Classfailsto m eetRule 23's requirem ents and expressing general

discontentwith theSettlem ent.M r.ScheftlerbelievesthatM embersarereluctantto disclose


theirownership ofafirearm and thereforerefuseto optoutofthe Class,citing private
conversationswith unknown individualswho wereasked whetherthey would tnotify abranch of

theFederalGovenzmentthatgthey)ownedafirearm andgivethem theserialnumberinapublic

forum.''(DE 164at1-2.) Mr.Scheftler'sargumentisunpersuasivebecauseitrestson


anonymousanswersto an incompleteand misleading question. He makesno mention ofthe
potentialsafety risksinvolved in thiscaseorthepotentialbenefitsprovided by ClassSettlement.
M oreover,Defendantshaveexplained thattheserialnumberswillonly beused to detennine

whichClassPistolshavebeenremovedfrom circulation.gDE 168(Hr'gTr.63:9-14).1

Mr.GlavianoobjectsthatthenamedPlaintifflacksstandingbecausehedidnotpurchase
hisweapon and thatcom monality isnotmetand subclassesareneeded because therearenine

ClassPistolmodelswhichdifferindesignandvalue.(DE 136at29;DE 182 at23.1 Healso

16ObjectorPenningtoncontendsthatRule23(h)requiresthattheClassM embersbeabletoreview the


Motion forAttorneys'Feespriortotheobjectiondeadline(DE 141at51.Hepointstonolegalauthority

in supportofhisposition. ln any event,ClassCounselfiled itsfeesmotion by January 6,2016 seeking


the same amountdisclosed in theN otice two weeksbeforetheJanuary 20,2016 FinalA pproval

Hearing,whichprovidedObjectorssufficienttimetorespondUeee.g.,DE 160,1621.Moreover,there-

notice period gave ClassM em bersan additionalsix monthsto respond to the feesmotion.

15

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arguesthattheClassPistolsarenotdefectivebasedon hisown safetytests17(DE 160at131as


wellasrecordsshowingthatallClassPistolspassedCalifornia's%droptest''(DE 182at6J.

Theseconclusoryobjectionsarewithoutmerit.Plaintiffhasstandingbecauseheisthe
currentownerofa ClassPistol,which suffersthe sam ealleged defectsaseach ClassPistol

model.gDE 133at7.j Furthermore,M r.Glaviano'sconclusionsabouttheClassPistolsbasedon


hispersonaltestsarenotreliable.Heoffersno detailsasto hisqualificationsasa weapons
expertortheconditionsandproceduresunderwhich hetested hisPistols. Thus,the Court
cannotanalyzehistests'reliability. ClassCounselhasdevoted significanttime and expense

testingthealleged defectswithengineeringandfireann expertsfrom threedifferentstates.(DE


123at99.1 Theseexpertstested dozensofexemplarpistolsusingmethodsspecicallydesigned
to addressPlaintiffsallegations. Defendantswere also preparing to presentexperttestimony.
Ultimately however,both partiesdeterm ined lthatitisin thebestinterestoftheproposed

SettlementClasstoenterintoafair,reasonableandadequatesettlement.''(DE 123at4.1
M oreover,comm onality and predominance arem etbecause each ofPlaintiffsclaim s
centeron Defendants'common conductandtheClassPistols'comm on issues. Specifically,

Plaintiffallegesthatthe ClassPistolssufferfrom common defectsattributableto theircollective

lackofatriggerbladesafety,resultingin acommoninjury lossinvalueofthePistols and


thatD efendants engaged in a com m on course ofconduct- nam ely,thatthey knew aboutbut

failedto disclosethealleged defects,owed variousdutiesto consumers,and breached com mon


warranties.Nordo differencesin value acrossthenineClassPistolm odelsdefeatclass

certification.Brownv.ElectroluxHomeProducts,Inc.,817F.3d 1225,1239(11th Cir.2016)


(notingthateventheneedforindividualizeddamagecalculationsdoesnotprecludecertitication
17Interestingly, M r.Glaviano'stestsrevealed two instanceswhere a ClassPistolexhibited theifalse

safety''condition.gDE l60at14.1 W hileM r.Glaviano claimsthattheClassPistolsarenotdefective,his


own testsreveala 14 percentGfalse safety''rate.

16

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underRule23(b)(3)).Thus,commonalityandpredominancearesatissed.See Williamsv.
MohawkIndus.,Inc.,568F.3d 1350,1357-58(11th Cir.2009)(indecidingwhethercommon
issuespredominateunderRule23(b)(3),thefocusisgenerallyonwhethertherearecommon
liabilityissuesthatmayberesolvedonaclass-widebasis).
Accordingly,the Settlem entClass is certifiable and certified.
111.

The Settlem enti: Fair,R easonable,and A dequate.

ToapproveasettlementunderFederalRuleofCivilProcedure23(e),theCourtmusttind
thatitisfair,reasonable,and adequate''and %nottheproductofcollusion.''Aultv.WaltDisney

World Co.,692F.3d 1212,1217(11th Cir.2012).Thisinquiryisguidedbyjudicialpoliciesthat


favorthepretrialsettlem entofclassactions. SeeInre U S.Oiland GasLitigation,961 F.2d

489,493(11th Cir.1992).TheEleventhCircuithasidentifiedsixfactorstoconsiderinmaking

thisdetenninationunderRule23(e):(1)thestageofproceedingsatwhichthesettlementwas
achieved;(2)theanticipatedcomplexity,expense,anddurationoflitigation;(3)thelikelihoodof
successattrial;(4)therangeofpossiblerecovery;(5)therangeofpossiblerecoveryatwhicha
settlementisfair,adequate,andreasonable;and(6)theoppositiontothesettlement.Faughtv.

Am.HomeShieldCorp.,668F.3d 1233,1240 (11thCir.20l1).Each factorissatisfiedhere.


4. There W asN o Fraud or Collusion.

The Settlem entw as the productofextensive arm 's-length negotiationsby experienced


counselon both sidesaherm ultiple m ediation sessions spanning severalm onths. Priorto these

negotiations,thiscasehad been adversmial.Thepartieslitigated foroverayearand


dem onstratedtheircomm itm entto theirrespective positions.Plaintiffconducted over500hours
ofexperttesting and deposed severalofDefendants'corporate w itnesses. Brazilian Defendant

ForjasTaurusS.A.firstresistedserviceandlaterdiscovery,resultinginamotiontocompeland
two motionsto dismiss,the second ofwhich challenged each ofPlaintifpsclaim sand was

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withdrawn only upon settlement. Clearly,the Settlem entwasnottheresultoffraud orcollusion.

See,e.g.,lngram v.TheCoca-colaCo.,200F.R.D.685,693(N.D.Ga.2001)(recognizingthe
adversarialnatureofthecaseandthethighlevelofcontention''betweentheparties).

B. TheRecord1<J.
CSum cient% DevelopedtoEnablethePartiestoReach aReasoned
Settlem ent.

Thiscasewasfiled in 2013. Sincethen,Defendantsdeposed Plaintiffand produced

24,000pagesofdocuments.PlaintifftookdepositionsofthreeTaurus30(b)(6)witnesses,issued
fifteen FOIA requestsand Rule45 subpoenas,briefed theiropposition to Defendants'M otion to
Dism iss,andconducted 500 hoursofexperttestingwith 3 engineering and fireannsexperts,the

resultsofwhichtheysharedatmediation.(DE 123at99-100.1 Thusthepartiesareataproper


junctionwithsufficientinformationto settlethisaction.
C. Plaintt FacedSigne cantRisksinLitigating HisClaims.
ClassCounselrecognizedthatPlaintifffacedmajorrisksanduncertaintyin obtaining

reliefinthislitigation--onthemerits,incertifying aclass,andcollectingajudgmentagainsta
foreigncompany.InDefendants'secondM otiontoDismiss(DE 791,Defendantsidentified
substantiveissuesplaguinganyno-injuryproductsliabilitycase,including (1)thattheeconomic
lossrulebarredPlaintiffsfraud,strictliability,andnegligenceclaims,(2)lackofstandingasto

someora1loftheclaimsbecauseanyinjurybeyondthelossinvalueofPlaintiffspistolwas
speculative,and(3)thatPlaintifflackedprivityto bringhisimpliedwarrantyclaims.As
identified atthe Prelim inary ApprovalH earing,Plaintiffalso faced various im pedim ents
potentially preventing certitication ofa nationw ide or even state-w ide class. These included
choice-of-law and otherm anageability issues,including privity and notice. A ttrial,Plaintiff
w ould have faced additionalcom plex technicaland legalissues,including proving thatthe Class

Pistolssuffered from adesign defectand Defendants'knowledge ofsuch defects. Given these


uncertainties,the parties have good cause to settle thism atter.
18

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D. TheSettlementWillAvoid Yearsofcomplex,Expensive,and UncertainLitigation.


In addition to theobstaclesPlaintiffwould face in succeeding on them erits,recoveryby
any othermeansthan settlem entwould takeyearsofadditionallitigation in thisCourtand

appellatecourts,possibly includinginterlocutoryappeal,summaryjudgment,trial,post-trial

motions,andpost-judgmentappeal.EvenassumingPlaintiffultimatelyobtainedajudgment,
Plaintiffwouldlikelyencounterdifficultiescollectingthatjudgmentfrom aforeigndefendantonethathasalready indicated itsresistance to being bound by U.S.legalprocedures- resulting

in additionaldelay and expense.

F. TheRangeofpossibleRecovev
Thiscase involvesonly the lossin valueoftheClassPistols;claim sfordeath,personal

injuryanddamagetootherproperty areexpresslyexcluded intheRelease.Asaresult,therange


ofpossiblerecoveryisfrom nothinguptothepurchasepriceoftheClassPistols(rangingfrom

approximately$400to$600dollars).gDE 147at13-14 & n.7.j


F: TheBeneftstotheClassareSign6cantConsidering theRisksofLitigation.
ln ascertaining whethera settlementfalls Swithin therangeofpossibleapproval,'courts
w illcom pare the settlem entam ountto the reliefthe classcould expectto recoverattrial.''

Newbergon ClassActionsj 13:15(5thed.).tsl-l-jhefactthataproposedsettlementamountsto


only a fraction ofthe potentialrecovery doesnotm ean the settlem entis unfairorinadequate.''

Behrensv.WometcoEnters.,Inc.,118F.R.D.534,542(S.D.Fla.1988)affd subnom.Behrens
v.WometcoEnters.,899F.2d 21(11thCir.1990).Thisisbecausesettlementsmustbeevaluated

l'inlightoftheattendantriskswithlitigation.''Thompsonv.MetropolitanLf/'
eIns.Co.,216
F.R.D.55,64(S.D.N.Y.2003).Asdiscussed,Plaintifffacedsignificanthurdlesonthemeritsof

eachofhisclaims,incertifyingaclass,andincollectinganyjudgment.No amountofrecovery
w ould be guaranteed by litigating these claim s through trial.
19

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Relativetothechallengesand unctrtainty thatlay ahead forPlaintiffin litigatingthis

case,the SettlementprovidestheClasswith substantialand im m ediaterecovery.Underthe


Settlement'senhanced warranty option,thereplactm ent()2 pistolshave an averagevalueof

$235overand abovethecurrentpriceofeachClassPistol.gDE 147-3(DeclarationofDr.

Andrew Safir)at13-14).) M oreover,thisoptionhasnoexpirationdate,meaningClassM embers


m ay availthem selvesofitatany tim einthefuture.Recovery underthe cash paym entoption
willbepaidon aweighted averageand dependson the numberofclaim ssubmitted. Itcouldbe

asmuch as$200 and aslittle as$30perClassPistol,ifevery ClassM emberchosethisoption.


Considering the four-month duration oftheclaim speriod and ClassM embers'reported
preference forthe enhanced w arranty option,Dr.Safirestim ates thatClass M em bersw ho elect

thisoptionwillreceivebetween$158-170. gDE 147-3(DeclarationofDr.Andrew Safir)at10,

l7).1ThisSettlementthusfallswithintherangeofpossibleapproval.SeeGevaertsv.TD Bank,
No.1:14-CV-20744-RLR,2015W L 6751061,at*1(S.D.Fla.Nov.5,2015)(finallyapprovinga
classsettlementand finding a$20 m illion com mon fund fairand adequaterecovery despite

estimated lossesof$200million).
G. The Opposition to the Settlem entis slinim al.
D espite the factthatthe partiesestim ate nearly one m illion ClassM em bers,only five

individualsobjectedandonlyfouroptedout.Suchalow numberofobjectionssuggeststhatthe
settlementisreasonable.SeeSaccoccio v.JP M organ ChaseBank N A.,297 F.R.D.683,694

(S.D.Fla.2014).

IV. AllObjectionstotheSettlem ent'sFairness,Reasonablenessand Adequacy


are O verruled.

TheObjectors'criticismsoftheSettlementconsidernoneofthefactorsabove;in fact,

theyciteverylittlelegalauthority.Instead,thecruxofa11ObjectionsisthattheObjectorsseeka
m ore lucrative dealw ith differentterm s,such as a recalland adm ission ofliability. Som e
20

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ObjectorsalsotakeissuewithspeciticSettlementtermsandprocedures,whileoneObjector
contendstheSettlementviolatestheSecondAmendment.AlloftheObjectionsfail.

4. TheSettlementValueisNotInsum cient.

A1lfiveObjectorscomplainthat,whethertheyoptforthecashpayoutorthereplacement
pistolsundertheenhanced warranty,they would receivelessthan the fullpurchasepriceofthe
ClassPistols.M r.Glaviano also claim sthatthe()2 replacementmodelisinferiorandthatClass
M em bersshould be reim bursed forgun-specificaccessories,including magazines,which may or
m ay notbeofTaurusm anufacture. Defendantsarguein responsethatsuch accessoriesare
limited intypeand num bergiven the%$a11in one''natureofthe polymerstriker-fired Class
Pistols.Thus,becausethe Settlementisfocused onthealleged defectiveClassPistolsalone,the
accessory issue isoutside the relevantscope;and,given the nature ofthe C lassPistols,the issue
isalso de m inim us.
M oreover,the essence ofsettlem entiscom prom ise. Bennettv.Behring Corp.,7?7 F.2d

982,986(11thCir.1984).Here,theSettlementisfocused solelyontheweaponthatisalleged
defective from asignificantsafetyperspective.Taurusisoffering up to $30 million in cash
paym ents and a repair/replacem entschem e fora11ownersw ho choose to dispose ofthispotential

safety hazard. An unsupported beliefthatabetterdealcould bepossibleisnotabasisto

overturnasettlement.SeeBehrens,118F.R.D.at542 (iA settlementcanbesatisfyingevenifit


amountstoahundredth orevenathousandth ofasinglepercentofthepotentialrecovery.'').

TheObjectorsincorrectlyfocusontheirperceivedlosses,withoutconsideringthe
beneftsto the C lass18and the significantsavingsin cost, tim e,and uncertainty. Litigating the
claim sin thiscase through class certification and trialwould be contentious,tim e consum ing,
18M r. Pennington arguesthatthe Settlem entisovervalued becausethe safety training videosare

worthless. (DE 141at4.) Regardlessofthevalueofthevideos,orlackthereof,Dr.Safirdidnotinclude


them inhisSettlementvaluation.Mr.Pennington'sObjectionisoverruled.
21

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andsuccessinobtainingandcollectinganyjudgmentisfarfrom certain.M oreover,ifno class


were certifed,thevalueofany one claim againstTauruswould likely beinsuffcientto

incentivizeindividuallawsuits,because recovery would be overbom ebylitigation costs. Indeed,


atthe January 20,2016 Hearing,M r.G laviano - a 1aw schoolgraduate - recounted that

Taurushadnotreturnedapistolhehadsentin foruc elatedrepairsbuthedecidedtoSeatgthe

lossl,''becausehedeterminedthatbringingalawsuitfora%t$500pistol''wasnotworth it.gDE
131(Hr'gTr.48:5-25).1Finally,beyond Mr.Glaviano'sconclusoryallegationsthathispistolis
superiorand should be repaired ratherthan replaced with a ()2 m odel,theonly basisforhis

claimsareunverifiedcitationstoanonymousweb postings.Accordingly,al1Objectionstothe
Settlem ent's value are overruled. 19

B. NoAdmission ofLiability isRequired.


TwoObjectorstakeissuewithDefendants'lackofadmittedliability inthismatter.Mr.
ScheftlergDE 137at21andMr.Pennington gDE 141at4)arguethatwithoutanadmissionof
liability,ClassM embershavelittleincentiveto return theirPistols. However,an adm ission of

wrongdoingisnotrequiredforsettlementapproval.Indeed,Stliltwoulddefeatanimportant
purposeofsettlement,and thereforerendersettlementslessattractiveto theparties,ifthe

settlementagreementwererequiredtoincludeadmissionsofwrongdoingbythedefendantsl.j''
AllianceToEndRepressionv.Cityofchicago,561F.supp.537,554 (N.D.111.1982).
M oreover,the parties'notice cam paign hasclearly identitied the tw o alleged Safety D efects at
issue- the ttdrop fire defect''and the Stfalse safety defect.'' Class M em bersw ho feelunsafe
owning a Class Pistolcan have itreplaced orrepurchased underthe tenus ofthe Settlem ent.
19Althoughtherewereno challengesto Dr. Safsr'scalculations,Mr.Glavi
anoobjectedthatheisnota
gun expertand thusimproperly valuedthe ClassPistols. However,Dr.Safirisan economicsexpertand

hedetailed in hisDeclaration (DE 147-3)andattheJanuary 20,2016Hearinghow hepricedtheClass


Pistolsin fonning hisopinions.

22

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C. TheReleaseisNotOverbroad.

BeeausesomeObjedorsreadtheReleaseexpansively,theybelieveditwasoverbroad
and argued thatitshould be lim itedto claim srelating to theabsenceofatriggerbladesafety.To
allay theirconcem s,the parties m odified the Release language to clarify thatitapplies only to
claim srelating to orarising outofthe design and m anufacturing ofthe Class Pistols ...that

mayresultinanunintendeddischarge,''whichisthefocusofPlaintiffscomplaint.(DE 174-3.120
Taul'
us discontinued m anufacturing the Class Pistolsin 2013. M ostim portantly,the Release

expresslyandclearly excludesclaimsfordeath,personalinjury,andpropertydamageotherthan
tothePistolsthemselves.Thus,contrarytoMr.Pennington'sbeliefgDE l41at2),theRelease
by itstennsdoes notcoverfuture conduct.21 In exchange forthisrelease, the Settlem ent

providestheconsiderationasdiscussedabove.SeeInreCheckingAccountOvcr#rl/ Litig.,830
F.Supp.2d at1352. Thus,in lightofthemoditied Releaselanguage,the Courtfindsthatthe
Releaseisappropriately tailored to theclaim srelating toorarisingoutofthe Safety Defects

alleged inthiscaseandthattheObjectors,concernsaremoot.22
D . There were N o Side D eals.
M r.Glaviano alleges an undisclosed side dealw ith a com pany called R isk Settlem ents,

basedonhisreceiptofaLinkedlnrequestfrom thatcompanyafterhesenthisObjectionstothe
partiesbutbeforetheywereenteredintherecord.gDE 160at12-13;DE 182at8-14.) Atthe
20M r.Glaviano arguesthatthe introductory sentence ofthe revised Release isstilloverbroad. However,
hisreading oftheReleasecan only occurifthe firstsentence isread in isolation. The firstsentence is

tailored bytherevised languagecitedabove.Hisobjectionisoverruled.


21To the extentthe Releasewaivesfuture claimsrelating to the Safety Defects, such releasesare regularly

approved.SeeAss'nForDisabledAmericans,Inc.v.Amoco OilCo.,21lF.R.D.457,471& n.10(S.D.


Fla.2002).
22Although M r. Penningtonobjects,againwi
thoutlegalauthority,thattheReleaseshouldbelimitedto
thetkclaim scertified forclasstreatm ent''and thatthe lspecific statutory orcom mon law claim sto be

releasedshouldbespelledout''(DE 141at2),thisspecificity isnotrequired.SeeInreCheckingAccount


J ver#rtz/iLitig.,830F.Supp.2d 1330,1352(S.D.Fl
a.20l1).
.

23

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January20,2016 Hearing,thepartiesexplainedthatRisk Settlem entsprovidesconsulting and


insuranceservicesin connection with classaction settlem ents,andthatTaurushadusedthem as

aconsultantinthiscase.gDE 168(Hr'gTr.54:7-12).) However,thepartiesfurtherrepresented


thatPlaintiffhad neverconsulted w ith thatcom pany,and there w asno side deal;in fact,Risk

Settlem entswasneitherinvolved in settlementnegotiations,nordid itknow aboutthe

Settlement.gDE 168(Hr'gTr.54:4-22).) M r.Glaviano'sobjection isovenuled.


M r.Glaviano also suggests thatDefendantshave negotiated an increased shipping rate

with FedEx so asto increase thevalueofthe Settlementforpurposesofalargerattorneys'fee

award.gDE 182at14-16.) Howeverhissuggestion isbasedonhisspeculationalone.Atthe


January 20,2016 Hearing,the Claim sAdm inistratorexplained thatFedEx requiresindividualsto

shipfrearmsviaovernightair.gDE 168(Hr'gTr.55:9-11).J Furthennore,FedExhasagreedto


waivetheexpiration oftheirshipping labelsandto have each Pistolpicked up by aFedEx
employee.TheClaimsAdministratorrepresented thatthese provisionshavecontributed to the

increasedcosts. (DE 168(Hr'gTr.56:14-24).) W hileM r.Glavianoclaimsthathehas


previously retunzed pistols ata cheaperrate,he offers no connection betw een the parties'

negotiatedshippingcostsandattorneys'fees.Hisobjection isovernlled.
E TheSelectionofaSingle0pt0utand ObjectionDeadlineisNotOnerous.
Mr.Glavianoobjectedthattheoptoutandobjectiondeadlinesweresetforthesnmeday.
However,itiswell-establishedthattsclassmembersmayeitherobjectoroptout,buttheycannot
doboth.''NewbergonClassActionsj 13:23(5th ed.).Therefore,thereisnoprejudiceinthe

factthattheClassM embershadtochoosewhethertooptoutorobjectbythesamedeadline.
F. The Settlem entis N otan E nd-R un A round theExisting W arranty.

M r.Glaviano contendsthatthe Settlem ent'sdescription ofthe dtenhanced''w arranty

benetstisdisingenuous,becauseitishisbeliefthealleged defectswould havebeen coveredby


24

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the originalwarranty.ln hisview,the Settlementresultsin alossofrepairrightsunderthe


originalw arranty because Taurus has discontinued inorm alw arranty repairw ork, unrelated to

theallegeddefed.''(DE 136at12-13.1 M r.Schefflerfiledasimilarobjectionduringtherenoticeperiod.(DE 185at3.)

TheseObjectionshaveno factualorlegalmerit.Taurus'sChiefCustomerService
Representativetestifed atherdeposition thatthealleged defectsatissuein thislawsuitwould

nothavebeencoveredbytheoriginalwarranty. (DE 149-1(K.IntagliataDep.Apr.7,2015,


255-56).1 M oreover,asdiscussed,thereisnoevidenceofanyfraudorcollusion.lf,asMr.
Glaviano claim s,Taurus has ceased repairing the ClassPistols and discontinued replacem ent

parts,such actionsarelogicalconsequencesofTaurus's2013 decision to ceasemanufacturing


theClassPistols. ltdoesnotdiminishthefairnessand adequacy ofthe Settlement. To the
contrary,regardlessoftherepairheneeds,M r.Glaviano canturn in hisClassPistolforacash
paym ent23ora rep1acem entw ithouthaving to prove ithasany ofthe Safety D efects.

G. The Settlem entis N otUnconstitutional.

M r.Glaviano arguesthatthe Enhanced W arranty Option isunconstitutionalbecause it


requiresClassM em bersto surrendertheirfirearm in violation ofthe SecondAm endment. The
Enhanced W arranty doesnotrequire any action on the partofClass M em bers. Indeed,no

Settlementterm negotiated between the partiesrequiresany action on thepartofClassM embers.


W hile ClassM em bershavetheoptionto return theirClassPistolforcash paym entora
replacem entpistol,ClassM em bers are also free to keep their Pistolasifthissettlem entnever

tookplace.Theobjection isoverruled.

23M r Pennington complainsthatthe notice doesnotadequately specify the length ofthe claimsperiod.

gDE 141at3.1 In lightoftheSupplementalNotice,whichclearlyprovidesfora 120-dayclaimsperiod,


hisobjectionismoot.
25

Case 1:13-cv-24583-PAS Document 197 Entered on FLSD Docket 07/22/2016 Page 26 of 33

ClassC ounsel'sM otion for A ttorneys'Fees is G ranted.

ClassCounselrequestsan award of$9 million in attonwys'feesand costs,to bepaid

separatelybyDefendantsoveraperiodofthreeyears.gDE 148at1-2.)InthisCircuit,attorneys'
feesin iicommon fund cases''areto bebased upon ita reasonablepercentage ofthefund
established''fortheclass. Camden 1Condominium Ass'n,Inc.v.D unkle,946 F.2d 768,774

(11th Cir.1991).Suchanapproachisappropriateeveniftheattomeys'feesaretobepaidby
thedefendantseparatefrom thecommon fund.Wilson v.EverBank,2016 W L 457011,at*13

(S.D.Fla.Feb.3,2016)(citingDavid v.AmericanSuzukiMotorCorp.,2010 W L 1628362,at


*n .

14(S.D.Fla.Apr.15,2010)).TheEleventhCircuithasrecentlyappliedthispercentage-

based approach to Sclaim s-m ade settlem ents,''noting thata Clclaim s-m ade settlem entis ...the
functionalequivalentof a com m on fund settlem entw here the unclaim ed funds revertto the

defendant.''Poertnerv.GilletteCo.618Fed.Appx.624,628n.2(11th Cir.2015)(citing4
W illiam B.Rubenstein,NewbergonClassActionsj 12:18(5th ed.2011)).
Finding thatthe feeaward accountsforareasonable percentageofthe totalsettlem ent
doesnotend the inquiry.To avoid unfairawardsbased on arbitrarypercentages,comm on fund
awardsarefurtherevaluated based on the reasonablenessfactorssetoutinJohnson v.Georgia

Highway Express,Inc.,488F.2d714,717-19(5th Cir.1974).Camden1,946 F.2dat775.These

factorsinclude(1)thetimeandlaborrequiredtoprosecutethecase;(2)thenoveltyand
difficultyofthequestionsinvolved;(3)theskillrequisitetoperfonu thelegalserviceproperly;
(4)thepreclusionofotheremploymentbytheattorneysdueto acceptanceofthecase;(5)the

customaryfee;(6)whetherthefeeistsxedorcontingent;(7)timelimitationsimposedbythe
clientorthecirctunstances'
,(8)theamountinvolvedandtheresultsobtained;(9)theexperience,
reputation,andabilityoftheattorneys;(10)thektundesirability''ofthecase;(11)thenatureand
thelengthoftheprofessionalrelationshipwiththeclient;and(12)awardsin similarcases.1d.
26

Case 1:13-cv-24583-PAS Document 197 Entered on FLSD Docket 07/22/2016 Page 27 of 33

4. TheAttorneys'Fee,4wardisaReasonablePercentageoftheSettlementValue.

Comm on fbmd feeawardstypically rangefrom 20-30 pereentofthetotalfund available,

witha25pereentbenchmarkadjustedfortheindividualcircumstancesofeachcase.f#.at77475;Poertner,618Fed.Appx.at630(calculatingareasonablepercentagebasedonthetotal
fundspotentiallyavailable).Dr.Satiropinesthataconservativeestimateofthemaximum
Settlementvalueavailableisapproximately $73.6 m illion,accounting forthe totalvaluesofthe
cash payoutoption andtheerlhanced warranty.24 Based on this estim ate, the $9 million sought
by ClassCounselaccountsforapproximately 12.2 percentoftheSettlem ent'stotalpotential
value,which iswellwithin therangeapproved by theEleventh Circuit. Camden1,946 F.2d at
774-75.

#. TheAttorneys'FeesareReasonablein LiglttoftheJohnson Factors.


(1) TimeandLabor;ContingencyArrangement.ClassCounselhasexpended
approxim ately 8,100 hourson thism atterto date and anticipates an additional250-500 hourson

claimsadministrationissuesandpotentialappeals.gDE 195-1at1.) Priortoanysettlement,


Counseldeposed three Taurusrepresentatives,reviewed 24,000 pagesofTaurusdocuments,
conducted over500 hoursofexperttestingofClassPistols,and spentover90hoursin

mediation.(DE 148at9-1l.jSincesettling,Counselhaspreparedmotionsforpreliminary and

finalapproval,filedresponsesto 11setsofobjectionsfrom fveobjectors,andadministeredtwo


roundsofnotice. To date,ClassCounselhasreceived no compensation fortheireffortsand will
notbe fully com pensated foranotherthree years. Given the am ountoftim e and effortspenton
this m atter,asw ellasthe risksofa contingency fee arrangem ent,the Courtfinds the requested

24M r. Pennington objectstothe$9million feeaward,arguingthati


tisexcessiveinlightofthe$30

milliondollarSettlementvalue. (DE 141at5.j Mr.Penningtonfailstoaccountforthevalueofthe


enhanced warranty option,and thusundelwaluesthe totalvalueofthe Settlement.

27

Case 1:13-cv-24583-PAS Document 197 Entered on FLSD Docket 07/22/2016 Page 28 of 33

feeaward to bereasonable.25 SeeAllapattah Services,Inc.v.Exxon Corp.,454 F.supp.zd 1185,

1213(S.D.Fla.2006)(weighingthenumberofhoursexpended againstthecircumstancesofthe

caseinlightofthecourt'sownexperieneeandexpertise);InreCheckingAccountOverdrah
Litigation,830F.supp.zd 1330,1364(S.D.Fla.2011)C$A contingencyfeearrangementoften

justifiesanincreaseintheawardofattomey'sfees.'').
(2) ResultsObtained.W hiletheSettlementprovidesupto$76millioninrelieftoTaurus
customers,italso addressesapublicsafety concern by rem oving potentially defective weapons
from circulation.26 In addition,ClassCounsel'sexperttesting persuaded Defendantsto hire their
ow n team to investigate the ldrop-fire defect.'' Defendantsare w orking to develop a repairof

thisalleged defect,which,iffeasible,would provideadditionaloptionsforClassM embersand


greatersafety forthepublic.The Courtrecognizesthe valuethisSettlementprovidesto Class
M embersand thepublic and accordingly weighsthatin favorofClassCounsel'srequested fee.

SeePalmerv.Braun,2005W L 3093409at*5(S.D.Fla.Nov.18,2005)(consideringthenonmonetarybenefitsachievedbycounsel).
(3) Counsel'sSkillandExperience.ClassCounsel'sexperienceandskillalsoweigh in
favorofthe requested fee aw ard. M r.Selby,M r.Barrettand M r.Snyderhave extensive
experience litigating com plex classactions. M r.W heeles has 13 yearsof expertise in products

liabilitylitigation,withaparticularemphasison litigatingkdrop-fire''casesagainstTaurus.gDE
148at10-11.1 Giventheteclmicalandpoliticalissuesinherentlyinvolvedin gunmanufacturing
cases,ClassCounsel'stalents com bined to form the ideallegalteam forthis case.See In re

75Based ontheexpertreportofProfessorCharlesSilver(DE 148-1)submitted byClassCounselin


supportoftheirM otion forAttorneys'Fees,the Courtalso findstheaward to bew ithin the range of
customary feesforclassactionsofthisnature.
26M r. Schefflertakesissue with the requested fee award based on hisgeneraldissatisfaction w ith the

Settlement.(DE 162.1 TheCourthasdetermined thattheSettlementisfair,adequateandreasonableand,


therefore,overrulestheobjection.
28

Case 1:13-cv-24583-PAS Document 197 Entered on FLSD Docket 07/22/2016 Page 29 of 33

Checking,830F.supp.zdat1363(notingtheleveloflegaltalentnecessarytoprosecutecomplex
cases);seealsoAllapattahServices,454F.supp.zdatl210 (allottingmoreweighttothisfactor
thanothers).Theirskillswereonlyenhancedbythoseofopposingcounsel,whowereequally

competent.SeeCamdenf,946F.2dat772n.3(consideringthequalityofopposingcounsel).In
court,counselforboth partiesexhibited ahigh degreeofprofessionalism ,providingtheCourt
with invaluableguidance on handgun engineering and thefirearm m anufacturing industry.

(4) Undesirability;TimeLimitations.ClassCounselfacednumerousrisksbylitigating

againstaforeigncompany- specifcally,servingaforeign defendant(DE 301,obtaining

discoveryfrom thatdefendantgDE 1011andcollectingajudgmentinaforeign country.


Firearm sregulationspresentedan additionalchallenge. ClassCounselhad to am end its
N otice- and thereby delay finalapprovalofthe Settlem ent- so asto advise Class M em bers of

state-imposedshippingrestrictions.(DE 167.1Finally,thepublicsafetyconcenzsrequired
timely action from ClassCounseland a swiftresolution ofthiscase.27

Considering a11oftheJohnson factors,therequested $9 million fee award in reasonable.


V I.

Service Aw ard

ClassCounselalso requestsPlaintiffCarterbe granted a$15,000 serviceawardto bepaid

separatelybyDefendants.gDE 148at2.) ServiceawardsStcompensatenamedplaintiffsforthe


servicesthey provided andtherisksthey incurred during thecourse oftheclassaction
litigation.''Allapattah Services,454 F.supp.zd at 1218. Courtshave consistently found such
aw ardsto be an effcientand productive w ay to encourage m em bersofa classto becom e class

representatives.Gevaertsv.FD Bank,2015W L 6751061,at*9(S.D.Fla.Nov.5,2015).The


factorsfordeterminingwhethertograntaserviceaward include:(1)theactionstheclass
27Counselhasfiledalistofseriousinjuriesthathaveoccurred(bothbeforeandaftersettlement)asa
resultofan unintendeddischargeofaClassPistol.(DE 19lat5-6.)
29

Case 1:13-cv-24583-PAS Document 197 Entered on FLSD Docket 07/22/2016 Page 30 of 33

representativestooktoprotecttheinterestsoftheclass;(2)thedegreetowhichtheclass
beneftedfrom thoseactions;and(3)theamountoftimeandefforttheclassrepresentatives
expended in pursuing thelitigation.1d.In lightofthetwo-and-a-halfyearsofservice on behalf
ofthe Class,involving,interalia,assisting in the initialinvestigation,aswellassitting for
depositions,otherm eetingsw ith Class Counsel,and attending Courthearings,PlaintiffChris P.

Carterhasearned aserviceaward of$15,000 forrepresenting theClass.28 Thisserviceaward is


in addition to whatever optionalbenefitsPlaintiffelectsto receive pursuantto the C lass

Settlem ent.Therefore,itishereby
OIkD ERED THA T

1)

Pursuant to Federal R ule of Civil Procedure 23,the Court finds that the Rule

23(a) and (b)(3) requirements have been satisfied. Therefore,the CourtCERTIFIES the
follow ing Settlem entClass:
A llPersons or entities ofthe U nited States,Com m onw ealth of Puerto Rico,U .S.
V irgin lslands,and G uam w ho ow n one orm ore ofthe follow ing Taurus-branded
firearm s on the date of prelim inary approval: PT-I11 M illennium ; PT-132
M illennium ;PT-138 M illerm ium ;PT-140 M illelm ium ;PT-145 M illennium ;PT745 M illennium ;PT-609;PT-640;and PT-24/7.
Excluded from the Settlem ent Class are a11 state, local or federal governm ents,
bodies or agencies,the D istrict CourtJudge and M agistrate Judge to w hom the
law suitisassigned and any m em beroftheirstaffs and im m ediate fam ilies,asw ell
asallpersonswho validly requestexclusion from the Settlem entClass.

2)

PlaintiffsM otionForFinalApprovalofClassAction Settlementand Supporting

Memorandum ofLaw (DE 147)isGRANTED.TheSettlementisapproved.


3)

ClassCounsel'sM otion forAttorneys'Fees,Costs,andServiceAward (DE 148)

is G R AN TED . The fees are to be paid in three annualinstallm ents. ln consideration for this

28ObjectorPenningtonbelievesthatPlaintiffdoesnotdeservetherequested award,arguingthatPlaintiff
hasdoneabsolutely nothing fortheclass.'' Based on the discussion above,and the factthatPlaintiff

filedthisaction,which ledtothisSettlement,ObjectorPennington'sstatementisfactually incorrectand


hisobjectionisoverruled.
30

Case 1:13-cv-24583-PAS Document 197 Entered on FLSD Docket 07/22/2016 Page 31 of 33

fee,ClassCounselshallcontinue to respond to ClassM embers'issuesand questions,and assist


in resolving issueswith theclaimsadm inistration process.

4)

All Objections gDE 136, 137, 141,

160, 164, 182, 184, 185, 1861 are

OVERRULED.

5)

M r.M cAdams'M otion forReturnofProperty gDE 1501isDENIED.

6)

TheJointMotionto StrikeObjectorGlaviano'sSupplementalObjection (DE 194)

isG R ANTED .

ObjectorGlaviano's SupplementalObjection (DE 1934isSTRICKEN from the


record.

8)

A11otherpendingand stayedmotions,including theM otionto Compel(DE 101q,

are DENIED AS M OO T.

9)

Thiscase isDISM ISSED W ITH PREJUDICE. This dismissalshallbecome

effective upon the date the Settlem ent Agreem entbecom es finalaccording to Paragraph II.A .I1
ofthe Settlem entA greem ent.

10)

lnaccordancewithParagraphIV.P.6oftheSettlementAgreement,theCourtshall

retaincontinuingand exclusivejurisdictionovertheSettlementforallpumoses,includingits
supervision,im plem entation,enforcem ent,and adm inistration and forany disputesthatm ay
arise concerning the Settlem entA greem ent.
D O NE A N D O RD ER ED in M iam i,Florida,this

day ofJuly,2016.

>
.

h'

PATRICIA A .SEITZ
UN ITED STATES D ISTRICT JU D GE
CC*

CounselofRecord

31

Case 1:13-cv-24583-PAS Document 197 Entered on FLSD Docket 07/22/2016 Page 32 of 33

A TTA C H M EN T A

C LA IM F O R M
Ifyou own a Taurus Class Pistoland w ish to return itfor a cash paym entaspartofthe Chris P.

Carterv.ForjasTaurusS.A.,TaurusInternationalMantfacturing,Inc.,and TaurusHoldings,

Inc.settlem ent,please filloutthe follow ing form com pletely and subm itto:
Taurus Settlem entA dnzinistrator
c/o H efflerClaim s
P.O .Box 230
Philadelphia,PA 19102-0230

T o be eligible for a cash paym ent,this form m ustbe postm arked by


!' 2016.*
- .---.

..... ... . .. ....... ..... . .

AdditionalM odels.Please use the back ofthis form ifyou need m ore space.
Taurus M ake:

Taurus M ake:

M odcl:

M odcl:

SerialN um ber:

SerialN um ber:

* You do not need to f511out and return this claim form to receive the Enhanced Lifetime W arranty

(includingfreeshipping)andSafetyTraining.Thosebenestsareautomaticanddonotrequireanyaction
by you.

Case 1:13-cv-24583-PAS Document 197 Entered on FLSD Docket 07/22/2016 Page 33 of 33

Please review the Safety Training Video before packaging your ClassPistol.
Please also review the Shipping C heck List. Y ou m ust com ply w ith all w arnings and
instructions to properly disarm ,store,package and ship your Class Pistol.
lf you are returning three or m ore C lass Pistols, please provide your social security
num ber or taxpayer identification num ber so that y0u m ay receive a 1099 tax fnrm if
required.

1 hereby further confirm and acltnowledge that:

1have had an opportunity to read thcN otice and view the Safety Training Video.

1(ortheabovenamedSettlementClassM emberonwhosebehalf1nm authorizedto


ad)ownedtheabovelistedTaurusmakets)andmodells)on (PreliminaryApproval
Date).

ldeclareunderthepenaltyofperjurythattheforegoingistrueandcorrecttothebestofmy
personalknow ledge.

Signed'
.
CLA IM S M UST BE PO ST M ARK ED N O LA TER TH AN

,2016

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