Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Plaint?
CLASSACTION
FORJA S TA U RU S S.A .,
TAURUS INTERNATIONAL
M ANUFACTURING,INC.,and
TAURUS HOLDINGS,1N C.s
Defendants.
/
(collectively,iclassPistols'').TheClassiscomprisedofapproximately955,796members.
A ftertwo roundsofnotice, fourindividualsoptedoutandonlyt
iveindividualsfiledobjections.1
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,
IncentiveAwardisgranted.Eachoftheobjectionsisovem zledordenied.
FactualB ackzround
and attended theJanuary 20,2016 FinalApprovalHearing. M r.Glaviano attended the July 18,2016
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
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
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.
Defendants'boardsofdirectorsrejectedtheparties'firstproposedsettlement.
Subsequently,thepartiesparticipated in afinalm ediation session in W ashington,D .C.Also in
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
II.
ofatrackingsystem approvedbytheBureauofAlcohol,Tobacco,andFirearms(tATF''),
Defendantsstatethatapproximately 955,796 ClassPistolshave been distributed sinceeachwas
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.''
personalinjury,anddamagetopropertyotherthantothePistols.
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.
PistolstoDefendantsduringLtwfour-monthclaimsperiodin exchangeforacashpayment.The
four-month claim speriod willbeginto run 30 daysfrom theconclusion ofany appellateprocess.
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
d)
ifmorethan200,000ClassPistolsarereturned,thepaymentfor
each retum ed ClassPistolwillbelessthan $150 andwillbe equal
to $30 M illion divided by the numberofClassPistolsreturned.
included in the $30m illion cap. Thepartiesestim ate thatthe cap willbereached only ifmore
than 25% ofa1lSettlem entClassM em bers electthe cash paym entoption.
ghttps://-
.tau>scadersettlement.com/safetprainingvideo/qandat
7
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
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
(DE 191-1(DeclarationofJeanneC.Finegan)at3.)
ProceduralB ackzround
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
1.
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
Certified U.S M ailwith notice and supplem entalnotice ofthe proposed Settlem ent,pursuantto
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
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.)
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
-
gDE 137at2;185at101objectsthat,sincegunregistrationisrarelymandatory,individualnotice
isim possibleand theclassshould be decertified. M r.Ream y separately statesthattheparties'
detenninedwithreasonableefforts.SeeJurisv.InamedCorp.,685F.3d 1294,1321(11thCir.
2012).AsMr.Scheftlercontends,individualnoticeisimpracticableinthiscase.The
SettlementClassincludesowners,notjustpurchasers;thepartieshaverepresentedthatTaurus
11TherewerenoobjectionstothecredentialsofM s.FineganorHeftler.
12
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);
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
allegationsthattheClaimsAdministratordevelopedthenoticeprogram basedonjunkscience''andthat
llbannerads''aretsunpredictable''and m ay ltcontain linksto maliciouswebpages''lack evidentiary
support.
13
Objectorsalsoarguethatthecontentofthenoticewasinsufficientbecauseitfailedto
alertClassM em bersthatunderthe enhanced warranty they would bereceivinga replacem ent()2
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
Plaintiff,tobepaidseparatelyfrom Classrecovery.SeeInreCheckingAccountOver#rl/
f itig., 830F.Supp.2d 1330,1342(S.D.Fla.2011).16
II.
TheCourtpreviouslyfoundtherequirementsofRule23(a)and(b)(3)satisfiedinthis
Mr.GlavianoobjectsthatthenamedPlaintifflacksstandingbecausehedidnotpurchase
hisweapon and thatcom monality isnotmetand subclassesareneeded because therearenine
Hearing,whichprovidedObjectorssufficienttimetorespondUeee.g.,DE 160,1621.Moreover,there-
notice period gave ClassM em bersan additionalsix monthsto respond to the feesmotion.
15
Theseconclusoryobjectionsarewithoutmerit.Plaintiffhasstandingbecauseheisthe
currentownerofa ClassPistol,which suffersthe sam ealleged defectsaseach ClassPistol
SettlementClasstoenterintoafair,reasonableandadequatesettlement.''(DE 123at4.1
M oreover,comm onality and predominance arem etbecause each ofPlaintiffsclaim s
centeron Defendants'common conductandtheClassPistols'comm on issues. Specifically,
16
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.
ToapproveasettlementunderFederalRuleofCivilProcedure23(e),theCourtmusttind
thatitisfair,reasonable,and adequate''and %nottheproductofcollusion.''Aultv.WaltDisney
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.
ForjasTaurusS.A.firstresistedserviceandlaterdiscovery,resultinginamotiontocompeland
two motionsto dismiss,the second ofwhich challenged each ofPlaintifpsclaim sand was
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.
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
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
appellatecourts,possibly includinginterlocutoryappeal,summaryjudgment,trial,post-trial
motions,andpost-judgmentappeal.EvenassumingPlaintiffultimatelyobtainedajudgment,
Plaintiffwouldlikelyencounterdifficultiescollectingthatjudgmentfrom aforeigndefendantonethathasalready indicated itsresistance to being bound by U.S.legalprocedures- resulting
F. TheRangeofpossibleRecovev
Thiscase involvesonly the lossin valueoftheClassPistols;claim sfordeath,personal
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
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$200million).
G. The Opposition to the Settlem entis slinim al.
D espite the factthatthe partiesestim ate nearly one m illion ClassM em bers,only five
individualsobjectedandonlyfouroptedout.Suchalow numberofobjectionssuggeststhatthe
settlementisreasonable.SeeSaccoccio v.JP M organ ChaseBank N A.,297 F.R.D.683,694
(S.D.Fla.2014).
TheObjectors'criticismsoftheSettlementconsidernoneofthefactorsabove;in fact,
theyciteverylittlelegalauthority.Instead,thecruxofa11ObjectionsisthattheObjectorsseeka
m ore lucrative dealw ith differentterm s,such as a recalland adm ission ofliability. Som e
20
ObjectorsalsotakeissuewithspeciticSettlementtermsandprocedures,whileoneObjector
contendstheSettlementviolatestheSecondAmendment.AlloftheObjectionsfail.
4. TheSettlementValueisNotInsum cient.
A1lfiveObjectorscomplainthat,whethertheyoptforthecashpayoutorthereplacement
pistolsundertheenhanced warranty,they would receivelessthan the fullpurchasepriceofthe
ClassPistols.M r.Glaviano also claim sthatthe()2 replacementmodelisinferiorandthatClass
M em bersshould be reim bursed forgun-specificaccessories,including magazines,which may or
m ay notbeofTaurusm anufacture. Defendantsarguein responsethatsuch accessoriesare
limited intypeand num bergiven the%$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
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
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
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
22
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
23
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.
TheseObjectionshaveno factualorlegalmerit.Taurus'sChiefCustomerService
Representativetestifed atherdeposition thatthealleged defectsatissuein thislawsuitwould
tookplace.Theobjection isoverruled.
23M r Pennington complainsthatthe notice doesnotadequately specify the length ofthe claimsperiod.
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
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
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
4. TheAttorneys'Fee,4wardisaReasonablePercentageoftheSettlementValue.
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 $9 million sought
by ClassCounselaccountsforapproximately 12.2 percentoftheSettlem ent'stotalpotential
value,which iswellwithin therangeapproved by theEleventh Circuit. Camden1,946 F.2d at
774-75.
27
1213(S.D.Fla.2006)(weighingthenumberofhoursexpended againstthecircumstancesofthe
caseinlightofthecourt'sownexperieneeandexpertise);InreCheckingAccountOverdrah
Litigation,830F.supp.zd 1330,1364(S.D.Fla.2011)C$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
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
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
state-imposedshippingrestrictions.(DE 167.1Finally,thepublicsafetyconcenzsrequired
timely action from ClassCounseland a swiftresolution ofthiscase.27
Service Aw ard
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.
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)
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
4)
OVERRULED.
5)
6)
isG R ANTED .
8)
are DENIED AS M OO T.
9)
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
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
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.
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.
1have had an opportunity to read thcN otice and view the Safety Training Video.
ldeclareunderthepenaltyofperjurythattheforegoingistrueandcorrecttothebestofmy
personalknow ledge.
Signed'
.
CLA IM S M UST BE PO ST M ARK ED N O LA TER TH AN
,2016