The Shane Group, Inc. v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
The Shane Group, Inc. v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (E.D. Mich.): Cohen Milstein served as Co-Lead Counsel, representing a class of purchasers of hospital services against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for agreeing to MFN provisions in its contracts with hospitals throughout Michigan that required those hospitals to charge other insurers as much or considerably more for services provided to class members. The Court approved a settlement with BCBSM for nearly $30 million.
TikTok Child Privacy Investigation
DOJ Says TikTok Violates Children’s Privacy The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has alleged that TikTok committed “unlawful massive-scale invasions of children’s privacy.” The DOJ’s complaint alleges that TikTok: Parents: Help Hold TikTok Accountable We are investigating whether TikTok’s alleged privacy violations could form the basis for a class action lawsuit. By banding together to press their […]
TikTok Child Privacy Litigation
Villanueva, et al. v. Bytedance Inc., et al. (C.D. Cal.): Cohen Milstein is representing parents of children, who are minors, in a putative consumer protection class action who claim that TikTok collects and uses their young children’s personal information without providing direct notice to parents or gaining parents’ verifiable consent in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (“COPPA”) and the COPPA Rule.
Tradex Global Master Fund SPC Ltd. et al. v. Lancelot Investment Management, LLC, et al.
Tradex Global Master Fund SPC Ltd. et al. v. Lancelot Investment Management, LLC, et al. (Crc. Crt., Cook Cnty., Ill.): In August 2018, the Court granted final approval of a $27.5 million settlement, concluding a nearly decade-old putative investor class action against McGladrey & Pullen LLP, an accounting firm, for its alleged fraud and negligence arising out of the Tom Petters’ Ponzi scheme, one of the largest Ponzi schemes in U.S. history.
Treasuries Antitrust Litigation
In re: Treasuries Securities Antitrust Litigation (S.D.N.Y.): Cohen Milstein was Co-Lead Counsel in this ground-breaking antitrust and Commodity Exchange Act class action alleging many of the nation’s biggest banks manipulated the $13 trillion market for U.S. Treasuries and related instruments. Cohen Milstein and co-counsel developed the case independently, without the assistance or benefit of any preceding government investigation or enforcement action.
Triad Manufacturing, Inc. ESOP Litigation
Smith v. GreatBanc Trust Company, et al. (N.D. Ill.): Cohen Milstein represented participants and beneficiaries in the Triad Manufacturing ESOP who alleged that the ESOP’s trustees breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the sale of Triad Manufacturing to the ESOP. In September 2021, the Seventh Circuit, in a precedent-setting decision, cited an exception to the Federal Arbitration Act that permits a court to overrule an arbitration agreement if it blocks a party from being able to bring claims under federal law. On August 23, 2023, the court granted final approval of a $14.8 million settlement and granted class certification.
U.S. Customs & Border Protection Agency Pregnancy Discrimination Litigation
Gabaldon, et al. V. Mayorkas, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (EEOC): Cohen Milstein represented U.S. Customs and Border agents in a putative class action against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, in which plaintiffs claim that the agency and its implementation of the temporary light duty policies discriminate against pregnant agents in violation of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. On August 13, 2024, a class of over 1,000 agents reached a historic $45 million settlement, which includes an agreement by the agency to enact sweeping reforms to policies that will eliminate long-standing discriminatory practices.
U.S. ex rel. Pepe M.D. and Sherman, M.D. v. Fresenius Vascular Care, Inc., et al.
In 2022, the federal government and multiple state governments intervened in this qui tam action commenced by Cohen Milstein on behalf of the whistleblowers against Fresenius Vascular Care, Inc. and affiliated defendants, alleging that they violated the federal and state False Claims Acts by performing and billing Medicare and Medicaid for unnecessary surgical procedures that were not covered by these programs, that subjected patients to health risks, and that defrauded the government and taxpayers of many millions of dollars. The action seeks treble damages and civil penalties.
U.S.A. v. Janssen Biotech, Inc.
U.S.A. v. Janssen Biotech, Inc. (D. Mass.): Cohen Milstein represents the plaintiff-relator in a whistleblower/qui tam lawsuit against Janssen Biotech (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson), alleging that the manufacturer of the rheumatoid arthritis drugs Remicade and Simponi ARIA violated federal law by engaging in a scheme through which it provided physicians free practice management and infusion business consulting services over an extended period to induce the physicians to purchase Remicade and Simponi ARIA and administer these drugs to patients, including Medicare beneficiaries, via infusions performed in their offices.