Trotter v. Perdue Farms, Inc.
Trotter v. Perdue Farms, Inc. (D. Del.): Cohen Milstein was Co-Lead Counsel in this FLSA and state wage and hour class action brought on behalf of 15,000 hourly workers at Perdue’s chicken processing facilities, across eight states. Plaintiffs claimed that Perdue did not pay workers for time spent “donning and doffing” required protective clothing and equipment to comply with worker safety and USDA regulations. In 2002, Perdue agreed to pay workers a $10 million settlement for lost wages. In addition, Perdue was required to issue retroactive credit under one of its retirement plans for “donning and doffing” work if the credit would improve employees’ or former employees’ eligibility for pension benefits. In a separate settlement with the DOL, Perdue agreed to change its pay practices.
In re: Cast Iron Soil Pipe and Fittings Antitrust Litigation
In re: Cast Iron Soil Pipe and Fittings Antitrust Litigation (E.D. Tenn.): Cohen Milstein, as Co-Lead Counsel, represented direct purchasers of cast iron soil pipes and fittings against McWane Inc. and Charlotte Pipe & Foundry – the two largest manufactures of CISPs in the country. On May 26, 2017, the court granted final approval to a $30 million settlement.
In re Ductile Iron Pipe Fittings (DIPF) Direct Purchaser Antitrust Litigation
In re Ductile Iron Pipe Fittings (DIPF) Direct Purchaser Antitrust Litigation (D.N.J.): Cohen Milstein, as Co-Lead Counsel, represented direct purchasers of DIPF against McWane Inc., Star Pipe, and Sigma – the three principal manufacturers of DIPF in the United States for an alleged price fixing conspiracy. On May 10, 2018, the court granted final approval of an $8.8 million settlement against McWane, the last-remaining defendant, bringing total recoveries to more than $17.3 million.
In re Huron Consulting Group, Inc. Securities Litigation
In re Huron Consulting Group, Inc. Securities Litigation (N.D. Ill.): Cohen Milstein served as co-lead counsel in this securities fraud class action against Huron Consulting Group and its former CEO, CFO, and CAO for their alleged participation in or reckless disregard of an ongoing accounting fraud, resulting in a single-day stock drop of 70%. On May 6, 2011, the court granted final approval of settlement totaling more than $42 million, consisting of $27 million in cash plus 474,547 shares of common stock., valued at $13,292,061.
In re Lucent Technologies Securities Litigation
In re Lucent Technologies Securities Litigation (D.N.J.): Cohen Milstein represented The Parnassus Fund, one of the co-lead plaintiffs, in this massive securities fraud class action. Allegedly, Lucent made false and misleading statements regarding its financial results and failed to disclose serious problems in its optical networking business. On December 15, 2003, the court granted final approval of a historic settlement against Lucent of $500 million in cash, stock and warrants, ranking it one of the largest securities class action settlements of all time.
Illumina Stockholder Derivative Litigation
The Pavers and Road Builders Benefit Funds v. deSouza, et al. (Del. Ch.): Cohen Milstein represents stockholders in a derivative lawsuit against the board of directors of Illumina, Inc., a biotech company, for flagrant breaches of fiduciary duty and positive law related to Illumina’s $8 billion reacquisition of GRAIL, a healthcare company. Stockholders claim that the board’s decision to close the merger violated binding standstill obligations under Article 7(1) of the European Union Merger Regulation and flouted U.S. antitrust law, exposing Illumina to regulatory scrutiny and massive fines.
LabCorp. v. Davis
Labcorp v. Luke Davis, et al. (U.S.): Cohen Milstein filed an amicus brief on behalf of distinguished federal jurisdiction scholars in support of respondents in this case before the Supreme Court. Respondents, individuals who are legally blind, brought a class action against Labcorp in 2020. Allegedly, Labcorp’s Express Self Check-In kiosks violate federal and California disability laws because they are not accessible to the blind. Labcorp challenged the Ninth Circuit’s affirmance of the district court’s decision to certify the class, contending that both Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23 and Article III of the Constitution prohibit class certification if the proposed class includes uninjured class members. The amicus brief examines the tangle of jurisdictional, prudential, and factual issues in the case that stem from Labcorp’s appeal of the wrong class certification order. Amici offered this brief to assist the Court in evaluating the scope of its certiorari jurisdiction and recommended dismissing the case as improvidently granted. On June 5, 2025, the Supreme Court did just that. In a 8 – 1 decision, the Court determined that the case had been improvidently granted given the procedural issues.
Coinbase Securities Litigation
State of Oregon v. Coinbase, Inc., et al (Circ. Crt., Multnomah Cnty. Or.): Cohen Milstein represents the Oregon Attorney General in an enforcement action against Coinbase for, allegedly, illegally soliciting and facilitating the sale of unregistered securities in the form of numerous cryptocurrencies to Oregon residents. In addition to depriving Oregonians of important disclosures and protections about these highly speculative investments, Oregonians have allegedly incurred substantial losses.
Veterans Guardian FCA Whistleblower Litigation
U.S. ex rel. Carico v. Veterans Guardian VA Claim Consulting, LLC, et al. (M.D.N.C.): Cohen Milstein represents the relator, a whistleblower, in this qui tam lawsuit on behalf of the United States of America against Veterans Guardian VA Claim Consulting, LLC, its two co-founders, Scott Greenblatt, CEO, and William Taylor, COO, and Gregory A. Villarosa, Ph.D., for violations of the federal False Claims Act. The relator claims that the defendants conspired to submit thousands of fraudulent mental health disability claims to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.