Seiffer v. Topsy's International, Inc.

80 F.R.D. 272, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15415
CourtUnited States District Court for the District of Arkansas
DecidedSeptember 20, 1978
DocketCiv. A. No. KC-3435
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 80 F.R.D. 272 (Seiffer v. Topsy's International, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States District Court for the District of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Seiffer v. Topsy's International, Inc., 80 F.R.D. 272, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15415 (ard 1978).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

O’CONNOR, District Judge.

This is a class action brought under Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and pursuant to Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The case is now before the court for approval of a settlement agreement between plaintiffs and defendant Tucker, Charno and allowance of attorneys’ fees to plaintiffs’ counsel. A hearing on these matters was held on September 6, 1978. Having carefully considered the statements of counsel made at that hearing and the memoranda submitted, the court makes the following findings and orders.

On March 5, 1976, the court entered an order approving a similar settlement agreement with defendants Topsy’s International, Inc., Berger, House, and Nuell. Seiffer et al. v. Topsy’s International, Inc., 70 F.R.D. 622 (D.Kan.1976). In considering the settlement agreement and application for attorneys’ fees now before us, we will apply the principles and standards set forth in that earlier memorandum and order.

The statement of plaintiffs’ counsel in support of the proposed settlement with Tucker, Charno contains a history of Tucker, Charno’s presence in this action and of the settlement negotiations. Counsel for both plaintiffs and Tucker, Charno recounted the course of negotiation at the hearing also. Aside from noting that the history evidences intensive arms-length negotiations, we believe there is no need to discuss the events leading up to the settlement agreement. A summary of the terms of the settlement agreement is, however, in order.

Tucker, Charno has agreed to pay $1,100,-000.00, court costs incurred to date in the amount of $12,460.96, and all notice costs. The funds were deposited on September 5, 1978, in Columbia Union National Bank and Trust Company, and the class will be entitled to any interest earned upon approval of the settlement. Distribution of the funds will be made after approval of the settlement and a final judgment of dismissal with prejudice on the claims asserted against Tucker, Charno has been entered.

Plaintiffs, on behalf of the class, have agreed to indemnify and hold harmless Tucker, Charno against any loss occasioned by a judgment in favor of defendant Touche Ross & Co., or its partners, against Tucker, Charno arising out of a recovery judgment or settlement obtained by plaintiffs against Touche. In addition, Tucker, Charno has stipulated that plaintiffs’ complaint was timely filed as to Tucker, Charno and that the cause of action is not barred by the statute of limitations.

Because this is a class action brought pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(3), the court must first determine whether the notice to the class was adequate or was, in the words of Rule 23(c)(2), “the best notice practicable under the circumstances, including individual no[275]*275tice to all members who can be identified through reasonable effort.” See Rule 23(e), and Eisen v. Carlisle & Jacquelin et al., 417 U.S. 156, 94 S.Ct. 2140, 40 L.Ed.2d 732 (1974).

On July 12, 1978, the court entered an order regarding notice to the class of the proposed settlement. Plaintiffs’ attorneys were directed to carry out the notice program. A Notice of Hearing to Approve Proposed Settlement of Class Action with Tucker, Charno was attached to the order. The hearing, to determine whether the proposed settlement should be approved as fair and adequate and to consider an award for attorneys’ fees, was scheduled for September 6, 1978. Plaintiffs’ attorneys were directed to cause a copy of the notice to be mailed, by July 28,1978, to each person who had filed a claim which had not been disallowed. Because plaintiffs’ attorneys had made substantial efforts to locate all members of the class and to establish the validity and amount of the claims of the class members, publication of the notice was not required. Members of the class were to be given until Aug'ust 25, 1978, to file any objections to the proposed settlement or the application for attorneys’ fees. The notice attached to the order and mailed on July 28, 1978, summarized the history of the litigation, the composition of the class, and the terms of the settlement agreement. It, however, omitted mention of the indemnity provision. Defendant Touche Ross objected to the omission of the indemnification provision, and plaintiffs’ counsel advised the court of Touche Ross’ position. A supplemental notice was approved by the court and mailed on August 14, 1978. This supplemental notice, subsequently gave rise to a formal objection by Touche Ross which will be considered below. Plaintiffs’ attorneys reported that 177 of the notices mailed to members of the class were returned. Out of those, 116 persons have since been located, leaving 61 claimants not notified. These constitute three percent of the total, but the claims of these persons represent a smaller percentage of the total claims. A continuous effort is being made to locate these claimants. They are scattered throughout the country making publication in three or four newspapers unproductive. No class members have registered any objection. The court finds that the mechanics of notice were adequate. The question remains whether the substance of the notices — the contents of the notice and supplemental notice — was adequate.

As we indicated above, defendant Touche Ross filed a motion for leave to file an objection to the settlement agreement. It argued that the notice relating to the indemnification provision was totally inadequate. It further claimed that the provision of the agreement containing a stipulation that the action is not barred by the statute of limitation was unnecessary and was inappropriate to the extent that such a stipulation, if approved, would be binding on Touche Ross. While we do not believe that Touche Ross has standing to raise the objection and thus adhere firmly to our earlier ruling in Seiffer, supra, at 627 n. 5, 628 n. 6 that only class members have standing to object, we nevertheless will consider the merits of Touche Ross’ arguments.

The section of the (supplemental) notice found objectionable by Touche Ross reads as follows:

“[Pjlaintiffs agree to indemnify the settling defendants against any loss resulting from a judgment by defendant Touche Ross & Co., or its individual partners, against the settling defendants, to the extent that any such judgment is based upon any recovery obtained by plaintiffs from Touche Ross & Co. or its individual partners.”

Touche Ross argues that the use of the term “plaintiffs” could give class members the impression that the indemnity obligation is upon only the named plaintiffs rather than upon the class and is, thus, misleading.

In Grunin v. International House of Pancakes, 513 F.2d 114 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 864, 96 S.Ct. 124, 46 L.Ed.2d 93 (1975), the court was faced with a similar objection to a class action notice and stated:

[276]*276“As a general rule, the contents of a settlement notice must ‘fairly apprise the prospective members of the class of the terms of the proposed settlement and of the options that are open to them in connection with [the] proceedings.’ ” Id. at 122, citing

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
80 F.R.D. 272, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15415, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/seiffer-v-topsys-international-inc-ard-1978.